Direct Instruction

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This week’s module started with my nose scrunched in dislike and ended with enjoyment. Chapter 4 from our D& D Module of Instruction text is on Direct Instruction. To me, talking about this type of teaching method is like using a swearword toward ingenious teachers. Direct instruction is covered by a haze of boring teacher-lectures, readings only from the textbooks, and doing drab worksheets on memorizing definitions. Most people attribute bad teaching to this type of model. But, to my relief, the veil of ignorance has lifted after delving more into the inner-workings of positive Direct Instructional usages.

“Professional teachers use the models of teaching, but they do not let these models use them. Consider the stages of Direct Instruction as chess pieces that have distinct ‘moves'” (D&D). I like this statement because it shows that there is flex even in Direct Instruction, and although there are “distinct moves” to be used in this strategy there is room to take-out or put-in different parts.

This type of instruction is very useful in checking for understanding from the students, and it is necessary that that is done so all students are on the same page during the lesson, and that they all gain the basic knowledge from the subject taught. In the introduction of The Paideia Program: An Educational Syllabus (1984) Mortimer Adler’s proposal of Paideia is that all students get the same amount of education about the same basic canon of knowledge.”Each container should be filled to the brim with the same quality of substance—cream of the highest attainable quality for all, not skimmed milk for some and cream for others” (Adler). Alder’s first type of instruction that should be used to help students learn “what is to be learned” is the Direct Instruction model. He also states that along with the Direct Instruction different types of models need to also be used.

Another positive use for Direct Instruction are mini-lessons needed to teach a specific rule or skill. After teaching the skill the teacher can check for understanding a few different ways, but one way in which I would be more apt to use would be breaking the students of into small groups. In these small groups they can practice the newly learned skill or rule while I can monitor for understanding. This way there is some collaboration and group-think involved along with direct teacher-to-student instruction.

I am happy to say that I do use Direct Instruction in daily life. One example would be when I help my sister with her tennis game. Usually when we are playing and I will notice that her swing, throw, feet movement, or serve could use a few adjustments. I create a two minute mini-lesson where I show her the correct way to do a backhand return by using myself as an example. After I am done I ask her to practice the new form and let her try it on her own. If I notice that she still needs more instruction then we stop and I relay the concept in a different way or with other examples. We are actively working together so she can master the fundamentals. She always gets it after the second time and her game just gets better and better.