Teach Students to be Independent Problem-Solvers
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Teacher friend, can you relate to hearing your students say…
“Teacher, I’m stuck!”
“What do I do now?”
“Where am I supposed to turn this in?”
“My pencil broke! I don’t have another one.”
“Can I go to the bathroom?”
“Can I get a tissue?”
On and on and on the never-ending stream of inane questions comes. Can anyone relate? Does reading that list of questions immediately make you cringe as you think of all the times your students have asked you these questions so many times you want to pull your hair out?!
Well, it might be time to train up some independent problem-solvers, so your students can spend more time learning and less time asking all those maddening questions. Here are some tips to get you started.
1. Train in Classroom Procedures
In order for your students to become independent problem-solvers, they need to know what is expected of them and what to do in different situations. The best way to equip them to do those things is to train them in your classroom procedures.
First, you need to create a clear classroom procedures plan. This is one case where you might want to OVERthink it. There is a need for more classroom procedures than you may think. Beyond the typical raise your hand to speak, and line up for lunch, you need to break down your entire classroom day and think about how you want your class to flow.
Where do you want your students to move, when do you want them to move, where will they go to do a, b, and c, etc.? In my mind, the best way to start planning for classroom procedures is to think of all the procedural questions you get from students that you get tired of answering over and over. Can I sharpen my pencil? Can I go to the bathroom? What do I do when I’m done? Can I get a book from the library?
On and on and on into oblivion…. Well those questions mean that your students don’t know the procedure for those things, that’s why they have to keep bothering you with those questions. So think of how you want those things to be addressed in your class and TRAIN THEM in the ways of the force… procedures I mean.
To do some procedure training, you first need to explicitly teach what the procedure is. Model it to the class a couple of times, then have a few students come up and demonstrate the procedure as well. They especially love doing non-examples. So work some of those in, but make sure that they always end their practice by doing it the correct way.
Finally, have the WHOLE CLASS practice the procedure. Yes, you heard me, the whole class must practice. They need to solidify the skill by DOING. Have them do it CORRECTLY a few times. Correct being the key word, because you don’t want them to practice it the wrong way, then they are solidifying the wrong procedure.
Try to keep your procedures training spaced out throughout the day, you don’t want to assail your students with tons of procedures at once. They’re less likely to retain them that way. Keep this process short and sweet, like a mini lesson. Think 5-10 minutes per procedure. Try to prioritize your more pressing procedures first, then you can sprinkle the rest of them throughout the day or later in your week.
Once students have mastered a procedure, be sure to give TONS of positive reinforcement. Then, students can independently solve more of their problems because they know the procedure and they can carry it out without needing to ask you for help.
Note: Procedure practice isn’t just for the beginning of the school year. If you find certain students or the entire class slacking on a procedure, do a quick review and let them all practice it again to refresh it in their minds. And it’s never too late in the school year to add new procedures that are needed.
2. Provide Opportunities to Build Stamina
Just like in most things, building independence in your students takes time. And you don’t just want them to be independent in carrying out classroom procedures. You want them to be able to work independently for sustained amounts of time without getting distracted or stuck. You want to equip them with the skills they need to solve problems on their own in all areas, rather than depending on you to answer all of their questions.
They likely aren’t going to get it the first time you give them a task and set them loose for 20 minutes to work on their own. They are going to need support and time. That is what building stamina is all about.
Before you throw your students in the deep end of independent work in the classroom, give them simple tasks and short time periods of expected independent work. Then build on those more and more, gradually increasing the time and complexity of tasks. If you notice the class is zoning out halfway through, cut the independent time short, and make a note to yourself of how long they lasted. That can be your starting point.
One of the keys to building stamina in your students is to involve them in the process and teach the behaviors and procedures (*wink wink*) you expect from them during independent work. You may want to create an anchor chart, or maybe you even have a bulletin board that shows them what to do during and after independent work. Some teachers project these things on the board during independent time as well.
Here are some student questions to help you think about your independent work procedures and expectations:
What do I do first during independent work?
What do I do if I get stuck/ or need help during independent work?
What do I do when I finish one task?
What do I do if I finish everything my teacher asked of me?
How should I behave during independent work time?
These can be good starting points for you to create an anchor chart/ bulletin board somewhere in your class that is highly visible and your students can refer back to throughout the year (because as we know, they forget things).
After you’ve explained those expectations, explain what stamina is in student-friendly terms. Think of it as how long you can do something without getting tired or wanting to stop. Then explain the behaviors of students who are showing they still have stamina. (example: they are on task, they aren’t looking around the room or trying to distract their neighbors, etc.)
Likewise, you can explain how you know when students have no more stamina. (not being on task, etc.) Make a class goal for how many minutes of stamina they will work towards during independent time. Then set a timer and see how long they last.
When independent time is over (make sure you end it when quite a few students are showing a lack of stamina), call the class back to attention. Debrief and reflect as a group. During reflection, have them rate themselves on a 1-3 scale (just on their fingers) to reflect on how well they did individually. Then, set a goal for the next time, slightly higher than what they did that time, and try again, over and over until you build up to where they should be.
3. Structured Independent Work Time
Another way to set your students up to be independent problem-solvers is to have clear structure. This means, you don’t just say “read independently” or “finish this assignment.” You need to give a little bit more support than that. We all know that time in the classroom is limited and precious. So we don’t ever want any learner just sitting in their seat, counting ceiling tiles and doing NOTHING during independent work. Structuring your independent work time will help ensure this doesn’t (or shouldn’t) happen.
First, display the directions for the task(s) somewhere large and visible to the entire class. That way they can refer back to them throughout their independent time if they need to. This will help them stay on task. In addition, if you have taught them your independent work procedures, they should know what to do when they are done with the task(s) you have given them for independent work time.
I like to provide options for my students when it comes to early finisher tasks. Students always love when they have a choice, and they’re more likely to have longer stamina if they are choosing to do something they want to do.
Your procedures will also structure your independent work time so that students know where to turn things in or what to do with their papers when they have finished, so they won’t need to interrupt you or their neighbor to ask those questions. (See the infinite benefits of well practiced-procedures?!) And VOILA you have some independent innovators…
Well, it won’t happen VOILA just like that. It’s going to take time. In some cases, it will take the ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR (I’m looking at you Kinder and 1st grade), but it is SO worth it. And, let’s be honest, the next year’s teachers will THANK YOU.
What is your biggest struggle with building independence in your students?
What are some mistakes you have learned from in the past with regards to this topic?
