A Reader Asks... Lesson Frames on Test Day

An assistant principal asks the following:

SC,

If a teacher is giving an assessment during the entire class period - there will be no instruction taking place.  Should there be a posted Lesson Frame, "We will" and "I will"?

SC Response

First, though in what you have described there is no instruction taking place, there is an instructional task (taking the test).

Now to answer your question. It depends if the teacher has received training on Lesson Framing or not.

If the teacher hasn’t been trained, then not having a Lesson Frame on a test day is OK.  The students know they are taking a test, and a Close for a test is basically an empty exercise.

Unless… the teacher has been trained on how to Frame a Test.  Then here is what you would expect to see.

An objective (We will…) designed to motivate and reduce student stress.  For example,

"We will use our enormous brains to totally dominate today’s math test."

A close (I will…) designed to promote effort and provide a goal. For example,

"I will work hard and score at least an 85 on the test.”

That is what you want to see. But you will only see it if your teachers have been trained.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

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