High expectations for all – now that’s a trick. Marzano talks about how we stay with students [who get it quickly – brighter? – well in this discipline at least] longer with more demanding questions. One of the tricks is to know your students and have possible prompts [scaffolding questions] ready to support those students who we might assume low expectations for.
I think the trick here is in the planning – having preplanned for low expectancy students and written scaffolding questions ready to ask [it’s in my opinion too hard to continuously do this on the spot].
I’m reminded of the lesson study approach to planning here where they know the possible misconceptions students might encounter in a lesson and have planned for this.
Lots depend upon the quality of teacher planning – and here leaders can help teachers by insisting on planning proformas that take account of misconceptions and differentiated instruction at the initial whole class instruction period.
