UnleashLearning-ObservationChecklist
PREPARATIONANDSET-UP
Effectivepreparationandset-upcreatestheconditionswhereeveryoneisliftingtheweightsthroughout
thesession.
LiftingtheWeights-Ratherthandoingallthetalking,theteacherusedstrategiestoensure
learnerswereliftingtheweightsthroughouttheentiresession(writing,speaking,
questioning,readingtoeachother,summarising,drawing,movingetc.)
Teachersethimselforherselfupforsuccess.
• Roomispro-activelyset-upforsuccess.
• Technologyisreadypriortostudentarrival.
• Allhandouts/materialsareready.
• Roomisstrategicallyorganisedpriortostudents’arrival.
• Roomiscleanandinviting.
• Thereisaclearvisibleseatingplan.
• Aninspiringlearningspacehasbeencreated.
• Allstudentshaveteacherselectedassignedseats.
Thewallsoftheclassroomarestrategicallyutilisedforlearningtobeunleashed
• Keyconceptsandideasareonthewalls.
• Handouts,visuals,andotherlearningmaterialsarestrategicallyplacedaroundthe
room.
Studentsaresurroundedbydiverseimages,materialsandresourcesrepresentadiverse
rangeofpeopleandcommunities(race,language,gender,etc.)
Teachergotmorebyusingless.Ratherthanoverwhelmlearnerswithinformationthe
teacherworkedtocutbacktheinformation(ex.Wallsoftheclassroom,PowerPointslides,
Handouts,etc.)
Teacherusesawirelessremote
Visualimagesareusedstrategically
• ProceduralPictures:areusedforstudentstoknowtheexpectedprocedures.
• LearningImages:RatherthantextsaturatedPowerPointslidesandhandouts,visual
representationsareusedtorepresentkeylearningconcepts.
Instructionsarechunked:Ratherthanallinstructionsbeinggivenatonce,teacher
strategicallychunkedinstructionstosupportalllearnersliftingtheweights.
Lessonisbrokeninto3distinctiveparts-Tohelpalllearnersmakemeaningofthesession,
theteacherbrokeupthelessoninto3distinctparts.
Anagendawasused-Theteacherusedanagendaonwhiteboard,PowerPointorother
visibleplace.
Directionsweremadevisible–ratherthanverballyprovidinginstructionstostudents,the
teachermadethemajorityofhisorherdirectionsvisibleonPowerPoint,Whiteboard,
Keynote,orothervisualdevice.
Makeitaboutthem-Thelessonhelpslearnersmakelinksbetweencontentandtheirown
lives.
UnleashLearning-Strategies1-12
STARTOFSESSION
Effectiveopeningofanylessoncreatestheconditionstosetalllearnersupforsuccess,
maximisetimeandhelpstoensurelearningisunleashedforeveryone
themomentthesessionbegins.
StudentsSetUpForSuccess-Teachershowedstudentsalistofmaterialstheyneeded(on
aPowerPoint,onthewhiteboardoroverhead)andhadallstudentstakeoutmaterials
beforethelessonbegan.
Teacherusedstrategiestobuildcommunityand/orlowerthefiltertocreatesafetyand
successatthestartofthelesson.
Allstudentshadassignedpartnersfromthestartofthelesson.
Teacherusedstrategiestoactivatepriorknowledge.
• Allstudentswrotefirst
• Teacheraskedacompellingopeningquestion
• Studentsengagedinshortdiscussion
• Etc
Unleashlearning–Strategies13-19
MIDDLEOFSESSION
Inthemiddleofthelessoniswhenalllearnersareliftingtheweightsinstrategicways.Thefollowingare
waystoseehowstudentsareliftingtheweightsduringthemiddleofthesession.*Itisn’texpectedthatall
strategieswouldbeused.
Partnersreadtoeachother–insteadoftheteacherorstudentreadingoutloudtothe
group,partnersreadtexttoeachother(PowerPointSlides,shortstories,articles,etc.)
