STRATEGIES FOR STARTING & ENDING LESSONS

(1) WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Ofsted Not enough emphasis is placed on strategies for starting and ending lessons well. Poor practice here often results in: behavioural problems during the lesson, in corridors between lessons and pupils arriving for their next lesson in an uncontrolled way. Research - The start of the lesson is the most important aspect that determines pupil motivation. Too many students learn to do school in the same way that prisoners learn to do time! - Reviewing work is essential to effective learning that will last. Learning without immediately reviewing work is like filling the bath without putting the plug in! - Without review recall can drop as much as 80% within 24 hours. (2) OUTLINE LESSON STRUCTURE * not a mechanistic recipe to be followed BEGINNING (5-10 minutes) - prepare pupils for what they are going to learn MIDDLE (30-45 minutes) - the main teaching activity - combinations of teaching input and pupil activities * It is important to build in frequent breaks and opportunities to reflect on learning during the middle stage ( good guide = chronological age + 1) - also interventions are necessary to identify and sort out misconceptions, clarify points and to give feedback END (5-15 minutes) - plenary - draw together what has been learned, identify progress and give pupils an insight into the next stage of their learning (& homework?)

(3) STARTING LESSONS - The most important aspect of the lesson? KEY PRINCIPLES: (i) create an appropriate learning environment - high teacher and learner expectations - eg - punctuality, equipment, behaviour, safety rules, time on task, cooperation with teacher/peers (ii) make it lively and interactive - aim to engage pupils' attention and maintain a brisk pace (iii) connect the learning - How does the lesson connect to what has gone before and what is going to come? - How does it connect to the big picture? (iv) share teaching objectives with the class (use board/OHP) - establish a sharp focus on the skills needed in the main part of the lesson * outcomes can be differentiated using I must I should I could (v) ensure that pupils connect with the objective and see its worth - Radio WIIFM (What's In It For Me) (vi) make it accessible - build confidence/self-esteem - foster the can do mentality - provide all pupils with a chance to succeed with the opening activity

STRATEGIES: 1. Rehearse previously taught skills/content in a variety of lively ways - eg -15:1 quiz, competition, puzzle or problem solving activity 2. Review previous lesson(s) - eg - Write down 3 things that you remember as significant about the last lesson. Then swap your three things in pairs. Try to get at least five significant things between you. 3. Use Initial Stimulus Material (ISM) to: - approach the topic in an oblique manner and arouse curiosity (eg- role play, object, video clip, poem, painting, cartoon, music, story) - motivate (provide vivid images/descriptions) 4. Pupils set informal personal targets for the lesson (linked to big picture and targets) - eg - By the end of the lesson I will have ... 5. Use a KWL grid (What do I Know? What do I Want to know? What have I Learnt?) to build on pupil's prior knowledge and establish objectives for the lesson/unit. 6. Use music either as ISM or to manage and create a mood to which learners will align themselves. Music can also be used to evoke a theme. 7. Encourage independent, predictive and speculative thinking eg - pupils hypothesise then test

8. Start with some puzzles on the board whilst the class is settling 9. Pupils answer the register with a key word or phrase instead of their name or have a word of the week and challenge pupils to use a particular word in context throughout the lesson/week as many times as possible 10. Register Roulette pupils selected at random the person picked has to ask a question of another pupil in the class on the topic being studied or answer the teachers question

(4) ENDING LESSONS KEY PRINCIPLES: (i) focus on what is important have a clear idea of its purpose and what you want to achieve in it

(ii) make links to future lessons and other subjects (transferable skills) make sure the pupils see where the lesson fits into a unit or sequence of lessons this is particularly important for topic work that may last for 10-12 weeks (iii) develop self-esteem - identify progress (iv) involve pupils in the review - the plenary should not be hogged by the teacher - it is usually more effective if the pupils have to articulate what they have been learning (v) set homework to extend or consolidate class work and/or prepare for future lessons (vi) ensure that the teacher is in control at the end of the lesson - eg - pupils wait to be told to pack up or dismissed, they leave the classroom in a tidy condition and they leave quietly!

STRATEGIES: 1. Invite pupils to present work and pick out key points and ideas (include peer evaluation) 2. Return to the KWL grid students discuss in pairs/groups then fill in the What have I learnt? column (this is very effective at the end of a unit) 3. Whole class review: - What were the most important (3) things you learnt in this lesson/unit? - What are the things you are least clear about in what we have been learning? - Write down: 3 things you did not know before, 3 things you liked, 3 questions you would like the answer to. 4. The short summary - pupils have to sum the lesson/unit up as briefly and simply as possible (eg - set word limit) or - pupils take on the role of teacher and have to sum the topic up in a way that would be clear to a younger audience 5. Problem solving - pupils have to list the key steps to take to solve a problem that has just been studied 6. Set targets - pupils to set 3 targets for how to improve their work 7. Quiz at the end of the lesson based on work covered that lesson/previously 8. Pupils have to give a vocab/key word password before leaving the room 9. Give a reward (merit) for the question of the week/lesson

10. A final thought (Jerry Springer style!) - the teacher models a final thought that summarises the lesson, pupils then take turns in successive lessons to deliver the final thought for the lesson 11. Glory Hole! The end of the lesson becomes a forum where pupils are offered opportunities to praise the input of other pupils in the lesson, giving reasons why they deserve praise. Merits could be awarded for the pupil nominated the most.

