TEACHING STRATEGIES
At GCVI we strive to hold a Growth Mindset when it comes to learning. This includes the beliefs that all students are
capable of learning, and that failure is not evidence of unintelligence but rather part of a process that allows us all to
learn from our mistakes, set goals, and improve our abilities. The following teaching and assessment strategies are
used to help promote this mindset and to support student learning and achievement.
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
● Determining existing student knowledge
and understanding (diagnostic assessment).
● Varying instructional activities to allow
students to learn the same concepts and
skills with varied levels of support,
challenge, or complexity
An approach that recognizes the diverse needs of students
in every classroom and provides a variety of methods,
activities and assessments to meet those needs while
learning the same skill or concept.
SCAFFOLDING
i.e. frontloading; graphic organizers; modeling; tap
into prior knowledge; think-pair-share; asking
questions
A variety of strategies that provide students ​
with the tools
needed to complete a task. Tasks are broken down into
achievable chunks and a tool is provided to complete each
chunk. Tools include clear instructions and expectations,
visuals or graphic organizers, mnemonic devices, and
exemplars.
ANCHOR CHARTS
i.e. APE; Critical Thinking Skills; Formulas
An anchor chart is posted in the classroom and outlines a
procedure, process, or strategy on a particular topic.
Students can refer to the anchor chart which serves as a
visual reminder of the concepts learned. Examples of
anchor charts are “How to answer short-answer questions”
and “What makes an effective thesis?”
EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION
i.e. literacy and numeracy skills embedded in each
course/subject
The teacher clearly states the learning goal of the lesson and
the skills/information that will be learned in order to achieve
that goal.
GUIDED PRACTICE
i.e. “I do, we do, you do”
An approach that releases the learning responsibility from
the teacher to the students. The teacher begins by
modelling the learning, and then moves to collaborative
practice, and finally independent student effort. This
gradual release of responsibility can occur over a short time
frame (within one period) or over a longer time frame
depending on the complexity of the skill or concept.
ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT (Assessment “for” learning and
“as” learning)
● Identifying and clarifying learning goals and success
criteria
● Engineering effective classroom discussions and
other learning tasks that elicit information about
student learning
● Providing feedback that helps learners move
forward
● Through targeted instruction and guidance,
engaging students as learning resources for one
another
● Through targeted instruction and guidance, helping
students understand what it means to “own” their
own learning, and empowering them to do so
i.e. observation; self-assessment; conferencing; interview;
written response; quizzes; demonstration
Assessment “for” learning determines students
existing level of understanding and preparedness for
new learning.
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT (Assessment “of” learning)
● Focuses on the student’s achievement of the
overall course expectations
● Overall expectations are defined by the particular
content or scope of the knowledge and skills in the
specific expectations of the course
i.e. timed exam; portfolio; interview; demonstration or
combination of any of these
Assessment “of” learning measures achievement of
overall expectations in a unit of study, as on a unit
test or final exam.
Assessment “as” learning is a task or activity that give
students an opportunity to demonstrate their
learning while practicing their learning, as on an
informal assignment, in class discussions, and
through homework completion.
Teachers obtain assessment information in a variety
of ways and provide students with descriptive
feedback and coaching for improvement.
Teachers help students develop their independence,
autonomy, ability to set goals, and self-reflection on
their thinking and learning.
It is the process of evaluating the extent of student
learning on the basis of predetermined expectations
or criteria (i.e. curriculum expectations).