Part 1: When More Explaining Leaves Less Time for Practice

Teachers are already working hard to plan meaningful lessons and support all learners. Chunking makes that work more effective by breaking instruction into smaller, purposeful sections that give students more chances to process, practice, and succeed.

Teachers ask me all the time, “How can I make lesson planning faster?”

My answer is usually not what they expect.

I don’t tell them to find a shortcut that waters down the lesson. I don’t tell them to lower the bar. I don’t tell them to create three completely different lesson plans for one class period. Who has time for that?

Instead, I ask them to look at the structure of the lesson.

Because often the problem is not the teacher’s work ethic. It is not that the teacher does not care enough, plan enough, or try enough.

The problem is that the lesson is planned as one long teach instead of a series of smaller, purposeful chunks.

And that matters.

When I work with teachers in inclusive classrooms, I see the same pattern again and again.

A Typical Scenario

A teacher starts with a clear objective. The lesson begins well. The teacher explains the concept, gives examples, asks questions, and checks faces around the room.

Then the teacher sees it.

Jessica has that glazed look in her eyes. David is looking puzzled. Rob, who is on an IEP, is just kind of “out there” at this point.

So, being a caring teacher, the teacher keeps teaching.

They give another example. Then another one. They ask more questions, hoping to pull students in. They try to get participation going, but it feels like pulling teeth because the same students are answering over and over again.

By now, 20 minutes of class time has gone by and they still are direct teaching. Maybe they’ve included visuals or used dramatic role-play to engage. Maybe they’re doing outstanding direct teaching.

Still, some students are lost.

So they keep going.

Now 25 minutes are gone. In a 45-minute class, that leaves only 20 minutes for practice, application, grouping, reteaching, enrichment, closure, or whatever else was supposed to happen.

So, here is the question that stopped me in my tracks when I first started thinking deeply about Chunking Lesson Plans™:

Probably thinking, “Oh, geez. I’m bored.”

And who knows? They may have even begun to act out their boredom and frustration.

At the same time, after 25 minutes of direct teaching, there are probably still students who need more practice. There may still be a handful of students who have no clue what the concept means.

So, weren’t we in almost the same place after 10 minutes of direct teaching?

Why did we spend 25 minutes only to be at the same place we were in after ten?

What an epiphany this was for me.

That realization is the heart of Chunking Lesson Plans™.

The goal is not to teach less. The goal is to use whole-group teaching where it helps most, then give students time to process, practice, and apply.

Direct teaching is a best practice technique. Ten minutes, done well, is powerful. But after that, we need to do something different.

We need to chunk the lesson.

Why Lesson Planning Feels So Overwhelming in Inclusive Classrooms

Inclusive classrooms are complex.

In one room, a teacher may have students who are reading above grade level, students reading two or three years below grade level, students with IEPs, students with ADHD, students with auditory processing difficulties, English learners, anxious students, gifted students, students who need movement, students who need visuals, and students who need time to think before responding.

Teachers are expected to teach the grade-level standards, provide accommodations, keep students engaged, manage behavior, assess understanding, provide intervention, enrich advanced learners, and document what is happening.

No wonder lesson planning feels overwhelming.

Teachers do not need one more complicated form to fill out. They need something that visually cues them into remembering the methods they might use to meet the needs of all learners in the classroom.

That is where a planning tool matters.

The goal is not to make teaching mechanical. The goal is to reduce the mental load.

Instead of sitting there thinking, “What am I forgetting?” the teacher can glance at a visual planning reminder and ask:

• How will students access the information?
• How will they practice?
• How will they show understanding?
• What supports will help students who struggle?
• What options will keep students engaged?

That saves time.

Not because the teacher is doing less thinking, but because the teacher is not starting from scratch every time.

What Often Happens: Direct Instruction Expands, and Practice Time Shrinks

This is where lesson planning can get tricky:

A whole-class lesson often assumes that everyone needs the same amount of direct instruction, even when students are starting from different places.

Then, when some students do not get it, the teacher gives the whole class more direct instruction.

That feels responsible. It feels caring. It feels like we are not leaving anyone behind.

But in reality, we may be holding some students back while still not giving struggling students the kind of support they actually need.

Some students do not need another whole-class example. They need a smaller group. They need a different modality. They need to talk it through with a partner. They need to manipulate something. They need vocabulary clarified. They need the steps color-coded. They need to see the concept mapped out. They need guided practice.

Other students already have it. They need acceleration, enrichment, application, or an opportunity to go deeper.

When we keep reteaching the whole class, we often create two problems at once:

• The students who understand become bored.
• The students who do not understand still do not get enough targeted support.

What Chunking Lesson Plans™ Solves

Chunking Lesson Plans™ helps teachers use class time differently.

Instead of thinking, “I have to explain until everyone gets it,” the teacher thinks, “I am going to teach the core concept clearly and briefly, then use the rest of the lesson to find out who needs what.”

That one shift changes everything.

Let’s use the example from my book: teaching genre.

If I have five on-grade-level capable students with no learning disabilities in a small group, and I want to teach them the concept of genre, not to be experts on it, but to know what genre is and identify three types, most teachers would agree that I could teach that concept in about ten minutes.

So why do we often take 25 minutes in a whole-class lesson?

Chunking helps us stop doing that.

Instead, how about we teach the core instruction for about ten minutes and then stop. No matter how many glazed looks we see, we stop.

Not because we are abandoning students.

But, because we are moving them into a structure where we can actually help them better.

The Takeaway for Part 1

Faster lesson planning should not mean weaker instruction.

It should not mean copying a worksheet and hoping for the best.

It should not mean lowering expectations for students who struggle.

It means designing the lesson so that the teacher is not trapped in 25 minutes of direct instruction when 10 minutes would have been enough to launch the learning.

My whole philosophy is built around the idea that strategies can be good for all and critical for different learners.

Chunking Lesson Plans™ is one of those strategies.

It helps the teacher stop reteaching the whole class longer and longer and start using class time more intentionally.

