Gladden Middle School

Instructional Practices
Past Practices
-Teachers reading to students
-Students popcorn reading
-Teacher directed for more than 10-15 minutes
-Students answering low-level questions

-Teachers sitting (unless at doc cam or w/ small

group)
-Students writing definitions, filling in blanks, etc.
-Assessing without next step plan

Current and Future Practices

-Planned tiered activities after assessment
-Gradual Release of Responsibility (I do, We
do, You do, assess and differentiate)
-Modeling skills; providing exemplars
-Students read and analyze complex text; then
write (sometimes using Thinking Maps)
-Students use PALS
-Students break high rigor questions down and
analyze academic vocabulary
-Differentiation is provided after daily
assessments
-Students are given immediate feedback when
appropriate (during starters, during You Do
part of lesson, etc.

-Student centered, engaging activities are

planned collaboratively
-Preview of learning goals are given concisely
and effectively through modeling, pre-reading
activities, preview of vocabulary, direct UDL
instruction, building on prior knowledge, etc.
-Students use rubrics, checklists for selfassessment
-Learning goals are consistently stated and
emphasized
-CER/RACES strategies are used

Example Plan of Effective Use of 85 Minutes

10 minutes: Starter with small group pulled from prior days TOTD
15 minutes- Activate prior knowledge, break down standard and give I Can statement, Preview vocabulary, and
hook students with visual slides, short clip, anticipation guide, Written Conversation Writing, etc.
30 minutes- Model Skill, Use PALS to read with guided reading questions to provide rigorous interaction with
text. Restate learning goal. (Math- model, do together, independent practice)
5 Minutes- Have students self-check answers to guided reading and correct with red pen. Assess and put in
groups.
15 Minutes- Restate learning goal. Provide differentiated task.
10 Minutes- Summarizing activity as TOTD and assessment of meeting learning goal