As expert learners, the stages that we take in solving a problem or performing a skill are not always thought consciously. To support pupils, we need to make these stages explicit and demonstrate how expert learners engage in an ongoing cycle of planning, monitoring and evaluating. Barak Rosenshine (2010) suggests that pupils ‘need cognitive support to help them learn to solve problems’. This metacognitive modelling can take a variety of forms: worked examples; think alouds; live modelling; my turn, your turn; I do, we do, you do. Using any of these methods helps us to reveal the inner workings of an effective learner and demonstrates effective learning processes.
As you watch this video of teaching practice, consider how the teacher:
- Asks questions to encourage pupils to reflect on the process
- Demonstrates how pupils should participate in an activity and use resources in small steps
- Models the thought process of an expert
Whether you’ll be using modelling for the first time or you’re reviewing its use in your teaching, take some time to reflect on what the teacher has done, how they’ve done it, what they might have done differently, and how this might influence your own practice.