Hello again,

I spent another Saturday at my Alma Mater, Claremont Graduate University, in a workshop for Master teachers. I’m going to have at least two, maybe three student teachers during the summer. I’m sure I’ll be posting about that.

I like going to these workshops, because I get to learn new strategies that are being taught in college, and although I consider myself a pretty good teacher, even this old dog can learn new tricks.

I’d like to share one of the strategies that I learned in the workshop that I’ll be incorporating into my lessons from now on.

Most of you already do this, but for me it’s new.

It’s called the Essential Question.

I have always written the state standard that the class was learning about each day on the white board. I write it in easy-to-understand language, but most of the time, the kids don’t even notice it. I basically put it on the board just in case the administrator walks in.

From now on, however, I’m going to change what I write on my board. I’m going to make it into a question – an Essential Question.

I’m also going to make my students write it down each day and collect them in their binder.

So instead of writing, “Students will learn the importance of the Emancipation Proclamation,” I’ll write:

What is the importance of the Emancipation Proclamation?

The students will have to write down the question, then by the end of the lesson, they’ll need to write the answer. They will then keep these in their binder, and each day, they’ll add a new question and answer.

I’ll collect them after about  two weeks and give them a grade for having all the questions and answers, then I’ll return it to them.

Come test time, they can use these are their study guides.

I thought it was such a great idea. Continue reading “Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks – What I Learned Recently – Essential Quesitons” »