Episode 1: From CfU to CfQ

Summary

In this episode of the Chalk Dust podcast, Nathaniel Swain and Rebecca Birch visit the classroom of Queensland primary school teacher, Rebecca Sloots, the first teacher to be featured on the Teach Like a Champion practice archive.

By exploring checking for understanding (CfU) and checking for quality (CfQ), the hosts unpack effective teaching practices, focusing on explicit instruction, CFU techniques, and the importance of peer feedback. They explore how generative learning fosters deeper student engagement and discuss the unique challenges of applying explicit teaching strategies in humanities education.

The conversation emphasises the need for responsive teaching and the value of questioning strategies that encourage multiple interpretations. The importance of addressing misconceptions is discussed, as well as fostering a culture of improvement, and the role of formative assessment in enhancing learning.

The commentary points to the need for teachers to adapt their practices, embrace imperfection in the classroom, and set professional growth goals based on observed classroom dynamics.

Mentioned resources and explainers

Teach Like a Champion – Official site for Doug Lemov’s Teach Like a Champion techniques. It provides an overview of this framework of effective teaching practices – a set of techniques and a shared vocabulary that help teachers achieve dramatic results in the classroom.

Reading Reconsidered – Information on Reading Reconsidered, a practical guide to rigorous literacy instruction by Doug Lemov and colleagues. This resource offers clear, actionable strategies to help all teachers strengthen students’ reading skills – from tackling more complex texts and close reading, to building vocabulary and reading stamina – so that students become confident, independent readers. A variation on Beck and McKeown’s Questioning the Author reading comprehension and interpretation strategy is scaffolded for teachers in this book.

Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI) – Hollingsworth & Ybarra – Overview of the Explicit Direct Instruction teaching approach developed by John Hollingsworth and Silvia Ybarra. EDI is a highly structured, step-by-step method for delivering well-designed lessons, emphasising clear objectives, teacher modeling, guided practice, and continual checking for understanding to maximise student success. TAPPLE is a check for understanding protocol that is mentioned.

Generative Learning – Explainer on generative learning theory, which encourages students to actively generate information and make connections between new material and their existing knowledge. It describes how strategies like summarising, teaching others, or drawing concept maps help learners engage deeply with content and create more durable understanding.

Questioning the Author – Here is a recent post from Nathaniel on this very useful instructional approach for generating quality discussions about text. Devised by Margaret McKeown and colleagues, Questioning the Author involves asking initially broad and open-ended queries about what has been read, followed by more specific questioning to dive deeper into the author’s intentions.

Checking for Understanding – Article on why teachers should continuously verify students’ understanding during lessons and how to do it effectively. It outlines techniques for real-time formative assessment – for example, probing questions (beyond yes/no), sampling multiple students’ responses, and using cold calling – so that instruction can be adjusted based on what students have or haven’t grasped.

Cold Calling – Guide to the cold call technique, as popularised by Doug Lemov. This strategy involves the teacher calling on students unpredictably (rather than only volunteers) to answer questions. The article explains how cold calling keeps everyone attentive and accountable, normalises active participation from all pupils, and creates a more inclusive classroom where each student is expected to think and respond.

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Takeaways

* Teaching is both a science and an art.

* Effective teaching requires analysing classroom practices.

* Check for understanding techniques are essential for student learning.

* Peer feedback enhances student engagement and accountability.

* Generative learning allows students to create multiple responses.

* Explicit teaching can alleviate workload, but has its limits.

* Dialogic conversations are necessary for deeper understanding.

* Questioning the author promotes multiple interpretations.

* Responsive teaching can coexist with explicit instruction.

* Openness to a range of correct answers is crucial.

* Teachers should address misconceptions directly to enhance learning.

* Creating a culture of improvement helps students feel safe to make mistakes.

* Perfectionism in students can hinder their learning process.

* Check for understanding (CFU) should be integrated into lessons.

* Teachers need to be responsive to student needs during instruction.

* Feedback should include positive reinforcement alongside areas for improvement.

* Decluttering routines can lead to more effective teaching practices.

* Setting specific goals for professional growth can enhance teaching effectiveness.

* Engaging students in peer feedback fosters a collaborative learning environment.

Thanks for listening to Chalk Dust! Share this with a colleague!

Keywords

education, teaching, classroom instruction, explicit teaching, peer feedback, generative learning, check for understanding, humanities education, teacher strategies, Chalk Dust podcast, education, teaching strategies, classroom management, student engagement, formative assessment, explicit instruction, teacher development, learning culture, feedback, instructional practices