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Time

10-15 minutes

Level

Junior / Intermediate

Material

Chart paper, markers (optional)

Purpose

To help students become better problem solvers and become better judges of what and how they learn

Practice:

  • Inform students that, following the lesson, they’ll need to identify what the three key ideas of the lesson were.
  • Provide tips for active listening:
    • Look at the speaker.
    • Ask clarifying questions.
    • Make connections to prior knowledge (e.g., “This reminds me of…” or “How does this change my thinking about?”).
  • Following the lesson, ask students to write down three key ideas.

Discuss:

  • Ask students to share the three key ideas of the lesson.
  • Ask students to self-check how closely theirs matched the intended learning goals.
  • Complementary practice:
  • Adapted from Constructing Meaning by Nancy N Boyles
  • Using stems such as: I’m thinking; I’m wondering; I’m noticing… can help students think about their thinking. You may also want to add the stem: I’m feeling…

Goal setting and self-monitoring, in an academic learning environment, are critical skills to effective organization for a student. Organization skills are intricately linked to academic achievement and therefore, any organization skills taught to a student further their potential for success! (Anderson, Munk, Young, Conley & Caldarella, 2008; Boller, 2008).

NOTE: Engaging in active listening can help students practice responding to the thoughts and emotions of others with empathy. This can support building a community of empathy and concern for others in the classroom (Pace et al., 2013; van Schaik & Hunnius, 2016).

Boyles, N. N. (2004). Constructing meaning through kid-friendly comprehension strategy instruction. Maupin House Pub.

Pace, T. W. W., Negi, L. T., Dodson-Lavelle, B., Ozawa-de Silva, B., Reddy, S. D., Cole, S. P., . . . Raison, C. L. (2013). Engagement with Cognitively-Based Compassion Training is associated with reduced salivary C-reactive protein from before to after training in foster care program adolescents. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 38(2), 294-299. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2012.05.019

van Schaik, J. E., & Hunnius, S. (2016). Little chameleons: The development of social mimicry during early childhood. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 147(Complete), 71-81. doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2016.03.003