Allstudentstooknotesduringdiscussions,film,guestspeaker,mainideas,orotherpartsof
thelessonensuringallstudentsareliftingtheweights.
Allstudentswereliftingtheweights(writing,speaking,discussing,reading,moving,
explaining,teaching)inthemiddleofthelesson.
Studentsdrewastheyreadtocapturetheirthinkingandvisualisationoftheirreading.
Speakingtolearn:Teacherusedstrategiestogetallstudentsspeakingkeyconcepts,ideas,
contentspecificvocabularyetc.(partners,asagroup,insmallgroups,etc.)
Teacherusedstrategiestosupportstudentsteachingcontenttoeachother.
Teacherusedstrategiestoensureallstudentswerespeakingratherthanjustafew
(partnersspeakingwitheachother,tablegroupdiscussions,standinginacircle,etc.
Sharedpower–ratherthanthesamefewstudentsliftingtheweights(largegroup
discussions,smallgroupdiscussion,etc.)thestudentsareequallyspeakinginthesession
• Studentsspeakingasmuchastheteacher.
• Bothmenandwomenareequallyparticipating.
• Equalparticipationwithlearnersfromdifferentbackgrounds(race,gender,
languages,nationality,abilities,faith,etc.)
Checkedforunderstanding–Theteacherusedstrategiestoprovidetimeforlearnersto
checktheirownunderstandingofthesession
• Partnersdiscussingmainpoints.
• Puttingitemsintheirownwords.
• Reviewingwhathastakenplace.
• Etc.
“Ridingthewave”–Theteacherusedstrategiestokeepthepaceoflearningmovingina
waythatensuredeveryonewasliftingtheweightsthroughoutthesession.
Theteacherprovidedopportunitiesforstudentstothinkabouttheirownthinking.
Studentsweregiventimetothinkabouttheirownthinkingbywriting,speaking,discussing
themselvesasleaners–Example–Howdoesreadingtoapartnerimpactyouasalearner?
Teacherusedstrategiestogetallstudentstoverballyrepeatmainideas,concepts,and
themesofthesession.
Movement–Theteacherusedstrategiestogetalllearnerstomovethroughoutthelesson
Examples–standing,usingawalkandtalk,standingwithpartners,standinginacircle.
Theteacherspendstimefocussingonwhatisworkingwellwithintheclassroom,used
encouragingstatementsandgaveexamplesof“thebestofthebest”toincreaseadditional
levelsofsuccess.
Teacherusedacircle–togetallstudentsliftingtheweights,theteachergotthestudents
eithersittingorstandinginacirclesometimeduringthesession.
Circledback–Theteacherprovidedopportunitiesforthestudentstolifttheweightsduring
thesessionbyreviewingkeyideas,contentandlearningfrompastorcurrentsessions.
UnleashLearningStrategies20-35
CLOSINGOFSESSION
Theendingofasessionisacriticaltimeforthelearningprocess.Itisthetimeforallleanersto
makemeaningofthesessionandhopefullyleavesyourlearnerswantingmore.
Allstudentswrotelast
• Allstudentswroteasummaryoftheirnotestoexplainkeylearningandshared
thosenotesoutloudtoapartnerorinalargegroup.
• Studentsusedsentencestartersandsharedtheirresponseswitheachother.
• Etc.
Createdpowerfulclosings
Teachercreatedapowerfulclosingtohelpsupportmeaning-makingofthelessonand/ora
senseofinspirationandcelebrationtowhattookplace.
• Studentsdiscussedtheagendawitheachother.
• Studentsstoodinacircleandsharednotesandmainideas.
• Studentsreadapoem,storyoranotherpieceofinspiringtextthatcapturesthe
essenceofthelesson.
• Musicwasusedattheendofthelesson.
• Etc.
UnleashLearningStrategies36-37