In Part 2, we will look at how to plan the 10-minute core teach, what to do after that first chunk of instruction, and how to use the Lesson Planner Idea Jogger to make differentiated planning faster and more manageable.

Podcast: Stop Overexplaining with Ten Minute Chunks

Source note: Adapted from Susan Gingras Fitzell, Special Needs in the General Classroom: 500+ Teaching Strategies for Differentiating Instruction, especially the sections on Chunking Lesson Plans™ and the Differentiated Planning – Lesson Planner Idea Jogger.

FAQ

How can teachers make lesson planning faster without lowering expectations?

Teachers can make lesson planning faster by changing the structure of the lesson, not the rigor of the content. When instruction is chunked into smaller, purposeful sections, teachers can spend less time overexplaining and more time giving students opportunities to process, practice, and apply what they are learning.

Why does direct instruction sometimes take too much class time?

Direct instruction often stretches too long because teachers are trying to meet individual learning needs through whole-class teaching. When some students look confused, teachers naturally keep explaining. The problem is that this can reduce time for practice and still fail to provide the targeted support struggling learners actually need.

What is the benefit of chunking lesson plans in inclusive classrooms?

Chunking lesson plans helps teachers use class time more intentionally. A short, focused core teach gives students the foundation they need, and the rest of the lesson can be used to identify who needs practice, reteaching, enrichment, or a different way to access the content. This makes differentiated instruction more manageable in inclusive classrooms.

Want more practical support for teachers?

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If you are here because you care about supporting teachers, you may also like:

Co-Teaching Support for Schools
Practical Learning Strategies for Struggling Students
Paraprofessionals and Teachers Working Together – Unlocking the Power of Collaboration for Student Success

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Teachers, I see you. 

Classrooms today are not easy to manage. Many students are coming to school with greater needs: inattention, low frustration tolerance, and weak social skills. They seem to be worse than what teachers were seeing a few years ago. Unfortunately, these issues often result in misbehavior. 

When students are distracted, impulsive, or quick to push back, traditional classroom management is often not enough. That doesn’t mean you are doing anything wrong. It means we need practical, proactive systems that reduce power struggles, increase structure, and help students function more successfully at school. 

This article offers strategies you can use to support behavior, strengthen focus, and make the classroom feel more workable again.

Setting the Stage for Success

Each of us has our own preference for class structure, consistency, and management. I believe it is important to understand that we need to be free to be ourselves and have our own styles of running our classrooms. Yet, some teaching styles seem to lend themselves well to today’s inclusive populations, where others are more challenging for both students and teachers.

Consider these approaches for a successful classroom environment:

• Consistency without rigidity

• Firm discipline without power struggles

• Reasonable flexibility without lax standards

• The goal of the lesson rather than the specifics of the process

• Learning as the goal, rather than focusing on just that test grade

Physical Structure and Environmental Variables

Before we address behavior directly, I always suggest looking at the physical environment.

Consider Classroom Seating Options

Can we change student seating? I try to move students who struggle to self-regulate closer to the center of instruction, closer to me, or away from distractions. Consider allowing a student to choose a new seat as part of a win-win behavior plan. This ensures the student owns the behavior and the solution. 

The Personal Office Solution

I’ve also found DIY study carrels to be valuable.

I first saw them in use in a fifth grade classroom. I wasn’t sure they would be well received when I introduced them to my high school students, yet some of the students loved them. They provide a space free of distractions as well as a secure personal space. I did not force these on students. It was an option I provided. 

For example, I might say, “You can choose a different seat as well as a ‘personal office’ or you can choose to stay where you are sitting. However, that seat does not appear to be working for you. Make a good choice for yourself.” 

The Spacing Solution

Increase the distance between desks and provide more space if possible. Scan the room frequently and stay alert to what students are engaged in at all times. Okay, I know you don’t have eyes in the back of your head and there are times when you can’t see everything. Try to stay with me. You may find these ideas are worth considering. Some of the classrooms I’ve observed in the past few years are crowded. I’m empathetic to the challenge educators face when they are trying to teach thirty students all at once, often in a multi-ability classroom. 

The Grouping Solution – Mixed Ability Groups with Role Models

Finally, we should avoid seating students who struggle academically together as a permanent seating arrangement. It singles them out for stigmatization and creates a situation where they may feed off each other behaviorally.

The Technique that Changed My Teacher Life: Proactive Behavior Plans

I have found this approach to be highly effective with adolescents. It is based on a proactive choice model, and the goal is to teach young people how to take control of their own lives, make more effective choices, and develop the strength to handle daily problems. 

At its foundation is the belief that all humans choose behaviors in an attempt to fulfill basic needs like belonging, freedom, fun, power, and survival. Because human behavior is internally motivated, the only person’s behavior we can control is our own. Each of us fulfills these needs differently. 

Our goal as educators is to get students to evaluate their present behavior and determine whether it is actually meeting their needs.

In one example, we might ask a student if their behavior is getting them what they want. If the student is talking constantly in class and loses a privilege, the student who wants belonging or fun is not getting what he wants through their behavior. 

On the contrary, they are losing the thing they want and need. If the student is not getting what they need with their present behavior, making a specific plan for change is required. They must make a plan and a commitment to follow through with that plan. In my experience, students would prefer to be kicked out of class to sit in the office (which many find more entertaining than being in class) than sit with me and make a plan for better behavior!

As an adult, I do not do the choosing for the student. I may offer suggestions to help the student come up with solutions. Ultimately, the student must make the choice and commit to it. In this way, the student owns his behavior.

Guidelines for Discussion: The Win-Win Discipline Plan

*My work in this area was significantly influenced by Glasser’s Control Theory and Choice Theory philosophy and Kagan’s Win-Win Discipline framework. 

When having these discussions, I find there are four key questions we need to address: 

What were you doing that was unacceptable? 

I found that asking “What is the problem?”  which was how I learned the approach from Glasser’s work, often led to an answer like “I don’t know. I wasn’t doing anything wrong!” For me, “What were you doing that was unacceptable?” is a more direct, less vague, and more productive question. The purpose here is to focus on the specific behavior that’s causing the problem. Try to avoid confronting values or attitudes and just stick to the behavior.

