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Do I Utilize Best Practices in My Classroom
The use of Best Practices is standard in most professions. Best Practices reflect the most current and effective strategies in a given field. As educators, we often receive district and/or state recommendations as it relates to curriculum. Often educators have little wiggle room as it relates to implementing district or school-wide curricula. However, we have provided a schmorgasboard of Best Practices for your review. Compare your present teaching practices to those listed. Pick and choose those you like. This is the perfect opportunity to shop till you drop. Browse, browse, browse. Select those that are a perfect fit. Discard those that are out of fashion. Enjoy this opportunity for guilt-free shopping. Everyone wins!
Best Practices in READING call for an increase in the following:
Children’s choice of their own reading materials
Exposing children to a wide and rich range of literature
Teacher modeling and discussing his/her own reading processes
Social, collaborative activities with much discussion and interaction grouping by interests or book choices
Silent reading followed by discussion
Teaching skills in the context of whole and meaningful literature
Writing before and after reading
Encouraging invented spelling in children’s early writings use of reading in content fields (e.g., historical novels in social studies)
Evaluation that focuses on holistic, higher-order thinking processes
Measuring success of reading program by students’ reading habits, attitudes and comprehension
Best Practices in READING call for a decrease in the following:
Teacher selection of all reading materials for individuals and groups
Teacher keeping his/her own reading tastes and habits private
Teaching reading as a single, one-step act
Solitary seatwork
Grouping by reading level
Punishing preconventional spelling in student’s early writings
Segregation of reading to reading time
Evaluation focus on individual, low-level subskills
Measuring the success of the reading program only by test scores
Best Practices in MATH call for an increase in the following:
Use of manipulative materials
Cooperative group work
Discussion of mathematics
Questioning and making conjectures
Justification of thinking
Writing about mathematics
Problem-solving approach to instruction
Content integration
Use of calculators and computers
Being a facilitator of learning
Assessing learning as an integral part of instruction
Word problems with a variety of structures and solution paths
Everyday problems and applications
Problem-solving strategies
Open-ended problems and extended problem-solving projects
Investigating and formulating questions from problem situations
Discussing mathematics
Reading mathematics
Writing mathematics
Listening to mathematical ideas
Drawing logical conclusions
Justifying answers and solution processes
Reasoning inductively and deductively
Best Practices in MATH call for a decrease in the following:
Rote memorization of rules and formulas
Single answers and single methods to find answers
Use of drill worksheets
Repetitive written practice
Teaching by telling
Teaching computation out of context
Stressing memorization
Testing for grades only
Being the dispenser of knowledge
Use of cue words to determine operation to be used
Practicing routine, one-step problems
Answering questions that need only yes or no responses
Answering questions that need only numerical responses
Relying on authorities (teacher, answer key)
Arthur Hyde, Harvey Daniels, and Steven Zemelman. Best Practice: New
Standards for Teaching and Learning in America’s Schools. Heinemann:
Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
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