Top 12 AFL Strategies
Not a red pen in sight!
Lesley Ann McDermott
Progression Traffic Lights
• Use traffic lights as a visual means of showing
understanding. Laminate for display.
RED, AMBER, GREEN
• Either give students red, amber, green cards which
they show on their desks or ask for raised hands.
• At the beginning of the lesson ask for prior knowledge.
• Review in the plenary session.
Instant feed back to inform your planning.
RED = don’t understand, know nothing, not confident...
AMBER = know a little, nearly there...
GREEN = totally get it, got is sussed, confident learner etc...
Think, Pair, Share
• Pose an opened ended question or problem to which
there may be a variety of answers.
• THINK: Allow ‘thinking time’ and direct them to
think about the question.
• PAIR: Students then work in pairs to share ideas,
discuss, clarify and challenge.
• SHARE: Share ideas with another pair or with whole
class
• It is important that students need to be able to
share their own partner’s ideas as well as their own.
• Peer interaction and thinking time are powerful
factors in improving responses to questions.
Numbered heads together
• Divide students into groups of 4,
students each given a number 1-4
• Teacher poses a question or problem.
• Each individual in the group has to
contribute an idea, answer or solution.
• The group then have to agree on which
idea will be their group answer.
• Teacher calls out a number randomly
1-4.
• Students with that number raise their
hands, and when called on, the student
answers for his or her team.
ABCD TF YN cards
• Laminate lettered cards A, B, C, D, or T, F, Y, N,
• Ask Multiple choice questions: A, B, C, D.
• Even better when there is more than one correct
answer to spark a discussion, or when the answers
depend on the assumptions the student makes.
• Ask True/False or Yes/No questions.
• Students hold lettered cards up in response.
A
B
C
D
T
F
Y
If you can’t afford active vote or get hold of active vote
this is a cheaper alternative!
N
Class basketball
• Pass a soft ball to one student to give one main idea
from the lesson to share with group.
• The ball then passes to another student to give
another main point of the lesson.
• Once a student has taken part s/he cannot be passed
the ball again.
• This continues until the teacher thinks the main
points have been given.
Student created problems
• Students in pairs/groups pose
a question for the class to
answer – write it on mini
whiteboards or post its.
• At end of the lesson take the
questions and ask other
groups to answer them.
• Students in groups then work
on answers –
• Groups feedback to class with
answers.
Find the fib
• Write two correct statements about
the lesson and one fib
• Ask students to tell you which one is
the fib and why?
One, Two, Review, Review
One
‘I’
Two
‘You’
Review
- I now know...
Review – I didn’t
know/think of
this because...
• ONE: ‘I’ – ‘I learned this...’
• TWO: ‘you’ – ‘You thought/added...’
• REVIEW– ‘I now know...’ – what they have learned
from paired conversation
• REVIEW – ‘I didn’t know/think this because...’ – allows
reflection on thought processes.
• Starts with the individual’s contribution and then
moves onto the paired learning experience.
Two Stars and a Wish
• Peer assessment, self assessment or teacher
assessment
• Identify two positive things the student has done well
and what you wish they could do in the future.
• It may be assessment, behaviour, presentation driven.
Ask if they can act on the wish next time or there
and then for immediate action.
• This could be recorded in their books on a sheet.



Smiley faces
• Got it sussed. Ready to move on!
• Nearly there! Understand some parts
but not all.
• Unsure. Do not understand and need
to look at it again!
Students draw smiley faces to
indicate how comfortable they
are with the topic. .
Good for checking
knowledge on
revision lists.
Thumbs

• Sort of – half way there...

• I don’t get it

• I get it
Check class understanding of what you are
teaching by asking them to show their thumbs.
Post it
What I have learnt?
What I have found easy??
What have I found
difficult?
What do I want to know now?
• Set an area of wall space for students to stick post it
notes.
• Groups, pairs, individual can answer.
• Instant feedback to inform your planning.
Top 12 AFL Strategies