Whose expectations are not being met? 

This needs to be a part of the discussion. If it is the student’s own expectations, I might start with, “I am concerned”. If it is my expectation regarding rules, I simply state, “Part of my job as a teacher is to keep you safe” or “to create a safe environment. When you poke the student in front of you with scissors, that’s not safe.” 

What do you want as a result of the conversation? 

State what you want and word it in the form of a solution. Tell them, “I want to figure out a way that we both win”. Do not get sucked into arguing about the problem. Students are often skilled at avoiding responsibility. They resort to bantering, badgering, and blaming to get out of trouble. 

What will the resolution include? 

The resolution might include a plan for the future or logical consequences. Most importantly, the plan must include a commitment. If it does not, a new plan must be worked out that the student can commit to. When children are resistant to planning, I simply tell them that they will continue meeting with me after school (or another time) until we work it out and create a plan that we both feel comfortable with. 

Yes, this took a lot of my time in the beginning. By January, Students knew that if they didn’t follow the rules we created and agreed to as a class, they would be stuck sitting with me to make a behavior plan. They felt that was worse than other consequences. I realize that some children are so attention starved they may want that time with you. That’s where you get to be creative in how you implement the framework. 

Conclusion

I believe one of the most important things we can do is stop thinking about behavior only in terms of consequences and start thinking more proactively. When we make small changes to the environment, stay consistent without turning everything into a power struggle, and help students take ownership of their choices, we set everyone up for more success. This does not mean students should not be accountable. It means we address behavior in a way that is more likely to teach, support, and actually change it.If you are looking for more practical strategies you can use right away, I invite you to visit my free download page. I’ve put together additional tools and ideas to help you support struggling learners and make your classroom feel more workable again.

FAQ

What are proactive behavior supports in the classroom?
Proactive behavior supports are classroom strategies designed to prevent behavior problems before they escalate. Instead of reacting only after a student misbehaves, teachers use structure, consistency, seating adjustments, clear expectations, and problem-solving routines to help students stay regulated and successful.

How can classroom management support struggling learners?
Classroom management supports struggling learners when it reduces distractions, avoids unnecessary power struggles, and gives students tools to make better choices. Small environmental changes, flexible seating options, consistent routines, and behavior plans can help students focus, participate, and take more ownership of their behavior.

What is a win-win discipline plan?
A win-win discipline plan is a proactive problem-solving approach that helps students reflect on their behavior, identify what is not working, and commit to a better plan. The goal is not just punishment. The goal is to help the student make choices that meet their needs while also protecting the learning environment.

CLICK HERE to discover a wealth of teaching strategies and resources for maximizing student success!. Bring Susan to your campus! Featured seminar – Differentiation Strategies to Reach ALL Learners in the Inclusive Classroom

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The Shift: Why One Way is No Longer Enough

Classroom accessibility in the general education classroom requires more than differentiation. It requires structured choice. This approach helps teachers reach diverse learning styles and improve student engagement without changing the core standard.

The “Talk-and-Test” era was simple. Say it. Assign it. Test it. This method assumes every student processes information the same way. We know that isn’t true.

If I teach one way, I get the kids whose learning preferences match that way.

If I teach a concept in multiple ways: I get almost everyone. That is the goal.

When we rely on one method of teaching and testing, we measure compliance. We do not measure learning. We are just seeing who can handle our specific style of teaching. If we want to reach every student, we have to change how they get to the content.

NOTE: I understand that some educators reading this just balked at what I wrote with these thoughts, “But, my [fill in the blank – principal, department head, supervisor, etc.] says that I have to follow the script in the teachers manual provided by the X,Y, Z publisher. 

Please read the rest with a problem solving mindset. Can you incorporate any of these ideas into your teaching and still maintain the fidelity of the lesson plan you are required to teach. 

The Instructional Shift

Traditional One-Way Instruction

• Focuses on “say it, assign it, test it.”
• Measures how well a student follows a method.
• Works for some students but leaves most behind.
• Relies heavily on talk-and-text delivery.

Multi-Modal Access

• Provides multiple ways to access the same idea.
• Measures the student’s actual understanding.
• Accelerates learning for almost every student.
• Varies how students interact with the work.

This shift starts with the students in the room. You have to look at the students sitting in front of you in your classroom(s).

Identifying Learning Strengths: The Nine Student Learning Preferences

Every student has a way of working that feels natural to them. These preferences are tools for expansion. They are not labels for pigeonholing children. When you recognize these clues, you open the door to the work necessary to reach all learners.

• The Word Kids (Verbal Learners): They tell stories and explain ideas. Their strength is remembering what they hear or read.
• The System Thinkers (Logical Learners): They ask how it works and hate pointless worksheets. Their strength is finding patterns and solving problems.
• The Movers (Kinesthetic Learners): They fidget and tap to stay focused. Their strength is showing what they know through action.
• The Visual Learners: They doodle to stay with you. Their strength is understanding a drawing faster than a page of text.
• The Rhythm Learners: They hum or tap while they work. Their strength is remembering through patterns in sound.
• The Talkers (Collaborative Learners): They need to say it out loud to understand it. Their strength is collaborating and leading others.
• The Quiet Processors: They prefer to think first and talk later. Their strength is being reflective and self-aware.
• The Detail Seekers: They notice things others miss. Their strength is connecting lessons to practical, real-world systems.
• The Big Picture Thinkers: They disengage if the work feels pointless. Their strength is connecting learning to a larger purpose.

These learning preferences help us see that students are not being difficult. They are just trying to process what we are teaching. When they can’t, that’s often when we lose them. 

From Chaos to Structured Choice

Many teachers worry that giving options leads to chaos. It doesn’t. Structured choice is not the same as having no plan.

You do not need to create 27 different lesson plans. That is impossible. You only need to adjust student access to the same educational standard.

When we open up options, we stop fighting the students. We start helping them do the work.

