Progressively Incorrect S4E32: Rachel Ball on Scaffolded Instruction and Adaptive Teaching
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May 14, 2025 In this conversation, Rachel Ball, the Coaching Development Lead at StepLab and author of 'The Scaffolding Effect,' dives deep into the art of scaffolded instruction. She shares her journey behind crafting her book and addresses the challenges teachers face in providing the right support while fostering independence. The discussion also highlights innovative teaching techniques, the importance of professional development, and collaborative group rehearsals as tools for enhancing educational practices. Rachel’s insights advocate for a more effective and adaptive teaching landscape.
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Rachel's Scaffold Journey
- Rachel Ball noticed that teachers often misunderstood scaffolding as just adding worksheets, so she led a school-wide initiative to define levels of scaffolding for different subjects.
- This effort grew into a book exploring where and how to scaffold effectively and how to implement it school-wide.
Scaffolding Defined and Adaptive
- Scaffolding is temporary support that is removed as students develop expertise and can be visual, verbal, or written.
- Effective scaffolding is a form of adaptive teaching that responds during the lesson to student needs, based on ongoing checks for understanding.
Plan Scaffolds Before Lesson
- Teachers should plan checkpoints and prepare scaffold options before lessons to confidently adapt scaffolding live.
- Novice teachers tend to overly simplify work rather than scaffold effectively for the right students at the right time.