Molly's instructional dilemma: "How can I make sure all students are engaged and on task during writing time?  Specifically, how can I get ALL students talking to one another about the topic at hand?  For example, when I give a writing topic for discussion, how do I make sure all students find someone to talk to and engage with them about the topic given?  How will I know when each student is engaged and on task?"

 

It's hard to see, but Molly is writing a daily essay with her students on a large, lined, poster paper.  She is modeling proper format (capitals, indentations, punctuation, and even transition words).  This is a "Step Up to Writing" type of activity, and some instructors are leery of its rigidity, however this is a nice starting point for students to understand the idea of paragraphing with transitions.

 

Sarah uses a strategy called "silent thumbs" when she's having discussions with her students.  When she checks for understanding, students hold their fists at their midsections, and do a thumbs up, thumbs in the middle, or thumbs down to indicate how well they each understand a concept or idea.  The purpose is to give students a non-intimidating (because it's hard for students to see each others' thumbs) way to communicate understanding or lack thereof.