According to Stigler and Hiebert (1999), lessons "are the most common form of teaching. Classroom teaching, as it is known around the world, plays out through daily lessons." In the TaskBuilder Figure 8 Strategy the term standards-based instruction task is used as a synonym for a lesson or lesson plan. Here are some teaching characteristics of lessons from classrooms with world class performance in mathematics.
- A great deal of attention is given to lesson plan development;
- Lessons are planned as complete experiences -- as stories with a beginning, a middle, and an end;
- Lessons tell a tightly connected, coherent story; the teacher must build a visible record of the pieces as they unfold so connections can be drawn between them; and the lessons cannot be sidetracked or broken by interruptions;
- Their meaning is found in the connections between the parts. If you stay for only the beginning, or leave before the end, you miss the point;
- To succeed lessons like these must be coherent. The pieces must relate to one another in clear ways. And the lessons must flow along, free from interruptions and unrelated activities.
The TaskBuilder Figure 8 Strategy helps teachers to benchmark and deliver teaching strategies that reflect world class performance and results in increases on classroom and high stakes tests and assessments.
Source: Stigler, J. & Hiebert, J. (1999) The teaching gap: Best ideas from the world’s teachers for improving education in the classroom. New York: The Free Press.
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