Stepping Off the Educational Pendulum 🎢

At Effective Effort with Elizabeth, LLC we often use games to keep our students engaged while they learn.

If you've been in education for more than five minutes, you've probably seen the infamous pendulum swing. One year, we're all in on discovery learning and student-led exploration 🕵️‍♀️. The next, it’s full throttle into direct instruction with tightly scripted lessons 📚.

It can feel like just when you get the hang of one approach, you're told to do the opposite.

Sound familiar?

When I first started teaching, the emphasis was on discovery and independent practice. The idea was: “Let them figure it out!” 🧠 But here’s the catch—without guidance, many students were practicing the wrong way to do things ❌. And once those habits were set, they were incredibly hard to unteach.

So, the pendulum swung again. Direct instruction became the norm. I found myself doing a lot of the talking—and not much else 🗣️. I’d model and model and model, but when it came time for students to do the work on their own? Crickets 🦗. They couldn’t take a step without me.

That’s when I decided to step off the ride and try something different: the Gradual Release of Responsibility model. It struck the balance I had been looking for ⚖️.

Here’s how it looks in my classroom:

🔹 Step 1: I Do (Teacher-Led) I start with a short, focused mini-lesson—just enough to show students what we're doing and where we're headed. We often create an anchor chart together to reference later 📝. At this stage, most students can’t do the work yet—and that’s okay. The goal is to give them a clear model to follow.

🔹 Step 2: We Do (Guided Practice) Next, we do the work together 🤝. Every student participates, and support is built in. If a student gets stuck, I might coach them directly or encourage them to ask a peer for help—but they always have to do the actual work themselves. No hiding in the back of the room. Everyone's in.

🔹 Step 3: You Do (Independent Practice) Once students show me they're ready, it's their turn ✏️. Some work at their desks while others might join me at the small group table for a little extra help. I keep a close eye to make sure they’re on track before setting them loose. And yes—we often turn practice into a game 🎯. You’d be surprised how fun a math problem can be when it’s part of a classroom challenge!

Since shifting to this approach, I’ve noticed some big changes 💡. Students are more engaged. They know they’ll be expected to participate, but they also know they’ll get the support they need. They don’t spend time reinforcing mistakes, because I make sure they’re ready before they go off on their own ✅.

In a world where trends come and go, sometimes it’s okay to stop chasing what’s next and lean into what works. For me and my students, that’s been the gradual release model. It’s not flashy. It’s not trendy. But it works—and at the end of the day, that’s what matters ❤️.

✨ Want to make the Gradual Release model part of your daily routine?

Check out my 3rd Grade Math Curriculum on TPT! It’s built around the I Do, We Do, You Do structure—making it easy to teach and meaningful for your students. Every unit includes clear teacher guides, engaging practice, and interactive digital components to keep learning fun and focused 🎉.

🛍️ Bonus: During the TPT Back to School Sale on August 5th & 6th, you can save up to 25% on everything in my store with the promo code BTS25!

👉 Shop my TPT store here

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