Instead of asking, “Which students can handle my lesson?” ask, “How many ways can students access this idea?” Next, ask yourself, ‘How many of these ways can I sprinkle into my lesson plan and stay sane.’ I realize teachers often have ridiculous demands on their time and these ‘options’ may seem overwhelming. Take baby steps to incorporate different learning preferences into a lesson plan. Once those first steps become part of your teaching repertoire, then try others. 

Theory is fine. But teachers need to know what to do when the bell rings on Monday.

The Monday Morning Strategy Guide

You do not have to overhaul your entire curriculum at once. Start small. Give students two or three options for an assignment. Use these low-prep strategies to get started.

1. For Word Kids: Let them write a script or an article. They can teach a peer or create debate questions.
2. For System Thinkers: Have them build a timeline or design an experiment. They can compare and contrast two ideas.
3. For Movers: Let them act it out or build a model. They can use a simulation or create a physical demonstration.
4. For Visual Thinkers: Ask them to draw it. They can make a map or an infographic. Use color to organize notes.
5. For Rhythm Learners: Let them create a chant or a rhythmic explanation. They can explain the learning out loud to themselves.
6. For Quiet Processors: Give them time to think first. Let them journal or write personal connections before they have to share.
7. For Talkers: Use a turn and talk. Let them teach a friend or participate in a group debate.
8. For Detail Seekers: Ask them to apply the lesson to a real-life situation. Let them sort or categorize information into systems.
9. For Big Picture Thinkers: Let them explore the “why” behind the lesson. Connect the topic to a larger goal or a real-world value.

The content stays the same. The standard stays the same. Only the path changes.

This is the foundation of structured choice and differentiated instruction in today’s classroom.

The Impact: Measuring What Matters

When you use structured choice, the classroom changes. You stop measuring who can sit still. You start measuring who understands the material.

The results are immediate:

• Engagement goes up because students feel capable.
• Behavior issues go down because students aren’t frustrated.
• Confidence grows because students have a way to succeed.

The goal is for a student to say: “I get it.”

When a student finally accesses the content in a way that works, the shift is instant.

Once you see that happen, you don’t go back.

Frequently Asked Questions About Structured Choice in the Classroom

What is structured choice in the classroom?
Structured choice is an instructional strategy that gives students multiple ways to access and demonstrate learning while maintaining the same academic standard and learning objective.

How is structured choice different from differentiated instruction?
Structured choice is a practical application of differentiated instruction. It focuses specifically on offering students options in how they engage with content, process information, and demonstrate understanding.Does giving students choices create classroom management issues?
No. When implemented correctly, structured choice improves classroom management by increasing engagement, reducing frustration, and giving students clear, purposeful ways to participate in learning.

CLICK HERE to discover a wealth of teaching strategies and resources for maximizing student success!. Bring Susan to your campus! Featured seminar – Differentiation Strategies to Reach ALL Learners in the Inclusive Classroom

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What if we designed classrooms around how the brain learns best; not just standards, pacing guides, or coverage goals? As schools shift toward inclusive education, teachers need approaches that reach a wide range of learners without lowering expectations. One practical way to do that is to combine brain-based learning principles with a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and microlearning. Together, they strengthen Tier 1 instruction, reduce cognitive overload, and build the self-regulation students need to become successful, independent learners.

Susan Fitzell’s School House Model provides a visual framework for aligning instruction with student needs. This model reminds us that academic instruction, represented by the “Functions” or nuts and bolts (the curriculum), must be supported by two critical structures. The foundation is based on building a strong community, connection, and cooperation. Above this foundation is the “Framework,” which must be based on current brain and educational research and an understanding of how students learn. MTSS and microlearning work together to support this comprehensive, whole-house approach—from foundation to function.

Brain-Based Meets Tier-Based

MTSS is a multi-tiered system that incorporates Response to Intervention (RTI), with a core goal of failure prevention. The foundational element, Tier One, demands the use of best practice, research-based teaching methods, including differentiated instruction, for all students (80–90% of the population),,. Implementing brain-friendly strategies in Tier 1 benefits all learners, ensuring instruction aligns with how the brain naturally processes and retains information.

A traditional reading lesson might involve extended reading and a standard writing prompt. However, a brain-friendly approach leverages microlearning techniques to maintain engagement and retention:

• Color-coding vocabulary to support memory encoding: Color is a powerful memory tool, helping students retain information better than black and white text. Using color to categorize or highlight text makes the information unique, aiding visual recall,. Color-coding the parts of speech, for example, assigns nouns a unique color (like red, relating to a stop sign) and verbs a movement color (like green, relating to ‘go’).

• Paired think-alouds to encourage interpersonal interaction and verbal rehearsal: Verbalizing concepts is crucial for learning, as students often discover gaps in their understanding when they attempt to explain information to others. Strategies like Think-Pair-Share or Thinking Aloud Paired Problem Solving (TAPPS) engage students in active rehearsal.

• Chunked instruction, where students process one paragraph at a time using graphic organizers: The brain’s capacity for holding new information in short-term memory is limited to roughly three to four chunks at a time. Breaking down content into smaller, manageable pieces prevents cognitive overload. Using graphic organizers, flowcharts, or mind maps during this process visually categorizes material and helps students see patterns and relationships, supporting deeper understanding.

• Doodling key ideas as a form of nonlinguistic representation: Nonlinguistic representation, such as drawing or visualizing concepts, is a research-supported strategy that requires students to process content in new ways. This “production effect”—speaking or drawing during recall—further strengthens the encoding and memory consolidation process.

All these methods employ differentiation (Differentiated Instruction or DI) that is “good for all” students and “critical for different learners”, making instruction effective for everyone in the general classroom environment.

Self-Regulation: The Secret Weapon

The goal of instruction is to move students from being struggling learners to being successful learners by fostering self-regulation. Self-regulated learning is the most important characteristic of expert learners. These learners implement a plan that includes setting clear performance and process goals, employing clear strategies (including time management), controlling their motivation, and monitoring their own progress.

