Why telling students the directions isn't enough! (and what to do about it)
We all know why these memes are so funny. We give directions and then inevitably a student was talking to a neighbor, daydreaming, playing with a fidget and they ask "What are we doing?" I can literally feel myself getting warm with rage and frustration just thinking about it! Students are human and can't be expected to listen to every single thing we say all of the time. Oh, that would be a dream though. Studies have shown that directions are more effective when they are given to students in multiple ways: specifically, orally AND written. With students who receive special education services, the need for written directions increases dramatically. They cannot hold on to lengthy, multi-step directions. No wonder we have so many lost and confused students! Years ago, I started writing out directions for students on my whiteboard, but I teach 6 distinctly different classes a day. It was WAY too much writing! and if I had classes back to back, you can
