I

find that I use most of Marzanos high-yield instructional strategies throughout my classes. At
times, Im actively thinking about it as a high-yield strategy, but more often Im adapting to the
needs of my students and my strategy happens to fall into one of the areas that Marzano
suggests. Even when Im not actively thinking about a specific strategy as being high-yield, I
think that the amount of study weve put into instructional strategies is always influencing my
classroom decisions.

In many classes with upperclassmen, I encourage summarizing and note-taking by allowing
students to use their own hand-written notes on tests. Ive noticed that the students who take
the most detailed notes rarely reference those notes during a test. For my younger students, I
found that they have more difficultly focusing and simplifying their notes into the most
important information. I those classes, I hand out notes with blank lines or specific questions.
The students are still required to listen to the instruction and discussion to complete their
notes, but it helps them focus on key information.

In personal finance and business law, the students use many of the techniques suggested to
identify similarities and differences. My priority in these two classes is to promote critical
thinking skills in my students. I stress the idea that in any situation individuals will have
different perspectives, priorities, and ethical concerns. We use comparisons and cause-and-
effect methods to evaluate various scenarios which lead to deeper student understanding of
related concepts and learning objectives.

I reinforce effort and provide recognition often in all my classes. I try to keep praise to a
minimum, so it doesnt become meaningless. However, I show gratitude to my students for
their work and effort every day. I thank students who take part in classroom discussions and
those who volunteer answers to questions I pose (whether right or wrong). I tell my students
that I appreciate their behavior or level of effort. By focusing on the positive, rather than
negative, I promote a positive learning environment for all of us.

Rather than using the word homework, I use coursework. At the beginning of each class, I
let my students know that I expect all coursework to be completed in class. They will not have
homework, unless they mismanage their class time or are absent. I explain that my job as a
teacher is to guide them through their coursework, which is meant to build their
understanding. Because I am the expert, I should be the one to clarify expectations and offer
assistance. Requiring coursework to be completed in the classroom also ensures that all
students have equitable access to resources as they complete their work.

I use setting objectives and providing feedback every day in my classrooms. Recently, the
school administration mandated that teachers display objectives in their classes. I give feedback
both verbally and written on coursework. I strongly believe that learning is severely limited if
students do not receive feedback both in areas that need improvement and in areas in which
they excel. With feedback, students can build on the things they do well, and adjust where
needed.