If All Else Fails, Read the Instructions

When I was growing up, I thought that this was my father’s original saying.  But it turns out that it is attributed to the poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson. It’s really such a simple idea. But how many times have we tried something, and then, as a last resort, gone back to the instructions? I think we can all relate.  

As we’re embarking on this Common Core journey, particularly in the courses using the MVP curriculum, we may feel pressed for time and overlook the “instructions” that are in the Teacher Notes.  

What we’ve learned about the Teacher Notes is that they contain a lot of helpful information that isn’t evident when looking at just the task itself. There have been a number of times when teachers have shared that they were initially unclear about the purpose of a task or how to lead it and then they went to the Teacher Notes and discovered a wealth of ideas and strategies.

There are several features in the MVP Teacher Notes that our RUSD colleagues have reported as being very helpful. Here’s a partial list:

• They give the purpose and standards for the task.
• They help write a learning goal for my students.
• They help me plan to orchestrate the task.
• They talk about possible ways that my students will approach the task.
• They give the talking points for student discussions.
• They sometimes have the answers to the problems in the task.

So - the moral of the story is - read the Teacher Notes.  Read them carefully and read them more than once. You’ll be glad you did!