#25 Shift when you ask students to copy things down
It stops copying being a passive experience
Hello, and welcome to the Tips for Teachers newsletter. For over 400 ideas to try out the very next time you step into the classroom, check out my Tips for Teacher book.
💡 A quick tip to try in class this week 💡
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post for my Eedi newsletter entitled The Myth of Copying Things Down. I argued that asking students to copy lesson objectives, worked examples and corrections in their books might be both a waste of precious lesson time and detrimental to learning.
However, I know that copying worked examples is so ingrained in many teachers’ practice - and, as a result, in students’ expectations - that it is going to be hard to break away from. So here, I want to suggest a smaller change: shift the time we ask students to copy a worked example to later in the lesson.
The point at which most teachers ask students to copy a worked example into their books is the point at which the worked example makes the least sense to them. Students are likely to have just watched the teacher model this novel concept a single time. They have no further experience of the concept, and hence no real sense of whether they possess the knowledge to get from step 1 to step 2, step 2 to step 3, and so on. As a result, copying a worked example is likely to be a relatively passive experience.
Instead, we could model the worked example as normal and leave our working up on the board so it is visible to students in case they wish to refer to it. The example could be printed out if needed. We then ask our students to practice the procedure, gaining confidence, experience and knowledge.
Later on in the lesson, we can give our students an example that they copy into their books. Because this example has more meaning attached to it, we can ask students to add notes and annotations around their working out to help their forgetful future self understand each of the steps involved. They are no longer passively copying down, but sense-making.
This process could serve as the plenary to the lesson - a nice way for students to demonstrate they understand the core component of the lesson, and have an opportunity to reflect a bit deeper on the processes involved.
What would you need to change to make this tip work for you?
When could you try it for the first time?
View all the Tips for Teachers shared so far
📺 A video to discuss with a colleague 📺
Primary headteacher, Sonia Thompson, explains why we need to think carefully about our career pathway
If the video doesn't play when you click on it, click here
Subscribe to the Tips for Teachers YouTube channel so you never miss a tip
👂 A podcast episode to listen to on your way home 👂
Primary teacher, Kieran Mackle, shares his five tips:
Leave space between reading and implementation
Treat the act of teacher development like teaching
Be explicit when modelling for colleagues
Some behaviours are more important than others
Nobody really knows what they are doing
Listen to the podcast here.
Search for Tips for Teachers on any podcast platform (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc) and subscribe so you never miss an episode.
😎 Final bits and bobs 😎
Do you know someone who would enjoy this newsletter? Forward it to them, or direct them to the sign-up page here where you can also read all previous editions.
You can also sign up for my weekly Eedi newsletter, where I share resources, research and ideas to improve teaching and learning.
Check out my Tips for Teachers book
Do you and your team want high-quality training or coaching, with ideas you can use in your very next lesson? If so, you can book some Tips for Teachers CPD
Check out the all-new Tips for Teachers online courses
If you value my work, please consider becoming a Patreon
I learned Cornell Note Taking and integrated a version into my lessons. Students folded a sheet vertically. On the left we wrote the original problem and brainstormed what we knew, what tools we might need, what previous skills/knowledge might help (maybe formulas), etc. On the left went our ideas.
On the right we wrote every step in the solution in great detail, plus any check we might be able to use.
When finished, small groups collaborated to develop a model sheet (both sides) that went on the wall. Time was found the next day for a gallery walk do they could compare model sheets.
The sheets stayed up for students to use when they did independent practice. This got them moving, too. Independent practice was often with collaborative help from peers, too. They learned to try on their own and seek assistance from peers as an ownership step in self-directed learning. As teacher, I moved around encouraging and questioning.
Sometimes, usually, the first formative assessment was done with the sheets available for review, too.
The wall sheets served to teach the model solution and also good note taking.