Reducing Ineffective Practices You can’t always add better practices without eliminating ineffective ones.

The Goal The purpose of this training is to provide participating teachers with the knowledge and resources needed to discontinue ineffective practices in the afterschool program.

Overview In today’s training session you will: Understand that many traditional educational practices are no longer effective with modern students and modern curriculums. Design a method to detect, modify, and/or eliminate ineffective teaching practices.

The Nature of the Problem In the educational world, administrators, consultants, coaches, etc. always seem to focus on what new practices or methods need to be ADDED to teachers’ classrooms. Very little time or energy is spent on eliminating outdated or ineffective practices. Continuously adding things to teachers’ to-do lists without also adding time to get them done OR eliminating other items from the list is a recipe for disaster!

Activity 1: Press release Imagine that you were asked to select three things to discontinue in your classroom. Identify those three things and prepare a statement to that effect detailing the reasons why you are taking these particular actions. Be prepared to answer questions.

How do you know? Before something can be discontinued, it must be shown to be less effective than what replaces it. It cannot be based on feelings or things we want to believe are true. Research-based evidence is needed.

The Pendulum Trap. Not everything needs to be measured by an ‘all or nothing’ standard. Lecturing is a good example of this. A lot of educators and administrators believe that lecturing is or should be taboo. The reality is that extended lecture times are ineffective, but short bursts of lecturing paired with other learning activities can be a very powerful strategy. It’s about balance.

Our Friend Hattie. According to Hattie (2009), there are several traditional practices that are associated with a small or ineffective impact on student achievement. These include: Time spent on task Class size Teachers’ subject area knowledge Homework Teaching test-taking skills Retention

Other methods with low impact: According to Gonzales (2015), these teaching methods are outdated or ineffective: Turn-based oral reading (popcorn, round-robin, etc.) Catering instruction to a student’s preferred learning style. Using high performing students to help struggling students as a means of differentiation.

But wait! There’s more. According to the Sutton Trust (2014), the following practices are either ineffective or unsubstantiated with any evidence: Excessive praise for all students. Discovery learning vs. direct instruction. Rereading text multiple times in one session. Activity vs. passive listening.

Discussion: Determining if Hattie and the others are insane. Discuss the following with a partner: Which of the preceding items came as a shock? Does this mean they don’t matter in any way? Why were they important at one time? Why don’t they seem to be important now?

Explanations Time spent on task. Obviously engagement and time on task is important…IF the task is on the appropriate learning level. Class size. Smaller classes are often easier, but many teachers don’t put the effort into improving grouping and differentiation as a result of having a smaller class. Teachers’ subject area knowledge. This is important…IF it is paired with knowledge and skills on how to deliver this knowledge to students.

Explanations Homework. Homework that is challenging and difficult needs the presence of a teacher for guidance and support. Homework that is too easy serves little purpose. Teaching test-taking skills. Time is better spent teaching learning standards. Retention. May be a necessity from time to time, but it does not help improve the achievement of the student held back unless other forms of help and intervention are included.

Explanations. Turn-based oral reading (popcorn, round-robin, etc.) Silent reading is better for comprehension, and small group centers are better for improving fluency. Catering instruction to a student’s preferred learning style. Students benefit much more from experiencing a variety of learning experiences and styles.

Explanations Using high performing students to help struggling students as a means of differentiation. This is not differentiation. The struggling student benefits, but the higher performing student has little to know benefit from this practice. Excessive praise for all students. This can convey a message of low expectations and lead to low self-esteem.

Explanations Discovery learning vs. direct instruction. Direct instruction is being shown to be much more effective. Rereading text multiple times in one session. Spaced instruction is much more valuable for retention and processing. Activity vs. passive listening. Like lecturing, small bursts of passive listening interrupted by activities can be a very effective teaching method.

The Afterschool Connection: Share, Pair, Think In groups of four, discuss which of these identified methods that are possibly ineffective that take place in the afterschool program. For example, is a lot of time taken working with students on homework? Are you catering to particular learning styles? Do you use peer-tutors? Brainstorm about ways to reduce, eliminate, or modify the ways these methods are used. Record your ideas.

Questions? Any questions? Comments? Concerns? Or anything else for the good of the group?

Summary There is a finite amount of time to teach students. It is just as effective to stop doing the wrong things as it is to start doing the right ones. There are many traditionally accepted methods that are being shown to be ineffective in today’s schools.

Sources Gonzales, J. (2015). 5 common teaching practices I’m kicking to the curb. Retrieved from http://www.cultofpedagogy.com/ineffective- teaching-methods/ Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. New York, NY: Routledge. Sutton Trust. (2014). Many popular teaching practices are ineffective, warns new Sutton Trust report. Retrieved from http://www.suttontrust.com/newsarchive/ many-popular-teaching-practices-are- ineffective- warns-new-sutton-trust-report/