NISD Instructional Framework

Instruction is the execution and reflection of the well-planned lesson. Teachers will actively engage in instructional practices that effectively foster student learning and develop independent learners and thinkers. Northwest ISD teachers...

use the workshop model as a structure for student learning to allow for direct teaching, modeling, guided practice, independent work time, differentiation, and reflection.
focus on content standards and vocabulary to actively engage students in academic discourse so they can critically read, write, and communicate in all content areas.
use questioning strategies to foster student conversation and engagement while modeling metacognitive strategies to help students recognize, monitor, and self-assess understanding and performance.
give specific, meaningful, relevant and timely feedback to students on a consistent basis to help guide their learning and mastery of goals.
use a variety of formative assessments to measure student learning and understanding to effectively adjust and differentiate instruction based on the needs of students.

Additional Resource Support

Critically read, write, and communicate - Students need to critically read and write across all content areas (content literacy). Critically reading and writing means asking questions of the text as we read and writing about the connections we make or reflecting on learning. Reading and writing as part of the process of learning is essential for deep learning to occur. This Strategies for Increasing Comprehension is a great tool for students to use in all content areas.
Feedback - Students need meaningful feedback regarding their performance and success they are making towards reaching their learning target goals. Feedback for students must be specific, timely, focused toward the learning goal, and involve the learner in the process.
Metacognitive strategies - It is important for students to understand the way they learn and for them to be able to "think" about their "thinking". Often this is reflection toward the Learning Target. There are different metacognitive strategies and NISD curriculum often references different ones such as: Thinking Maps, Depth & Complexity Icons, Rubrics, and use of Exemplars.
Questioning strategies - It is important that students are asked and can ask high-level questions that require complex application of skills. This Blooms Taxonomy Teacher Planning Kit is a resource teachers can utilize to help them plan a variety of questions at different levels.
Reflection - See Metacognitive Strategies

Home

Planning

Instruction

Learning Environment

Assessment

Academic Discourse

Differentiation

Differentiation

Formative Assessment

Differentiation

Workshop Model

Additional Resource Support