When Will They Learn? Episode #4 When Will They Learn?
13 snips
Mar 19, 2026 A lively recap of talks from ResearchEd Ballarat, highlighting practical rules for classroom routines and the difference between checking attention and checking understanding. They explore high-frequency Opportunities to Respond for engagement and the teach-track-respond cycle. Discussion turns to how curriculum sequencing shapes school improvement and the tensions around what counts as evidence-informed practice.
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Check Attention Then Check Meaning
- Check both attention and meaning separately by asking students 'What did I just say?' not just closed questions.
- David Didau models checking attention mid-lesson and using mini whiteboards to confirm students processed the material.
Mini Whiteboards Raised As Practical Barrier
- Q&A raised mini whiteboard resourcing as a barrier in some schools.
- Greg and Jenny Donovan noted mini whiteboards are critical classroom infrastructure but schools differ in how they provide and manage them.
Prime Hard Problems With Short Turn And Talks
- Use brief turn-and-talks to prime students for hard questions or non-routine problems after sufficient fluency practice.
- Greg Ashman suggests a short (≈1 minute) structured talk before harvesting strategies during problem-solving sequences.