Power Up (5-7 minutes)
The lesson begins promptly with independent work that students can do without teacher assistance. The teacher must have the Power Up activity posted (on the board, overhead projector, chart paper, etc.) before time for the class to begin. During the Power Up, the teacher checks roll and homework silently while students continue to work. Student responses to the Power Up are checked and student misunderstandings addressed.
The Power Up fulfills a management function (getting students settled and focused on an activity) and two instructional functions (either review of content covered a few days ago or preview for the current lesson).
Overview
The teacher establishes objectives/purpose; he/she relates this lesson to previous and future lessons, securing student interest and attention. (Anticipatory/Establishing Set)
Content Focus
Activities focus on learning new concepts or skills. This is the “content presentation” portion of the lesson. Teacher modeling occurs during this phase. The activities are not always teacher directed, as when discovery lessons are implemented.
Guided Practice
Students practice newly learned concepts or skills in settings where the teacher can easily monitor for student understanding. Monitoring and feedback are pervasive during this phase of the lesson. (Have they learned what I wanted them to learn well enough to use it/practice it on their own?)
Independent Practice
Students work independently or in small groups to practice newly learned concepts and skills. The teacher does not lead this activity; students work more independently. Monitoring and feedback occur during this phase of the lesson.
Closure
The teacher engages students in activities that “wrap up” the lesson and emphasize what was learned. This may include a review of the most important concepts/skills learned in the lesson or self-reflection by students.
Review (5-7 minutes)
The teacher provides an activity that engages students in review of previously learned content. It is suggested that teachers include review of content that was taught 2-5 days before. The review of previously learned content may occur during the Power Up or during the Overview if the review addresses prerequisite competencies for the current lesson. (Note that review of the current lesson content is different and may occur at one or more points during the lesson [Content Focus, Guided Practice, Independent Practice, or Closure phases].)
Monitoring
Monitoring (informal assessment of learner knowledge and understanding – checking for understanding) can occur during any phase of the lesson. Monitoring involves teacher behaviors and practices designed to provide the teacher with information about what students have and have not learned and understood.
Feedback
Like monitoring, the feedback function cuts across the phases in the instructional process. Feedback occurs wherever a teacher provides a student qualitative information about his/her performance. The hierarchy of feedback should be implemented in order to increase student learning.