Can You Hear Me Now

Do you sometimes want to walk around your classroom like the man on the cellular phone commercial asking, "Can you hear me now? Can you hear me now?" The students just don't seem to understand what you are saying. Perhaps the problem isn't the reception; it could be that the signal is not clear. "Instructional clarity refers to the teacher's ability to provide instruction that helps students come to a clear understanding of the material" (Cruickshank, Jenkins & Metcalf, 2003, p. 65). Rosenshine and Furst (1971) identified the cognitive clarity of the teacher's presentation as being the most promising teacher variable related to student achievement. The researchers identified several major areas where clarity was most important: a) clarity of presentation, b) instructions are clear and easy to understand, c) concepts are explained clearly, d) questions answered intelligently and e) material is sequenced in an understandable manner. Clarity of Presentation Do you remember having a teacher somewhere along the way that was very knowledgeable in the subject matter but didn't present it in a way that you could understand? The teacher jumped from one topic to another without a clear transition or started a new topic without finding out if you understood the previous concept. Even if you wrote down everything that was written on the board, you still didn't understand what had happened. This teacher did not provide clear presentations. Clarity in presentation is guided by the unit goals and objectives: what the students should know or be able to do at the end of the unit. Teachers must identify the main points of the lesson that students should know and decide how to best present them. At the beginning of class, teachers should provide the students with the objectives or in some way provide structuring comments that prepare students for the lesson topic. Using instructional aids such as the chalkboard, overheads, or PowerPoint slides to provide students with a visual supplement to the oral discussion is very important. When presenting the lesson teachers should not clutter the board or visuals with unimportant detail that might be confusing. Teachers using electronic aids should not move too quickly because students can not write as fast as teachers can talk. Pacing is important to make sure students have mastered the material. Teachers need to review and check with students to determine if they have achieved competence to the desired level. A review at the end of the five day unit is not sufficient. Review periodically throughout the lesson and determine if students truly understand. Instructions Are Clear and Easy to Understand Agriscience teachers who attended the "Life Knowledge" training were taught the importance of clear and easy instructions. "Life Knowledge" trainers modeled making sure all the students knew what to do before small group activities. Teachers who say "Let's go to the lab" without preparing students for the activity planned are setting themselves up for problems. Once 20 freshmen get in the agriculture mechanics lab without something specific to do, they will make up something and it is rarely what the teacher had in mind. Effective teachers have a clear plan and have established procedures for laboratory activities. These teachers discuss the planned activity while all students are in their seats and distribute lab instructions and responsibilities as needed. On a signal from the teacher, the students move to the designated area, don safety equipment as necessary, and begin to work without a lot of milling around and horseplay. This clear transition reduces teacher stress and gives the students more time on the designated task. Concepts Are Clearly Explained Soil nutrition may be a hard concept for many students to understand because of the background they have been given related to human nutrition with carbohydrates and protein. …