Microlearning supports these metacognitive habits. For instance, perceptive students often procrastinate, seeking information until the last minute. Teachers can mitigate this by breaking assignments down into small chunks with specific due dates, teaching students organizational strategies and self-monitoring skills. When students practice strategies frequently for short amounts of time, it is more effective than overwhelming the brain with too much at once, accelerating the learning process.

Beyond Remediation

Too often, struggling students are pulled out, slowed down, or given “easier” material, creating lower expectations that diminish their chance to achieve their greatest potential. But what if the problem isn’t the student—it’s the size of the instructional bite?

Instead of relying solely on remediation after failure, MTSS encourages adapting Tier 1 instruction to prevent failure from the outset. By intentionally structuring lessons using small, brain-aligned chunks—such as the Chunking Lesson Plans™ approach,—teachers ensure that instruction matches the capacity of the brain to learn and process new concepts effectively. This way, students who might otherwise be labeled “at risk” or “learning disabled” can remain in the rigorous general classroom environment, benefiting from high expectations and specialized instructional support embedded seamlessly into the daily lesson.

FAQ

1. How does microlearning support MTSS, especially Tier 1?
Microlearning fits Tier 1 because it makes strong, research-based instruction easier for all learners to process and retain. Instead of long, overloaded lessons, teachers deliver content in smaller chunks with frequent practice, which aligns with working memory limits and reduces cognitive overload. This improves engagement and retention for the 80–90% served in Tier 1, and it helps prevent failure before students need more intensive tiers.

2. What brain-based strategies in the article are most useful for differentiated instruction in a general classroom?
The article highlights four practical strategies that scale well in Tier 1 while still meeting diverse needs: color-coding vocabulary or parts of speech to strengthen encoding and recall; paired think-alouds like Think-Pair-Share or TAPPS to build rehearsal and reveal misunderstandings; chunked instruction using graphic organizers to manage working memory limits; and doodling or drawing key ideas as nonlinguistic representation to deepen processing and improve recall.

Why does “chunking” matter from a brain-based learning perspective?
Because working memory can hold only a small number of new “chunks” at once, long passages or multi-step directions can overload students, especially those who struggle. Chunking instruction into smaller parts, like one paragraph at a time, helps students process information without the system collapsing under cognitive load. Pairing chunking with visual tools like graphic organizers helps students see patterns and relationships, which supports deeper understanding.

How do think-aloud strategies improve learning and assessment at the same time?
When students verbalize their thinking, they rehearse the content, which strengthens learning. At the same time, explaining ideas out loud often exposes gaps in understanding that silent work can hide. Structures like Think-Pair-Share or TAPPS create a routine for interpersonal interaction, immediate feedback, and active processing, which supports both comprehension and retention.

How does this approach shift MTSS away from remediation and toward prevention?
Instead of pulling students out, lowering expectations, or giving “easier” work after failure, the article argues for improving Tier 1 instruction so more students succeed in the rigorous general classroom. By designing lessons around small, brain-aligned instructional “bites,” and embedding supportive strategies as part of everyday teaching, students who might otherwise be labeled “at risk” can keep up with higher expectations while receiving targeted support inside the core environment.

Bibliography

Burnett, S. (n.d.). The A-Z of Differentiated Instruction.

Cowan, N. (2010). The Magical Mystery Four: How is Working Memory Capacity Limited, and Why? Current Directions in Psychological Science a Journal of the American Psychological Society, 19(1), 51–57. http://doi.org/10.1177/0963721409359277

Fitzell, S. G. (n.d.). 360 Inservice, slide 3.

Fitzell, S. G. (n.d.). 360 Inservice, slide 165.

Fitzell, S. G. (2011). RTI Strategies for Secondary Teachers. London: Sage Publications.

Fitzell, S. G. (2017). Special Needs in the General Classroom: 500+ Teaching Strategies for Differentiating Instruction (3rd ed.). Manchester: Cogent Catalyst Publications.

Marzano Debra J. Pollock, Jane E., R. J. P., Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D. J., & Pollock, J. E. (2001). Classroom Instruction That Works: research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.Wong, B. (2010). Points of view: Color coding. Nature Methods, 7(8), 573–573. http://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth0810-573.

CLICK HERE to discover a wealth of teaching strategies and resources for maximizing student success!. Bring Susan to your campus! Featured seminar – Differentiation Strategies to Reach ALL Learners in the Inclusive Classroom

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Introduction: 

Teaching fractions to third graders can be a dynamic and engaging experience when co-teaching strategies are thoughtfully implemented. Co-teaching offers a powerful way to reach diverse learners by leveraging the strengths of two educators working collaboratively. This lesson plan integrates two highly effective co-teaching approaches—One Teach, One Summarize and Teach Half Then Switch—Skills & Rigor—to ensure that all students develop a strong foundational understanding of fractions. These strategies not only enhance student engagement but also allow for differentiated instruction that meets the needs of learners at varying levels of readiness.

In the One Teach, One Summarize approach, one teacher delivers the primary instruction while the other teacher listens actively, takes notes, and then summarizes key points to reinforce learning. This method strengthens student comprehension by allowing them to hear the information twice, in two distinct ways. Teach Half Then Switch—Skills & Rigor divides the class into two groups, with each teacher delivering instruction focused on a specific skill or concept. After a set time, students switch groups, ensuring that they receive well-rounded instruction in multiple formats. This approach allows students to interact with both teachers and engage in different types of learning experiences.

By incorporating these co-teaching strategies, we create a lesson that is not only structured and effective but also fosters collaboration, active engagement, and a deeper understanding of fractions. This lesson is designed to support educators in making fractions meaningful and accessible for all students, while also strengthening the partnership between co-teachers. Whether you are a general education teacher or a special educator, this lesson plan offers practical strategies to enhance student learning and create a supportive, interactive classroom environment.

Lesson Plan: Teaching Fractions in a 3rd-Grade Classroom

Lesson Title: Understanding Fractions Through Co-Teaching Strategies

Grade Level: 3rd Grade

Standards:

• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.NF.A.1: Understand a fraction 1/b as one part of a whole divided into b equal parts.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.NF.A.3: Explain equivalence of fractions and compare fractions by reasoning about their size.

