InTASC Standard #8: Instructional Strategies

When students are not understanding concepts the way their teacher thinks that they
should, the teacher knowing a variety of instructional strategies is critical. InTASC Standard #8
demands that teachers know and understand the uses of a variety of instructional strategies that
they can use to deepen students understanding and encourage students to inquire deeper into their
subject areas. Through the use of effective instructional strategies, teachers can help students
develop the skills they need to use their knowledge in ways that are meaningful and authentic.
Teachers need to know how to gear their teaching towards students different learning styles and
differentiate instruction when needed. By understanding the cognitive processes behind
different kinds of learning, teachers can use strategies to stimulate them throughout the lesson in
order to keep students engaged.
In the English classroom instructional strategies are used to develop student literacy. One
of these strategies is building student metacognitive strategies. Through encouraging students to
think about how they interact with different texts it allows students to pinpoint where they have
trouble and how they can overcome that. In students with low literacy levels, metacognitive
workshops can help them to build confidence alongside their literacy, and give them a better
understanding of how to overcome literary stumbling blocks when they hit them. Modelling is
another instructional strategy used in the English classroom; by allowing students to see what
they are supposed to do, the teacher is able to deepen student understanding of the assignment.
Instructional strategies are important for students because they are the tools teachers use
to help them overcome stumbling blocks in their education. A teacher with a mental toolbox full
of instructional strategies will be able to confidently help students through a variety of academic
mires.