50 templates for improving teaching and learning Section 9: Checklists for reflective teachers

Am I presenting new material effectively?

Teachers’ notes
Rationale Teaching can be thought of in three-stages: present, apply and review. In many
classrooms the presentation phase involves the teacher doing lots of work and
the students being very passive. However, it is possible to include challenging
goals and relevant feedback for students as part of this presentation stage, with
the result that teaching and learning are both enhanced. Petty (2006) suggests
that there are three approaches to this:

1. Using conventional teaching methods more effectively. He advocates the

following sequence: check prior learning, set goals relevant to the learning of
new material, explain the new material, moving from what is known to what is
unknown (to include dialogue and checking of understanding), then check that
goals have been achieved.
2. Teaching by asking (instead of teaching by telling).
3. Teaching without talking using resources that explain the topic.

How to use The checklist can be used to help identify areas that teachers might develop in
the future and to reassure teachers that they are presenting new material in ways
that are likely to maximise learning.

It could be used as part of a process of self- or peer-assessment of lessons or

parts of lessons.

© Connect Publications 2007

50 templates for improving teaching and learning Section 9: Checklists for reflective teachers

Am I presenting new material effectively?

Answer the following questions with reference to the way in which you introduce and present new
material to students

When presenting new material do I:  ? 

Provide ground rules for activities?

Check on prior learning?

Make sure introductory resources are at a suitable reading level?

Set students goals at the outset?

Check that these goals have been achieved?

Move from what is known to the unknown?

Provide opportunities for dialogue?

Actively involve students?

Check understanding?

Provide supportive feedback?

Consider organisation of the room?

Consider allocating different roles to students?

Use activities that involve reasoning as well as reproduction?

Emphasise the key points?

Comments/ideas

© Connect Publications 2007