Previewing Today's Class Session

Why is this important?

Previewing the module content focuses both students and the teacher on the subject and activities for the day. It also prepares students by stimulating them to begin thinking about the day's subject.

Try these strategies:

• Write the day's agenda in a permanent place on the board before class begins, then review it with students. This practice will keep both students and the teacher on track and give a consistent visual sense of what's completed and what's ahead.

• Write the day's objectives on the board when they are key to understanding the agenda. Adding the objectives can explicitly state desired outcomes. A clear display/discussion of why we are headed where we are headed gives students a contextual overview of the day’s work

Why is this important?

This gives a sense of the session’s placement in the course progression and clarifies how the content connects to the rest of the course.

Try these strategies:

• Illustrate how this lesson relates to prior learning in the course. Draw upon what students have already learned to contribute to a sense of expanding their body of knowledge.

• Indicate clearly when the current lesson does not relate to a prior lesson. Students may naturally assume that the current lesson connects to what was learned in the last class. This assumption can lead to confusion when the material is headed in a different direction or introducing a new topic.

• As the agenda is reviewed, briefly explain how each element fits into the session goals. This provides context for all parts of the session and contributes to "big picture" understanding.