Use instructional sequences (Secondary)
teaching practiceFor student year
Helps students to
- transition smoothly
- know what to expect
Helps teachers to
- engage students
- make tasks manageable
Summary
Some students may need some extra support in understanding the lesson expectations and what tasks are involved. Teachers can support their students in staying on track with their work by providing a clear instructional sequence at the beginning of and throughout the lesson. Having visible, clear, and easy to refer to lesson expectations can ease anxiety and alleviate receptive communication difficulties. By providing an instructional sequence at the beginning of each lesson, teachers give students a road map of what will happen in the lesson.
A clear visual instructional sequence:
- keeps students more engaged and on track
- helps students understand lesson content, purpose, and objectives – what they are doing and why
- promotes a sense of predictability in the classroom
- shows students how to break bigger tasks into smaller components – a crucial organisational skill.
How the practice works
Watch this video to learn more about this practice.
Duration 2:26
Preparing to teach
Prepare the necessary steps for an instructional sequence to present to students at the start of a lesson, on the board and/or as a handout. The instructional sequence could include:
- information about the main topic and learning objectives of the lesson
- a numbered sequence of activities to be completed in the lesson
- homework requirements
- reminders about assessments or special events
- notification of the next lesson topic.
For students who need visual supports, consider using pictorial sequences to demonstrate each step.
Examples of instructional sequence
Example of instructional sequences
In the classroom
At the start of the lesson
During the lesson
At the end of the lesson
Practice toolkit
Practice implementation planner template
We know it's not always easy to keep track of what's working and what isn't. So, we've created this template for you to record and reflect on what you're doing to create more inclusive classrooms. The implementation planner contains:
- guidance around goal setting
- a reflection section (what worked, didn’t work, what to change, and next steps)
- prompting questions.
Implementation planner with examples
Download Set your professional learning goal for:
Use instructional sequences (Secondary)
Benefits of goal setting
Setting, working towards, and reflecting on goals helps you grow professionally and improve your practice. You can access AITSL learning resources for teachers to learn more about:How to set goals
The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership recommends using the SMART matrix to frame your goal setting.SMART goals refers to goals that are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-phased
Resources
Using instructional sequences - Practice Brief
Download
Related Practices
Use visual schedules
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Helps students to
- transition smoothly
- understand expectations
- learn new concepts
Learning Cycle
