Why You Need to Stop Overdosing on Whole Group

Most of us that were educated since the 1970’s (yes, I am that old!) remember sitting in a classroom with the teacher at the board (with chalk), and we dutifully followed along page-by-page, problem-by-problem. We can also remember classrooms where we really didn’t follow along…we passed notes, doodled, and talked. Times in classrooms have not really changed.

When I work with teachers, even in 2018, their picture of teaching still involves standing in front of the room while everyone is listening. Sorry guys…this is not actual teaching. This is lecturing to a whole group. There is a big difference.

So, why should you care?

We no longer need to prepare the majority of our workers to follow step-by-step instructions for assembly line or manufacturing work. We don’t expect workers to do the same thing over and over again, all day, everyday. Like it or not, our economy is demanding flexible thinkers who can problem solve and think critically. Even in our schools, we are doing more of this kind of work than ever. The lecture format that we are calling “teaching” does not translate well into our current jobs.

Don’t get me wrong; I am not saying there is no place for lecture formats in classrooms. However, we really need to be more thoughtful about it. The younger your students, the less effective this is due to a variety of reasons. The older your students, this becomes less and less effective if we cannot pace ourselves and remember to release responsibility.

Laney Sammons, the developer of the Guided Math framework, has really helped me evolve my thinking around this lecture format and what it’s good for. In a conversation we had, she helped me consider how much engagement happens during the whole group format and then consider what types of tasks this is good for.

 

You might want to sit down for this…

 

The whole group format is good for things that you just don’t care if students really learn. Yep. Take a look at these numbers from when the teacher speaks:

 

25% of students are actively disconnected

25% of students are passively disconnected

20% of students try to follow the lesson, but only master part of it

15% of students pay attention

10% of students participate actively

5% of students already know it

 

*New Zealand Educator Richard Wells, author of A Learner’s Paradise, shares this infographic.

 

So basically, this says that over 50% of the students are not actually learning when we stand in front of the room and talk. Wait, what?

This was a little hard for me to wrap my head around because growing up, I was in the 15% that paid attention or the 5% that already knew it. I just assumed the rest of the class was in this group, too. I loved school so much that I chose to spend adulthood there… and when I see numbers like this, it causes me to step back and really think about what the whole group format is actually good for.

I have come to the conclusion that the whole group/lecture format only works for me in short doses. It’s useful for introducing an activity, providing a way to explicitly model thinking, or bringing closure to a lesson. Beyond a very few minutes, the whole group format becomes an instructional liability. It hurts more than it helps.

I know this is radical. It flies in the face of many mandates our schools and districts have in place. The reasons for this are complex and many. (Ironically, many of these schools and districts continue to struggle with growing each student…but more on that idea another day.)

So if nothing else, let’s agree to let go of the old fashioned lectures and be thoughtful about our future use of the whole group format. We cannot use it all day, everyday. If you have to use it, keep it brief, be strategic, and use it as a tool.

Even sunshine burns if you have too much.

 

Alice & Hope