"Partnering with TeachFirst we've been able to focus on Cornell Notes and DASH. We've seen a linkage between our use of Cornell Notes and increased student achievement. Teachers and students really get it. I can go into any classroom and see a high level of consistency and engagement in the use of the DASH strategy."
Instructional Strategies
Do your teachers know what effective instruction looks like?
TeachFirst provides a series of online videos and support tools for each of its Instructional Strategies. Teacher leaders use the videos and related resources during PLC meetings to support teacher learning around specific Instructional Strategies.
Video Models of Instruction
TeachFirst videos help teachers “see” what effective instruction looks like in real classrooms with real students. Instructional Strategies are delivered through more than 150 individual online video vignettes, each demonstrating exemplary teaching of a specific Instructional Strategy. Videos serve as the catalyst for instructional conversations within the PLC framework.
Facilitator Guides
Because videos alone are not enough to change teaching practice, TeachFirst provides a Facilitator Guide aligned to each video model. Teacher-leaders are trained in facilitation skills, and use the guides during PLC meetings to lead instructional conversations around specific Instructional Strategies.
Research-Based
TeachFirst Instructional Strategies are research-based. Each instructional conversation includes recommended resources for deeper exploration, including journals, books, and websites related to specific Instructional Strategies.
TeachFirst Elementary strategies
Elementary Instructional Conversations are organized into four instructional strands:
- Learning to Read
- Reading to Learn
- Learning to Write
- Establishing Learning Environments.
In addition, each Instructional Conversation provides Differentiated Instruction focused on three distinct student populations:
- Struggling Readers and Writers
- English Language Learners
- Special Education Students
TeachFirst Secondary strategies: Adolescent Content Literacy
TeachFirst’s adolescent content literacy strategies work across subject areas (Math, Science, English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Electives) to raise content literacy skills and academic achievement for all students. The secondary strategies are aligned to the work of Marzano, Pickering and Pollack, and are organized into three instructional strands:
- Building Background Knowledge
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing to Learn