Teachstone's Affiliate Trainer Blog

Do you find that when you train teachers or coaches on CLASS, all they want to talk about is open-ended questions? When trainees hear CLASS tool, often the first thought that comes to their mind is asking children open-ended questions. And while asking “how” and “why” questions is extremely important in helping to foster and support language and concept development, we cannot have effective interactions with these questions alone. There is so much more to the CLASS tool!

Topics: Pre-K, K-12, Infant and Toddler Read More

We often hear people asking about conducting CLASS observations during mealtimes. What kinds of interactions can be observed while children are just eating? Turns out—there are many examples of high-quality interactions during breakfast or lunch. Let's focus first on the Emotional Support CLASS domain. 

Topics: Pre-K, K-12, Infant and Toddler Read More

Following the children’s lead and balancing time within the classroom schedule between child-directed and teacher-directed activities are not uncommon to those responsible for children’s learning in early education classrooms.  Intentional teachers are aware of their responsibility to assess student progress, understand skill mastery and plan accordingly to provide opportunities for children to expand their understanding of ideas and concepts important to early childhood development.  However, many times as teachers prepare to begin a specific teacher-directed activity, it is unsettling when students begin to veer from the step-by-step plans the teacher has worked hard to implement. 

Topics: Pre-K, K-12, Infant and Toddler Read More

Topics: Infant and Toddler Read More