Anchoring the Learning is a term used to describe best practice in closing or summarizing the learning at the end of a lesson or unit. During Anchoring the Learning teachers revisit the mastery objective and essential question and guide students to reflect on their learning.
Tips & Tricks
- Return to the Essential Question: As well as discussing student’s success with the mastery objective, students should have a chance to revisit, discuss and/or write about the essential question. Teachers may want to hone in on any changes in student thinking about the essential question due to the lesson’s learning, or track changes in thinking over time.
- Exit Ticket: Having students complete an exit ticket during Anchoring the Learning is also best practice. A quick exit ticket is concrete evidence of student learning that can help teachers create differentiated learning groups or plan for future instruction.
- Student Language: Make sure the mastery objective and essential question are in student friendly language so that students truly understand what the lesson objective was and are accurately able to judge their success with it.
- Space: It’s good practice to Anchor the Learning from the same place in your classroom. Bringing students back to the rug or carpet, or to the same space that the lesson was framed is a concrete way of reminding students of the lesson’s flow.
- Student Driven Reflection: Journaling or reflecting about their personal success with the lesson’s mastery objective is a great way for students to track their learning over time.
Tools & Templates
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