Posted on

Module 3: High Expectations and Rigorous Instruction

In many schools, you will see mission and/or vision statements that include terms such as rigor and high expectations for ALL students. How do we ensure that we are doing more than paying lip service to the phrase “high expectations”?

When reflecting upon being culturally responsive, the ultimate goal is to facilitate learning to build efficacious students. The bar is the bar, and as teachers, our actions propel the conditions for all students to succeed. At its core, setting high expectations for students is about creating a culture of perseverance and empowerment.

In this module, you will explore and design around three main objectives:

  • The Expectations-Support Connection
  • Opportunity and Access
  • The Power of the Language and Feedback

Modes of Learning

This module was designed as a toolkit where participants complete the first immersive scenario, make choices on activities based on the topic, and complete the reflection that ends the module. Within many of the ‘choice’ activities, there are opportunities for participants to engage individually, in pairs or small groups, and in a whole-group setting. There are directions on each activity for participants or for facilitators.

Activities within the toolkit can be used electronically, or printed for use individually or in a group setting. Each activity has an estimated time frame included. The main presentation is provided in two formats, Powerpoint or Google Slides (the content of each is the same).

Facilitator’s Guide: High Expectations and Rigorous Instruction

Learning Objectives

Use the links provided below to skip to any section of this module.

  • The Expectations-Support Connection: Setting high expectations for all students is important but requires providing support to ensure all have the resources and learning opportunities to succeed. How do you create a classroom climate of high expectations in a remote learning environment?
  • Opportunity and Access: It is important to provide students with opportunities to learn that are accessible in terms of cognitive levels, learning styles, language, and cultural relevance. How do you ensure differentiated support in a remote learning environment?
  • The Power of Language and Feedback: Supporting students to achieve at high levels involves personalized facilitation through the use of language and feedback in terms of both academics and the learning process. How do you provide powerful facilitation and feedback in a remote learning environment?

Presentation Materials

Introduction

The Expectations-Support Connection

Setting high expectations for all students is important but requires providing support to ensure all have the resources and learning opportunities to succeed. How do you create a classroom climate of high expectations in a remote learning environment?

  • Sharing Student Work: To design opportunities for students to showcase and share their quality work. This activity includes a website exploration and action tool.
  • Bias in Remote Learning: Identifying and Addressing Your Biases to Advance Student Achievement: To reflect on your own implicit bias, as well as the systems of bias prevalent in remote learning, and the steps you can take to address that bias and its impact on students. This activity includes a website exploration, reflection questions, and a brainstorm and design activity.
  • A Climate of Executive Function: To learn about executive function and how to implement strategies for student success. This activity includes an e-text, reflection questions, and an action tool.
  • Investing in Cultural Pluralism to Empower Learners: To learn about cultural pluralism and how to implement strategies that support student achievement. This activity includes a video, reflection questions, and an action tool.
  • The Power of Believing That You Can Improve: To understand the importance of creating a growth mindset and develop growth mindset practices within a remote and hybrid learning environment. This activity includes a video, reflection questions, and a brainstorm and design activity.

Opportunity and Access

It is important to provide students with opportunities to learn that are accessible in terms of cognitive levels, learning styles, language, and cultural relevance. How do you ensure differentiated support in a remote learning environment?

  • Authentic Instruction: Exploring PBL: To learn about and design a Problem-Based Learning or Project-Based Learning (PBL) task that creates authenticity for your curriculum. This activity includes a website exploration, reflection questions, and a brainstorm and design activity.
  • Addressing Race, Racism, and Current Events in Your Remote/Hybrid Environment: To explore strategies that address race and racism to foster high expectations through rigorous instruction of current events. This activity includes an e-text, reflection questions, and a brainstorm and design activity.
  • Benchmark Lesson: To reflect on the format, purpose, and use of a benchmark lesson and discussion. This activity includes a video, reflection questions, and a brainstorm and design activity.
  • Five Types of Instructional Activities: To provide a deliberate progression of instructional activities from which all students can learn in remote and hybrid environments. This activity includes a video, reflection questions, and an e-text.

The Power of Language and Feedback

Supporting students to achieve at high levels involves personalized facilitation through the use of language and feedback in terms of both academics and the learning process. How do you provide powerful facilitation and feedback in a remote learning environment?

  • Asset-Based Feedback Protocol: To analyze the nature and benefits of culturally responsive, asset-based feedback in a remote and hybrid learning environment. This activity includes a website exploration, reflection questions, and an action tool.
  • Framing Language to Support Achievement: To examine the impact words have on student achievement, classroom climate, and belief in oneself in a remote and hybrid learning environment. This activity includes an e-text, reflection questions, and a brainstorm and design activity.
  • Providing Culturally Sustaining and Responsive Feedback in a Remote and Hybrid Environment: To determine and implement guidelines for providing effective feedback to students in response to their learning and developmental needs within a remote or hybrid learning environment. This activity includes a video, reflection questions, and an action tool.

Conclusion

Contact

If you have questions or are unable to access any of these materials, contact:

April Francis-Taylor (she/her/hers)

P: 631-687-3007