RIGOROUS INSTRUCTIONRobin Sabo, Clear Creek ISD

What is rigor?

austerity

harshnessrigidity

ordeal

tenacity tibulationdifficulty

inflexibility

severitysuffering

intolerance

Or is rigor more that that

But what about in education?Harder

Challenging

Focused on higher thinking levels

Advanced

Turn to an elbow partner and share a synonym for

rigor in education

According to Robyn Jackson, rigorous instruction is . . . What students will understand and how

students will be able to think

Quality of instruction that asks students to create their own meaning, integrate skills into processes, and use what they have learned to solve real-world problems, even when the correct answer is unclear and they are faced with perplexing unknown.

Rigor fosters persistence,

Students have to dig for answers

They discover the value of the search

Effort extended over longer periods of time = greater rewards

Resilience,

Students learn to manage and work through frustration to solve problems on their own

They develop a tolerance for uncertainty And acquire skills to handle struggle

Flexibilty,

Helps students recognize that learning is messy and unpredictable

They can grasp that learning can be pursued through multiple pathways that are often complex, layered, and ambiguous

Purposefulness,

Students see they are learning to make meaning

They are broadening their own understandings to solve interesting problems

Metacognition,

Students are asked to think about their learning goals

They select appropriate strategies to pursue goals

Effectiveness of the chosen approach is reflected on

And ownership.

Students make meaning for themselves Rather than be passive recipients,

students actively participate in construction knowledge and imposing order on what they are learning

Rigorous instruction develops student capacity to. . . Think accurately and with clarity Identify and consider multiple meanings and

interpretations Take and support a position Resist impulsivity and engage in disciplined

inquiry and thought Use and adapt what they know to deal with

uncertainty and novelty Adjust their approach when presented with

new constraints Tolerate uncertainty and work through

ambiguity and complexity

Rigorous Instruction IS. . .

Rigorous Instructions IS

NOT. . .

Rigorous Instruction IS. . .

Rigorous Instructions IS

NOT. . .

Difficult, algorithmic, scripted

Only for GT,

honors or AP

Challenging, messy,

free-ranging

For every student

Rigorous Instruction IS. . .

Rigorous Instructions IS

NOT. . .

Rigorous Instruction IS. . .

Rigorous Instructions IS

NOT. . .

Related to quantity

More work

Difficult, algorithmic,

scriptedOnly for GT, honors

or AP

Related to quality

More effort

Challenging, messy, free-

ranging

For every student

Four Stages of Rigorous

Instruction based on International Center

for Leadershi

p in Education framework

Lessons designed to support students with thinking processes so they can synthesize learning into new understandingsLessons to help students understand new content and acquire new skills

Lessons to support students in developing habits of mind and applying what they have learned to new contexts across disciplinesLessons to focused on applying thinking skills to use learning in a meaningful way

Collaborative pairs Graphic organizers Nonlinguistic

representation Provocative questions Summarization Mnemonics or other

memory strategies

Non-predictable, interesting problem-solution

Distributed practice over time

Reflective practice with student set goals and evaluation criteria

Model thinking –think-aloud, flow charts, decision trees

Direct instruction,

guided practice, formative

assessment, feedback

Target thinking skill, model application and significance, coach independent practice, frequent feedback

Student created artifacts (presentation, model, writing, etc. . .)

Real-World tasks Research-based

production Student directed

production

Personalized learning Socratic seminars Debates Mock/Moot trials “For publication”

production (shows, contests, scholarship competitions, digital sharing)

Integrate information and skills in real-world context, process guided practice using content-specific material, self reflection and refinement opportunities

Applying knowledge to new and novel situations, defining and analyzing problems, transference of learning to other context

ROBIN SABO, CLEAR CREEK ISDrsabo@ccisd.net@rsabo11228

CCISD is Leading the Way in the 21st CenturySee How! Visit us at www.ccisd.net

Rigorous learning . . .Is hard workMay lead to pushbackMust be monitored and supportedRequires a balance between perceived challenges & perceived skillsDoes not always proceed as designedWill payoff when students see direct connection between effort and goalsExtends beyond schoolhouse

“It’s about giving

students the education

they deserve rather than

the one

prescribed for them”

R. Jackson, 2011