MIND MAPS
Lesson Starters & the Plenary Mind Maps could be used at the start of the lesson to review previous work or to assess how much the pupils know before the teaching of a topic begins (Mind Maps with bits missing could also be used). Alternatively, pupils could be used to summarise a lesson. The Mind Map could be built up as a whole class of by pupils working individually or in pairs. Formative Assessment Mind Maps can be used to provide a snap shot of pupils understanding during a unit. They could highlight weak areas of understanding or gaps in content knowledge. Reinforce understanding and recall by getting pupils to explain their maps to others. Why use Mind Maps? Encourages pupils to make links We learn more by making links. Constructing Mind Maps mirrors the way the brain works. Improves Memory The process of constructing a Mind Map will enhance memory. It is also easier to review a summary of all the information associated with a topic on one page than it is to reread pages of notes. Improving Written Work Learning to organise ideas is an important pre-writing strategy. Mapping teaches how to shape, organise and (creatively) communicate thinking. Develops Thinking Skills Provides an opportunity to develop higher order thinking skills. In order to produce Mind Maps pupils have to think about the significance of pieces of information and construct hierarchies. Encourages Independent Learning Mind Maps force pupils to transform knowledge independently. It gives them a strategy that they can apply to other learning situations in a range of subjects. Effective Group Work Mind Mapping can be a group activity, which provides a focus for discussion and leads to a tangible outcome of group work. For example, you could develop the IPSDOM model (Individual Pair Share Dump Organise Map). Flexibility Mind Maps can be added to over time and built up over a module or unit of work. They are also a flexible tool for revision. Pupils can produce a Mind Map from memory, check it against the original, and then add in what they have missed. Motivation

Mind Mapping is an enjoyable learning tool to be used when needed and for a variety of purposes. For the pupils it personalises the learning and gives them a sense of ownership in terms of the end product. Helps Visual Learners Adding icons colour or doodles can motivate visual learners and help them retain information more effectively. Most learning is aimed at auditory learners rather than kinaesthetic or visual learners. Mind maps can help redress the balance! 30% of learners are thought to prefer to learn by seeing and enjoy communicating through pictures, graphs and visual artefacts. Their spelling and memory strategies may utilise pictures rather than sounds (auditory learning). nb: Kinaesthetic learners could be provided with cards of post-it notes on which to jot down their initial thoughts. They could then physically rearrange them before completing a neat version of their map. Revision Mind Maps could be used for whole subject revision of for end of module/end of unit tests. Mind Maps can provide an overview of the big picture at the start of a revision topic or a summary at the end of a unit. Big, poster size Mind Maps could be displayed on the classroom wall and added to as pupils progress through a unit. Note-taking The focus on selection forces pupils to make decisions. They cannot try to write down everything! Mind Maps can help pupils take notes from a video or during a talk/presentation. Research indicates that 90% of words that pupils write down are not necessary for recall purposes! Time is wasted writing down words, which have no bearing on memory. Time is wasted re-reading the same unnecessary words when it comes to revision or write up time. Finally, Mind Maps stop plagiarism or simply printing off Encarta and claiming it as your own research!

(b) Key Principles Use plain A4 or, even better, A3 paper (landscape). Space is important. The end result should not look to busy or cramped. Draw the first draft of your map in pencil so that you can make any corrections that are needed. Draw a central picture which sums up the topic for you. Start in the middle then build out Divide the topic into sub-topics What are the main ideas in the topic? Work in a clockwise direction. Draw a line out from the central image (this line is like the large bough in a tree) for each theme/sub-topic. Each theme could be a different colour.

 Draw branches off the main bough using the same colour. On each branch write down key words connected to the theme or sub-topic. Write these slightly smaller than the main theme. You can now sub-divide again. Draw thinner lines off the branches (twigs if you like) to record any ideas that are connected to the word on the branch. You can continue sub-dividing as you wish, depending on the amount of detail you want to include. As you move further away from the centre, the ideas become less important (central) to the main topic. This is reflected by decreasing the size of the words and images as you move away from the centre. Use pictures/images/diagrams/visual codes as often as you can, either to replace words or to emphasise words. Calligrams are an excellent tool (see example MG Literacy handout). Remember, visual images are more easily remembered than words. Print words to make them stand out. Use key words only this makes it easier to build up branches without using the whole page immediately. Incorporate acronyms where possible. The odder the better! Use colour. Add to or redraft your map when you do later work that revisits or builds on the ideas in the map. So remember to leave some space!

Further Reading: STARTERS & PLENARIES Alistair Smith Accelerated Learning MIND MAPPING: Tony Buzan Use Your Head Oliver Caviglioli & Ian Harris Mapwise