An ASCD Study Guide for Teaching in the Fast Lane

Most of the questions contained in this study guide are ones you can think about on your own, but you might consider pairing with a colleague or forming a study group with others who have read (or are reading) Teaching in the Fast Lane.

Getting Ready to Read

Prior to reading the Introduction, take this short survey. Don't worry—it's just for you to see…you don't even have to write your answers down!

1. In your last couple of lessons, what percentage of the time were students enthralled in their work? What percentage of the time was teacher delivery?
2. In your last couple of lessons, what percentage of the time were students sitting the entire class period?
3. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest, how concerned are you about "covering" material?
4. Reflect on the lesson planning process and framework in your building or district. Does it encourage creative, thought-provoking lessons? (Or are you checking off boxes?)

Chapter 1. Why Active Learning Matters

1. For an upcoming learning target, jot down two lists: a) Concepts/content that require explicit teacher delivery for student understanding; b) Concepts/content that students can get on their own.
2. In your district/building/classroom, what is your best estimate of the percentage of teacher versus student talk? What solutions, if needed, can you develop to ensure adequate student talk time? What concerns are present in increasing student talk time?
3. In addition to basic skills, what attributes are employers seeking? In hiring a new teacher for your team, what attributes would you find most desirable?
4. While a school's explicit mission may not include the development of sought after employees, what is your opinion about integrating learning experiences that might enhance marketable skills, such as problem-solving and leadership skills?
5. Complete this thought: Learning experiences can be developed that move more thoughtful work onto students' shoulders by _________________________.
6. Think about former classmates of yours. Are there former classmates whose financial success surprised you? Did they have any of the attributes mentioned for exceptional economic success? Do you have some of those attributes?

Chapter 2. Mapping Out Where Students Will Go: Our Work Begins

1. What classroom expectations are in place now for articulating learning targets? Is the focus only on today? What advantages might there to demonstrating to learners big picture ideas and how to systematically get there?
2. For an upcoming unit, create a standards or learning wall.
3. What learning barriers to grasping new understandings might be present in some students? Jot down scaffolding ideas to close gaps in context, such as flow charts, steps, and cheat sheets.

Chapter 3. Designing Active Learning: What's in Your Lesson Plans?

1. Reflect on your school or district's lesson plan template. Are there changes you would recommend that might encourage more student-centered, active learning experiences?
2. Have you ever completed a lesson plan template to turn in, only to scrawl out your real lesson on a separate format? If so, what prompted that action?
3. What's so important about the opening minutes of a learning experience?
4. What instructional guidelines would you recommend for the direct teaching portion of the lesson?
5. Chose three adjectives that describe an active student work period.
6. Complete this thought: The most important thing about the closing minutes of a learning episode is _____________________________________

Chapter 4. The Wonderful World of Sorts

1. Create a Facts or Fibs or Always-Never-Sometimes sort for any content
2. Reflect on a current or upcoming lesson. Insert a sort for opening, processing, or closing a lesson.

Chapter 5. Stations: Something for Everyone

1. In your opinion, what are the top two benefits of effective station teaching?
2. Draw a diagram of a station lesson with tasks and approximate times. What evidence of learning will be visible at each station?
3. Complete this thought: The three most important things in creating and implementing stations are __________________________________________________.

Chapter 6. Cooperative Learning: More than Pushing Desks Together

1. What traits distinguish cooperative learning from simply "group work"?
2. Sketch out a cooperative learning experience for an upcoming lesson. What are students' individual and group goals?
3. What are challenges to cooperative learning experiences? How can these be overcome?

Chapter 7. Whose Learning Is This, Anyway?

1. In a typical lesson in your classroom, what types of decisions do students make about their own learning?
2. Agree/Disagree: When pressure is ramped up so that teachers are solely responsible for achievement outcomes, they tend to exert more teacher control over learning.
3. What are potential barriers to providing students with more autonomy over their learning?
4. Sketch out a potential menu for your next lesson. Will all selections lead to mastery of the learning target?
5. How much does your classroom or building rely on extrinsic motivators? What potential role could this be playing in actually demotivating students?

Chapter 8. Barriers and Big Picture

1. Masterful, engaging learning experiences have the power to increase student motivation and positive behaviors, but creating these lessons takes time. What plans can be put into place to allow teachers time to plan?
2. Moving forward, what are your next steps in implementing student-centered learning?

Teaching in the Fast Lane was written by Suzy Pepper Rollins. This 130-page, 7" × 9" book (Stock #117024; ISBN-13: 978-1-4166-2338-0) is available from ASCD for $19.96 (ASCD member) or $24.95 (nonmember). Copyright © 2017 by ASCD. To order a copy, call ASCD at 1-800-933-2723 (in Virginia 1-703-578-9600) and press 2 for the Service Center. Or buy the book from ASCD's Online Store.