Learning Objectives:

• Students will understand the concept of fractions as parts of a whole.
• Students will identify and represent fractions using models and number lines.
• Students will compare simple fractions and recognize equivalent fractions.

Co-Teaching Strategies:

1. One Teach, One Summarize
2. Teach Half Then Switch—Skills & Rigor

Lesson Sequence:

Warm-Up (10 Minutes) – One Teach, One Summarize

• Teacher A presents a short introduction to fractions using visuals (e.g., pizza slices, fraction bars).
• Teacher B listens and takes notes to summarize key points.
• Teacher B then provides a concise summary of what was just taught and checks for understanding through student responses.
• Quick question prompts:
  • “What is a fraction?”
  • “Can someone describe 1/4 using an example?”
  • “Why do we need fractions in real life?”

Direct Instruction (15 Minutes) – Teach Half Then Switch

• Class is split into two groups.
• Teacher A teaches one half of the students using visual fraction models.
• Teacher B teaches the other half using number lines.
• After 10 minutes, students switch teachers and learn the other method.
• Mini-checks for understanding: Students solve a simple problem related to each method.

Guided Practice (15 Minutes) – Teach Half Then Switch

• Teacher A leads a hands-on fraction activity with half of the students using fraction circles.
• Teacher B guides the other half in a comparison activity using fraction strips.
• After 7-8 minutes, students switch groups and complete the alternate activity.

Independent Practice (10 Minutes) – One Teach, One Summarize

• Teacher A provides students with practice problems to reinforce learning.
• Teacher B walks around to check for understanding and takes notes.
• At the end, Teacher B summarizes the main takeaways and provides quick review questions.

Closure (5 Minutes)

• Review key concepts as a class using a fraction quiz game.
• Ask students to reflect on their learning: “What was easy? What was challenging?”
• Assign a simple take-home activity: Draw a picture representing a fraction and write a sentence about it.

Assessment:

• Informal assessment through teacher observations and questioning.
• Exit ticket: Write one thing you learned about fractions today.
• Review independent practice work to check understanding.

Materials Needed:

• Fraction circles, bars, and strips
• Whiteboards and markers
• Chart paper for visual modeling
• Printed fraction number lines
• Small dry-erase boards for quick checks

Differentiation Strategies:

• Provide extra support with manipulatives for students struggling with fraction concepts.
• Offer challenge problems for advanced students (e.g., introducing mixed numbers).
• Use visual aids and interactive activities to engage all learning styles.

This lesson effectively uses co-teaching strategies to maximize student engagement and comprehension of fractions. By implementing these collaborative techniques, educators can create an inclusive and supportive learning environment where every student has the opportunity to succeed. With thoughtful planning and execution, co-teachers can build a classroom that not only strengthens mathematical understanding but also fosters a spirit of teamwork and shared responsibility for learning.

CLICK HERE to discover a wealth of co-teaching strategies and resources to maximize student success!. Bring Susan to your campus! Featured seminar – Best Practices in Co-teaching and Collaboration: the HOW of Implementing the Models

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As teachers, we often assume that doodling in class is “bad,” indicating that students aren’t listening to the material being taught. However, for visual learners, doodling can be that extra nudge that helps them in memorizing the material. Doodling as a memory strategy is not only effective, it helps some students focus, calm themselves, and turn verbal-linguistic information into non-linguistic information. In order to make that transfer from text to visual, students must understand the content. Given that one can’t doodle about what’s learned unless one understands it, doodling as a memory strategy can also be an effective formative assessment.

Even if they make up their answer on the spot, it STILL is effective in supporting recall of the information that was taught.

By taking what can be seen as a negative and turning it around into a positive, by encouraging doodling as a memory strategy, you gain the trust of your students, especially those that learn differently. By working with the student’s strengths, you enhance learning and memory on multiple levels. Create a win-win situation!

This video tutorial for Sketchnotes explains the concept well.

Related resources:

• What are Sketchnotes?
• What to Do to Help Students Improve Focus
• A Dozen Commonsense Strategies to Maintain Focus, Attention, And Enhance Learning in the Classroom!

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Use Testing Strategies That Promote Student Success

As teachers, most of us have been taught that tests are the best way to assess our students’ learning (and the effectiveness of our teaching). But when a student scores poorly on a test, how does he or she benefit? The student loses confidence and ends up feeling ‘stupid.’ I believe we can use tests to improve learning, not just check what our students have memorized.

In his conference remarks, Thomas Guskey challenges teachers to consider how we might change the culture of classroom testing. Guskey asks, “What happens to these tests? What educational purpose do they serve?” His point is that teachers typically grade tests, give them back, and then move on. Students put their tests away and never look at them again. Some students will even make a show of sauntering to the trash to crumple and toss their test in the bin. If a student feels like she studied hard for a test and still got a bad grade, she can become disillusioned and disheartened with the classroom cycle that consists of teaching and testing, teaching and testing.

Many times, testing simply feels like a win or lose game between students and their teacher. I’ll never forget the day my son and I were discussing testing in one of his least favorite classes (and with his least favorite teacher) and he looked me square in the eyes and said, “Mom, I refuse to play the game.” My son was in honors classes, yet he felt this way! What if his tests were used as a learning tool instead of a ‘gotcha’? Would it be perceived as less of a game if students had a chance to re-take the test, or work out where they’d gone wrong?

There is an argument for the exam as the final assessment: if students don’t have the knowledge by the time they’re tested, that’s unfortunate, but it’s time to move on – there’s only so much time to teach the material. “What about a surgeon? Do they ‘test’ their learning on a genuine patient?” Guskey asks. “Or do they get to check their learning on a cadaver to make sure they’ve got it worked out?” You wouldn’t show a surgeon a heart bypass in a textbook and then send him or her straight into the operating room!

