Each day post a key idea, a suitable quote, or a question in a consistent place so that students have begun to think before the class starts. Remember to mix thinking skills by doing more than just asking a recall question. Ensure that you are asking for students to use higher order thinking processes like analysis and synthesis.
Develop key questions to guide students through a new unit of study. The key questions will be developed by referring to the learning outcomes anticipated for the grade and subject. These can be visited to introduce new lessons, to review topics already studied, and to develop assessments. They are a handy reference for times when a lesson has been completed and students need an oral review. Key questions are also useful for quizzes to check knowledge or on unit tests for grades.
Start each learning session by setting goals for the day or the week. This valuable step can be revisited afterwards to determine what comes next. For example, "In Mathematics class today, we are going to review multiplying fractions and then I will show you how to divide fractions. By the end of the week, you will be able to do both with confidence."
Create visual images of key concepts, supporting the acquisition of these concepts through repeated exposure. An example would be to have students create posters for the classroom that illustrate key ideas from a current unit. The poster content will become very well known to the student through the design and creation of the visual depiction. Student posters should remain visible in the classroom for an appropriate length of time.
Create visual images of strategies that students can use as they read or make notes. An example is a poster that illustrates the scientific process that the teacher expects for science experiments and the write-up of that process. In English, a poster might define keywords: thesis, irony, satire, etc. These visuals may be posters in the classroom or activity handouts for individuals or groups of students.