UnleashLearning-ObservationChecklist

PREPARATIONANDSET-UPEffectivepreparationandset-upcreatestheconditionswhereeveryoneisliftingtheweightsthroughoutthe

session.LiftingtheWeights-Ratherthandoingallthetalking,theteacherusedstrategiestoensurelearnerswereliftingtheweightsthroughouttheentiresession(writing,speaking,questioning,readingtoeachother,summarising,drawing,movingetc.)

Teachersethimselforherselfupforsuccess.• Roomispro-activelyset-upforsuccess• Technologyisreadypriortostudentarrival• Allhandouts/materialsareready• Roomisstrategicallyorganisedpriortostudents’arrival• Roomiscleanandinviting• Thereisaclearvisibleseatingplan• Aninspiringlearningspacehasbeencreated• Allstudentshaveteacherselectedassignedseats

Thewallsoftheclassroomarestrategicallyutilisedforlearningtobeunleashed• Keyconceptsandideasareonthewalls• Handouts,visuals,andotherlearningmaterialsarestrategicallyplacedaroundthe

room

Studentsaresurroundedbydiverseimages,materialsandresourcesrepresentadiverserangeofpeopleandcommunities(race,language,gender,etc.)

Teachergotmorebyusingless.Ratherthanoverwhelmlearnerswithinformation,teacherworkedtocutdowninformation(ex.Wallsoftheclassroom,PowerPointslides,Handouts,etc.)

Teacherusesawirelessremote Visualimagesareusedstrategically

• ProceduralPictures:areusedforstudentstoknowtheexpectedprocedures.• LearningImages:RatherthantextsaturatedPowerPointslidesandhandouts,visual

representationsareusedtorepresentkeylearningconcepts

Instructionsarechunked:Ratherthanallinstructionsbeinggivenatonce,teacherstrategicallychunkedinstructionstosupportalllearnersliftingtheweights

Lessonisbrokeninto3distinctiveparts-Tohelpalllearnersmakemeaningofthesession,theteacherbrokeupthelessonin3distinctparts

Anagendawasused• Onwhiteboard,PowerPointorothervisibleplace

Directionsweremadevisible–ratherthanverballyprovidinginstructionstostudents,theteachermadethemajorityofhisorherdirectionsvisibleonPowerPoint,Whiteboard,Keynote,orothervisualdevices.

Thelessonhelpsstudentsmakelinksbetweencontentandleaners’lives UnleashLearning-Strategies1-12

STARTOFSESSION

Effectiveopeningofanylessoncreatestheconditionstosetalllearnersupforsuccess,maximisetimeandhelpstoensurelearningisunleashedforeveryone

themomentthesessionbegins.StudentsSetUpForSuccess-Teachershowedstudentsalistofmaterialstheyneeded(onaPowerPoint,onthewhiteboardoroverhead)andhadallstudentstakeoutmaterialsbeforethelessonbegan.

Teacherusedstrategiestobuildcommunityand/orlowerthefiltertocreatesafetyandsuccessatthestartofthelesson.

Allstudentshadassignedpartnersfromthestartofthelesson. Theteacherusedstrategiestoactivatepriorknowledgeforallstudents(hadstudentswritefirst,askedacompellingquestion,usedaquicksurvey,createdadiscussion,etc.).

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MIDDLEOFSESSIONInthemiddleofthelessoniswhenalllearnersareliftingtheweightsinstrategicways.Thefollowingarewaystoseehowstudentsareliftingtheweightsduringthemiddleofthesession.*Itisn’texpectedthatall

strategieswouldbeused.Partnersreadtoeachother–insteadoftheteacherorstudentreadingoutloudtothegroup,partnersreadtexttoeachother(PowerPointSlides,shortstories,articles,etc.)

Allstudentstooknotesduringdiscussions,film,guestspeaker,mainideas,orotherpartsofthelessonensuringallstudentsareliftingtheweights.

Allstudentswereliftingtheweights(writing,speaking,discussing,reading,moving,explaining,teaching)inthemiddleofthelesson.

Studentsdrewastheyreadtocapturetheirthinkingandvisualisationoftheirreading. Speakingtolearn:Teacherusedstrategiestogetallstudentsspeakingkeyconcepts,ideas,contentspecificvocabularyetc.(partners,asagroup,insmallgroups,etc.)

Teacherusedstrategiestosupportstudentsteachingcontenttoeachother Teacherusedstrategiestoensureallstudentswerespeakingratherthanjustafew(partnersspeakingwitheachother,tablegroupdiscussions,standinginacircle,etc.

Sharedpower–ratherthanthesamefewstudentsliftingtheweights(largegroupdiscussions,smallgroupdiscussion,etc.)thestudentsareequallyspeakinginthesession• Studentsspeakingasmuchastheteacher• Bothmeanandwomenareequallyparticipating• Equalparticipationwithlearnersfromdifferencebackgrounds(race,gender,languages,nationality,abilities,faith,etc.)

Checkedforunderstanding–Usedstrategiestoprovidetimeforlearnerstochecktheirownunderstandingofthesession• partnersdiscussingmainpoints• puttingitemsintheirownwords• reviewingwhathastakenplace

“Ridingthewave”–Theteacherusedstrategiestokeepthepaceoflearningmovinginawaythatensuredeveryonewasliftingtheweightsthroughoutthesession.

Providedopportunitiesforstudentstothinkabouttheirownthinking.Studentsweregiventimetothinkabouttheirownthinkingbywriting,speaking,discussingthemselvesasleaners–Example–Howdoesreadingtoapartnerimpactyouasareader?

Teacherusedstrategiestogetallstudentstoverballyrepeatmainideas,concepts,andthemesofsession.

Movement-TeacherusedstrategiestogetalllearnerstomovethroughoutlessonExamples–standing,usingawalkandtalk,standingwithpartners,standinginacircle

Theteacherspendstimefocussingonwhatisworkingwellwithintheclassroomtoincreaseadditionallevelsofsuccess.

Teacherusedacircle–togetallstudentsliftingtheweights,theteacherusedacircleinthesessionStudentssittingorstandinginalargecircle

Circledback–Theteacherprovidedopportunitiesforthestudentstolifttheweightsduringthesessionbyreviewingkeyideas,contentandlearningfrompastorcurrentsessions.

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CLOSINGOFSESSION

Theendingofasessionisacriticaltimeforthelearningprocess.Itisthetimeforallleanerstomakemeaningofthesessionandhopefullywillleaveyourlearnerswantingmore.

Allstudentswrotelast• Allstudentswroteasummaryoftheirnotestoexplainkeylearningandsharedthose

notesoutloudtoapartnerorinalargegroup• Studentsusedsentencesstartersandsharetheirresponsestoeachother.• Etc.

CreatedapowerfulclosingsTeachercreatedapowerfulclosingtohelpsupportmeaning-makingofthelessonand/orasenseofinspirationandcelebrationtowhattookplace.

• Studentsdiscussedtheagendawitheachother• Stoodinacircleandsharednotesandmainideas• Readapoem,storyoranotherpieceofinspiringtextthatcapturestheessenceofthe

lesson.• Musicwasusedattheendofthelesson.• Etc.

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