Facilitating Student Learning through Benchmark Lessons and Discussions

Read pages 70–75 in Reinventing the Classroom Experience to see the “big picture” alternative to whole-group instruction and to introduce you to the three-step process for introducing content. 

Read the Benchmark Discussion text to learn the why and what of benchmark discussions.

Teachers’ Superpowers in Synchronous Instruction — Utilize this graphic organizer to plan out your “teacher superpower” questions for one benchmark discussion in your ALU. 

Benchmark Lessons and Discussions: Making an Intentional Plan for Learning — Use this tool to see the full trajectory from the benchmark lesson to trigger students’ awareness, to the instructional activities curated for student learning and retention, and finally to the benchmark discussion meant to synthesize and catalyze more learning! Fill out the second page with your benchmark discussion questions.

View this Insights Video for tips on facilitating a powerful benchmark discussion.

Using Our Superpowers: Discussion Questions Brainstorm — Utilize this graphic organizer to plan out your “teacher superpower” questions for benchmark discussions in your ALU.  

Rubric to Assess a Benchmark Lesson — Use this document to create and reflect upon your benchmark lessons. 

Creating a Benchmark Lesson — Use this document to create Benchmark Lessons

Facilitating Student Learning Through Teacher Facilitation

Read Students Taking Charge in Grades K–5: pgs. 150–154 to learn about the power and purpose of facilitation.

Building Tools for Facilitation — Watch this screencast, which explores facilitation in a LATIC and introduces you to two tools you can use to gather data to drive instructional decisions.

Content Facilitation Grid — View this video to learn about what content facilitation grids are, and how to create and use them.

Read Students Taking Charge in Grades K–5: pgs. 159, 169–173 to learn the purpose of a content facilitation grid.

Design a content facilitation grid for your ALU. You can use the questions in this resource to guide you. Here is a blank template you can use.

Read Students Taking Charge in Grades K–5: pgs. 159–164 to learn about facilitation questions.

Then use this resource to develop questions to ensure that you are probing and promoting students’ thinking, whether you are working with them in small groups, one-on-one, or even as they view your screencasts.

Content vs. Process Facilitation Questions — Complete this activity to test your knowledge on the difference between content and process facilitation questions. 

View this Insights Video on how to balance your energy in facilitation. 

Design a Small-Group Mini-Lesson — Follow this step-by-step guide to create a small-group mini-lesson for your ALU, for students who need extra support and/or for those who need an extra challenge. 

Tips for Using Rubrics to Facilitate Learning — Providing students with feedback in the classroom is essential for guiding their learning journey. The more effective your feedback, the more likely that students will reach the Expert column on the analytic rubric. This tool allows teachers and administrators to utilize the rubric for active facilitation.

Facilitation Questions Sort — Engage in one of the sorting activities below to help you learn and practice the difference between questions that address student management, process, and content. You will need to make a copy of it in order to manipulate the pieces: 

• Facilitation Questions Sort K–2

Content vs. Process Facilitation Questions — Complete this activity to test your knowledge on the difference between content and process facilitation questions.

Facilitation: It’s Not Data Gathering; It’s Teaching — Read Dr. Sulla’s blog in order to understand how to utilize facilitation as an opportunity to teach. Then, reflect in your Efficacy Notebook on how this manifested in your classroom this past year.

Addressing Student Behavior Through Facilitation — Read this blog by guest writer Dr. Shané Beauford to understand how you can utilize facilitation as an opportunity to build rapport with students and address student behavior. Then, reflect in your Efficacy Notebook on how this manifested in your classroom this past year. 

Explore Guide to Providing Effective Feedback and/or the Facilitation Roadmap, which are both tools that you can use as you are facilitating to identify how to help a student learn and to provide the appropriate feedback at the right time. Then, in your Efficacy Notebook, describe how this manifested in your classroom.