Tests give us crucial insight into areas where students are struggling. By moving on immediately after giving an exam, teachers miss a valuable opportunity to teach students exactly what they need to learn! Rather than a game in which students either win or lose, teachers can turn testing into a win-win classroom experience by giving students the opportunity to learn from their mistakes. We can change the culture in our classrooms by using tests as a tool to facilitate learning rather than marking the end of the learning process.

Here’s an example of how this type of learning can be applied. Let’s say you are finishing a unit. For the first part of the lesson, students take a typical test that you quickly grade as they’re being handed in. From the test, you can identify ‘grey areas’ where a significant number of students have struggled and ‘failed.’ You spend the second part of the class period re-teaching these ‘grey’ elements. Students are then allowed to re-take this part of the test where, of course, they improve. Rather than feeling disillusioned, students feel empowered and motivated to ‘learn from their mistakes.’

After hearing Guskey speak, I reflected on my own experiences. When I was in graduate school, the method of learning was an iterative process, where we continually redrafted our work until it was up to standard. There was no formal testing, but the same piece of work would sometimes be returned six or seven times with feedback. I would read the professor’s comments and learn how to improve my work – no disillusionment, just improvements. I learned more than I had in any test-driven educational program, and I actually remembered what I’d learned.

The next time you’re preparing a test, consider how you might make it into a learning tool. You may be surprised to find that you can turn your tests into a positive learning experience that promotes student success.

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Science proves that when we teach to a variety of learning styles and vary our delivery techniques, we will consistently reach more students.

Many of us still struggle with how to differentiate instruction in ways that can reach those students who struggle without singling them out in the inclusive classroom.

This list of ideas for differentiating instruction that can work in your classroom to help all students succeed was crowd-sourced from teachers in the classroom, just like you, so we know they work!

Strategies for Differentiating Instruction for Social Studies

• Decorate the classroom with students’ drawings of the culture being studied.
• Make a historical comic strip that meets specific criteria.
• Compile a notebook of history jokes. Work facts into the jokes.                     
• Play charades with “significant” events from the unit you are studying.
• Create history raps that identify key dates and people.                     
• Play “What’s my line?” or “Pictionary” with names, dates, places.
• Create time sequence charts with titles for major eras of history – then create a mnemonic out of the sequence of the titles.            
• Write a skit or play from a period in history, or as a typical day in a specific culture. Example: Sparta or Athens.
• Make a game of predicting what will happen in several current event stories.
• Play “guess the culture” based on artifacts in a time capsule.
• Debate important issues and decisions from the past.               
• Generate an illustration which best depicts what democracy* means to you. (Engages brain to store data.) *Example.
• Create limericks about important historical events.                     
• Make visual diagrams and flow charts of historical information.
• Have students conduct imaginary interviews with people from the past.        
• Send a postcard from one historical character to another historical character.
• Have students draw a mural that reflects a specific time period.                    
• Role-play a conversation with an important historical figure.
• Make maps out of salt dough and show geographical features and key places.                  

Strategies for Differentiating Instruction in English/Language Arts/Foreign Language

• Teach “concept mapping” to help remember content or take notes.
• Create song rap to teach grammar and syntax.
• Write a sequel/next episode to a story or play.                 
• Use different kinds of music for different kinds of writing.
• Create crossword puzzles/word jumbles for vocabulary words.                     
• Analyze literature for “connections to our lives today.”
• Practice impromptu speaking and writing.            
• Predict what will happen next in a story or play.
• Experiment with joint story-writing – one starts then pass it on.                
• Analyze a story and describe its message – reach a consensus.
• Use a “human graph” to see where a group stands on an issue.            
• Analyze similarities and differences of various pieces of literature.
• Use a “story grid” for creative writing activities.              
• Read poetry from different perspectives and in different moods.
• Play vocabulary words “Pictionary.”           
• Conduct language drill exercises with partner.
• Draw pictures of the different stages of a story you are reading.                  
• Write an autobiographical essay: My life to date, my life in the future.
• Use highlight markers to “colorize” parts of a story or poem. (Option: highlight tape.)          
• Write a new poem each day of the week on “Who Am I.”
• Use sticky notes to make predictions as you read a story or novel.                 
• Imagine being a character in a story/play – what would you do.
• Write a letter to the author telling him/her how well you liked (or didn’t like) his/her book.            

Strategies for Differentiating Instruction for Math

• Write a series of story problems for others to solve.                     
• Learn mathematical operations through songs and jingles, rhythm.
• Explain how to work a problem to others while they follow.                     
• Use a formula card for tests.
• Make up puns using math vocabulary or terms.                   
• Provide tables, graph paper, lines, and space for working problems.
• Solve problems with a partner: one person solves, and the other explains the process.
• Make up sounds for different math operations and processes.
• Create poems telling when to use different math operations.                     
• Solve complex story problems in a group.
• Teach how to use a calculator for problem solving.          
• Do a statistical research project and calculate percentages.
• Create number sequences and have a partner find the pattern.                     
• Use “each one teach one” for new math processes/operations.
• Mind-map proofs for geometry theorems.               
• Describe everything you do to solve a problem to a partner.
• Design classification charts for math formulas and operations.                     
• Have teams construct problems linking many math operations, then solve them.
• Do a survey of students’ likes/dislikes, then graph the results.                    
• Track thinking patterns for different math problems.
• Estimate measurements by sight and by touch.           
• Bridge math concepts beyond school. (What? So what? Now what?)
• Add, subtract, multiply, and divide using manipulatives.                     
• Imagine using a math process successfully, then really do it.
• Learn metric measurement through visual equivalents.                     

Strategies for Differentiating Instruction in Practical Arts & Physical Education

• Give verbal explanation of sport routines.                 
• Have students imagine the computer is human – draw how it works.
• Have students tell one another how to run a word processing program – then do it.
• Have students perform physical exercise routines in sync with music.
• Have students pretend they are radio sportscasters describing a game in progress.  
• Play “Recipe Jeopardy” – make questions for answers given.
• Use music to help improve keyboarding skills and speed.                     
• Teach and play a series of non-competitive games.
• Use peer-coaching teams for individual shop projects.              
• Assign teams to prepare and serve meals from foreign countries.
• Have students draw pictures of how to perform certain physical feats. 
• Have students work in pairs to learn and improve sports skills.
• Teach a series of “spatial games” (e.g. horseshoes, ring toss).            
• Create cooperative computing teams to learn computer skills.
• Create visual diagrams of how to use shop machines.                  
• Have students list how things learned in shop can help in your future life.
• Teach students to imagine a skill, and then try to do it exactly as they imagined. 
• Capture a process involved in art or sports on video or camera, and create a step-by-step manual or review materials using the images.
• Choose textbooks with CD-Rom companion materials.

