The primary role of the teacher during guided practice is to actively guide students step-by-step through tasks or problems, simultaneously monitoring their progress and ensuring they correctly execute each step.
Understanding Guided Practice
Guided practice, often referred to as the "we do" phase of an explicitly taught lesson, is a crucial stage that follows the teacher's initial instruction or modeling (the "I do"). It serves as a bridge between direct instruction and independent practice ("you do"). During this phase, students are not expected to work alone but rather with direct, real-time support from the teacher.
The Teacher's Core Function
Based on the definition, the teacher's primary function is highly interactive and supportive. The reference states that guided practice involves the teacher "working through problems with students at the same time, step-by-step, while checking that they execute each step correctly." This highlights two key aspects of the teacher's role:
- Step-by-Step Collaboration: The teacher doesn't just assign tasks; they actively engage in completing them with the students. This might involve solving problems together on a whiteboard, filling out a graphic organizer as a class, or collaboratively writing a sentence.
- Real-Time Monitoring and Correction: As students work through each step alongside the teacher, the teacher is constantly observing, listening, and checking for understanding and correct application of the skill or concept. This allows for immediate feedback and intervention before errors become ingrained.
Key Teacher Actions During Guided Practice
To fulfill this primary role, teachers engage in several specific actions:
- Modeling Thinking Aloud: Reinforce the thought process shown in the "I do" phase by vocalizing the steps and decisions while working with students.
- Asking Probing Questions: Use questions to check understanding, encourage students to explain their reasoning, and guide them to the next step.
- Providing Immediate Feedback: Offer specific praise for correct steps and constructive correction for errors as they happen.
- Differentiating Support: Adjust the level of guidance based on student needs, providing more scaffolding for those struggling and opportunities for slightly more independence for those who grasp the concept quickly.
- Checking for Understanding (CFU): Employ various techniques (e.g., choral response, mini whiteboards, thumbs up/down) after each step or sequence of steps to gauge whole-class or group comprehension.
- Facilitating Peer Interaction: Sometimes, guided practice can involve students working in pairs or small groups under the teacher's close supervision, promoting peer learning.
Comparing Roles: Teacher vs. Student
The guided practice phase clarifies the distinct, yet collaborative, roles:
| Role | Primary Responsibility | Key Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher | To lead, guide, monitor, and correct with students. | Works steps with students, checks execution, provides feedback, asks questions. |
| Student | To attempt the steps with the teacher's support. | Follows teacher's lead, attempts steps, responds to questions, receives feedback. |
Why is This Role Primary?
The teacher's active role during guided practice is primary because it:
- Prevents students from practicing errors.
- Builds student confidence by providing immediate success and support.
- Allows the teacher to assess student understanding before they move to independent work.
- Solidifies the connection between the initial instruction and application.
By working through problems with students at the same time, step-by-step, while checking that they execute each step correctly, the teacher ensures students are ready to eventually apply the skill or concept on their own.
