Educators implement effective planning, instruction, assessment and reporting practices to create respectful, inclusive environments for student learning and development.
July 31st, 2022
As a future educator, there is this overwhelming sense of “what if I fail my students?”,  “What if my instruction isn’t explicit enough and doesn’t reach every individual in the classroom?” Then my overthinking mind kicks in, and I go into a tangent about whether this is negative or positive to be nervous and doubt myself. Anita Archer, in the podcast on Explicit Instruction, was a powerful simplification of the concept of explicit instruction. Although the sense of overwhelm hasn’t changed, I appreciate how Anita broke down explicitly, direct instruction.Â
Explicit instruction is undoubtedly the most effective teaching method for all students. Numbers resonate with me, and I appreciated hearing about the study on a school with 90% lower social/economic status and 90% Spanish as the primary language. After three years of expectational explicit instruction, 90% of students exceeded the benchmark. The people of Terrace are diverse in many ways, including generational trauma, cultural backgrounds and mixed economic status; these stats gave me concrete evidence that each student can learn to read, comprehend, calculate, and be prepared for future social and career endeavours. Knowing this motivates me to continue to foster a growth mindset and challenge myself in areas that feel overwhelming or that I feel inadequate.
            Anita mentioned various times the critical attributes of explicit instruction through the knowledge and experience of fifty-five years in teaching and research. These included breaking down the content, designing how to demonstrate the content and deliberate practice of the content. I appreciate the list; they break down concepts to understand the steps needed to gain knowledge. With a reminder, educators need to focus on the outcome, which is learning and reducing the “fluff.” Fluff means other topics we may bring into concepts we are trying to teach. I also appreciated the idea of scaffolding, teaching in chunks, and breaking it down for the students. To describe this process, she explains it as “I do, you do, and we do.” The content is taught, and the students do it and review and possibly correct the work. I love the set focus of this process; it creates a guideline that can be accomplished with hard work, SMART goals and continued focus from the students and the teacher.Â
             Anita reminded me that students know what they think about when the case gets confusing. I struggle with focus (ADHD), which reminds me of my schooling; I am not exactly sure what to focus on, and my mind refuses to concentrate with multiple topics added into different content. Although the concept seems small, it resonated with me to stay focused purely on the learning outcomes when instructing.   Relating it to our inclusive education course, Anita continued to affirm the need to know each of our students and their capabilities. Anita used an example on fractions; she asked the students to answer three specific questions on a piece of paper and draw three different pictures that represent two-thirds. Simple ideas that can create a safe and inclusive classroom for students.Â
            Reflecting on Anita’s podcast and her experience, I know that I need to be gentle to myself during the process. Becoming a master of anything takes time, but I find it difficult not to feel anxious about the process. I also am thankful for the mentors and teachers in my life. I have appreciated and respected the high level of education obtained through the UNBC’s professors; it has been a program highlight. Teaching can be a thankless job, and I appreciate the explicit instruction and dedication you have offered. My intention is not to gain brownie points but to reflect on how I want to be as a teacher.Â
Here is a link to her website -> https://explicitinstruction.org