Am I Clear?: Clarity of Instruction

One thing that is incredibly important to be a successful teacher is clarity of instruction. However, this is something I find myself struggling with. My instructions sound clear in my head but when I give them to a group they seem lost. How can I improve my ability to give clear and concise instructions?

I found many articles that talked about the importance of clarity. Mike Schmoker gives three elements that we should approach with the most simplicity and clarity in his article "The Importance of Simplicity, Clarity and Priority." Those three elements are what we teach, how we teach and authentic literacy. He talks about how all three of those things should be taken seriously but teachers should always be sure that they are not making it too intense that it is going over the heads of the students. 

So what we teach, how we teach and the language we use is important but how can I make sure that those three things are clear to my students? Montgomery County Schools in Maryland created a list of teacher behaviors that assist students in making sense of information. They included tips such as making sure you were teaching at a pace appropriate to the content and the students, asking questions, making sure all students understand before moving on. 

This article also provided a list of explanatory devices that teachers can use to help provide clarity. 
1. Mental imagery
2. Modeling thinking aloud
3. Progressive Cues
4. Analogies
5. Physical Models
6. Media/Technology
7. Charts
8. Blackboard

I really liked this devices because they helped me think of ways to incorporate them into my classes to help students understand what I am trying to get across! 

Another useful tool that I was able to find was the Instructional Clarity Checklist from the Arizona FFA. This checklist has 24 different questions that you can use to assess the clarity of your instruction. I think this would be a beneficial checklist to do yourself but also to have my students or cooperating teacher do as well. 

This YouTube video on giving clear classroom instructions expands on everything that I had read in the articles. The video really focuses on tips for the teacher to help make sure your directions are understood by all of the students. 

"Striving for success without hard work is like trying to harvest where you haven't planted."

-David Bly

Sources:

"Instructional Clarity Checklist." Instructional Techniques for New Instructors. Az. FFA, 2011. Web.
          3 Oct. 2014.

"Model Three Teacher Tip: Clarity." Montgomery County Schools. MCSD, 2012. Web. 3 Oct. 2014.

Schmoker, Mike. "The Importance of Simplicity, Clarity and Priority." ASCD. 2011. Web. 3 Oct.
          2014.