Strategies for Differentiating Instruction in Science & Health

• Write a humorous story using science vocabulary.           
• Group research projects in which each group designs and implements plans.
• Create a diary on “The Life of a Red Blood Cell.”                
• Use lab teams for science experiments and exercises.
• Write steps used in an experiment so someone else can do it.                
• Discuss controversial health topics and write team position papers.
• Make up an imaginary conversation between parts of the body.                
• Describe the “before and after” of key scientific paradigm shifts.
• Give a speech on “Ten steps to healthful living.”                
• Learn the pattern of successful and reliable scientific experiments.
• Use the symbols of the Periodic Table of Elements in a story.                     
• Practice webbing attributes of various systems of the body.
• Find five different ways to classify a collection of leaves.                     
• Draw pictures of things seen under a microscope.
• Create montages/collages on science topics (e.g., mammals).                     
• Create posters/flyers showing health processes.
• Use vocabulary games to study and review science vocabulary.                     
• Use concrete models to demonstrate science concepts and/or parts.
• Use concrete models as metaphors for systems in the human body.           
• Use forensic science activities to create interest in scientific method, research, etc.

Excerpted from Special Needs in the General Classroom, 3rd Edition

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What are some innovative teaching strategies to support learning in the classroom?

I’m constantly looking for new ideas, especially for math. On this day, I saw a strategy that made my teacher heart soar!

I was presenting a two-day co-teaching program for an amazing group of teachers in Jonesborough, Tennessee. When I arrived at the high school, I was shown into Mrs. Elliott’s classroom and I was stunned at what I saw.

Ditch the Paper and Eraser Damage

Instead of student desks, the room was full of tables and chairs. Okay, that may not sound so innovative. However, each table was covered with a dry-erase board. Every table, also, had a basket with markers, sticky notes, and a bit of eraser. There was even a zipper pouch on each side of the table for the student’s cell phone! Mrs. Elliott was kind enough to take a few minutes to explain how she puts her tables together and uses this teaching strategy in her classroom.

“I get a 4×8 sheet of shower board from Lowes, and it’s quartered… they know me now so they know I need it cut and they cut it for me, for free. Then I velcro it to the table at the four corners. Usually it lasts about a year. I change them out about once a year. The little baskets are Dollar Tree and they are velcroed too. What I use them for is when students are working on a problem, and I can use the board to help them work out the problem.”

Innovative Teaching Strategy for Math, English, Social Studies, Science, and More

This teaching strategy can work in any math class, or any other class where it might benefit students to have an easy, clear way to practice problems or jot down notes that they may need in the moment.

A big thank you to Mrs. Elliot for sharing her room with us for two days and for taking the time to share her ingenuity!

What cool strategies do you implement in your classroom to make it easier for you to help students, and for them to help themselves? Tell us about your great ideas in the comments below.

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I started teaching in 1980 and, over the years, I became increasingly aware of the large number of students who were labeled special needs who probably did not need nor deserve that stigma and lifelong label. A consequence of that label is often a blow to the student’s self-esteem.
So often, I would work with students who, on-record, had learning disabilities, yet, when they were given strategies that honored their learning style, these students had the potential to be successful. I often thought that these students were unjustly labeled simply because at the secondary level, we primarily teach to verbal linguistic auditory learners.

John’s second grade teacher suggested to his parents that he had Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). His parents, unwilling to wait for the public school evaluation process took it upon themselves to have him evaluated. He was diagnosed with Central Auditory Processing Disorder. In the fourth grade, his parents and teachers noticed that his reading test scores were going down.

Although the teachers weren’t too concerned at the time, his parents once again had an outside evaluation done by a behavioral optometrist. It was determined that he had significant under-convergence of his eyes. His parents provided him with vision therapy. In one summer, he went from reading “Magic Tree House” books to “The Lord of the Rings”.

As John went through the school system on a 504 plan, his parents supplemented his education with metacognitive strategies provided by SuperCamp, sent him to immersion language programs during the summer to prepare for high school foreign language classes, and engaged an academic coach to support him in developing writing skills and preparing for state tests.

John, who by traditional academic standards would have been considered a candidate for special education without the support his parents provided, was able to be successful in school because he had a lifetime of ‘interventions’. Those ‘interventions’ responded to his academic struggles in ways that honored his strengths and learning style.

This student is now in an engineering program at private university on a scholarship he earned because of his success in honors level and advanced placement course work in high school. John’s eye-doctor, fifth grade teacher and academic coach expressed that what John accomplished was amazing considering his Central Auditory Processing Disorder ( CAPD) and vision issues.

Instructional leaders and educators may not be able to provide special camps or private coaches for students; however, the moral of this story is: A student who without interventions, would have started second grade in the lowest reading group and would have stayed tracked at that level through his school career would not be where he is today if his parents had not intervened. Providing intervention strategies to students, double dosing instruction (as John had with camps and tutors), frequently monitoring progress, and adjusting interventions will allow other students to have the same opportunity as John to reach the stars.
Resources for students with vision related problems are addressed here: https://susanfitzell.com/teaching-strategies-for-tackling-vision-related-problems/

And here: The College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) is a non-profit, international membership association of eye care professionals including optometrists, optometry students, and vision therapists. https://www.covd.org

This article is an excerpt from “Special Needs in the General Classroom, 500+ Teaching Strategies for Differentiating Instruction, 3rd Edition.

Explore even more tips, tools, and resources for collaboration at TheHowofCo-teaching.com!

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