In this episode of “Anti-burnout for English Teachers,” I delve into the highly effective Jigsaw Strategy. Initially developed in 1971 to address racial tension, this strategy promotes student interdependence and fosters a positive classroom community. While I initially thought about this strategy as limited to nonfiction, taking a step back I found lots of possibilities for grammar and fiction, as well. In the episode, I discuss how I’ve adapted the Jigsaw Strategy in my English classroom, allowing students to become experts on specific topics before collaboratively constructing knowledge. It is a highly effective strategy, and I discuss the research backing its potential to accelerate student learning and optimize classroom time. These factors make it a powerful tool for English teachers striving to combat burnout. Tune in to discover creative ways to incorporate the Jigsaw Strategy to save time, deepen learning, and nurture classroom community.
Mentioned in this episode:
Table of Contents
Key Topics
Introduction to Jigsaw Strategy
- Background and history of the Jigsaw strategy
- Purpose of the Jigsaw strategy in desegregated schools
- Role of interdependence and collaboration in the Jigsaw strategy
Effectiveness of Jigsaw Strategy and Teacher Strategies
- Overview of effect sizes in different teaching strategies
- Choosing strategies with higher effect sizes for implementation
- Analysis of selected strategies and their impact on student learning
- Relating Jigsaw strategy to other higher cognitive tasks like metacognition and critical lenses
- The potential of Jigsaw strategy to accelerate learning
Jigsaw Strategy Implementation
- Brief explanation of cooperative learning as a foundational strategy
- Incorporating questioning as an effective strategy in the classroom
- Understanding metacognition and cognitive tasks in relation to learning
- Exploring different approaches and perspectives in learning tasks
- Emphasizing the importance of class discussions, feedback, and scaffolding
- Responding to students’ individual needs through intervention strategies
- Utilizing evaluation and reflection to enhance learning outcomes
Jigsaw Strategy in Detail
- Defining the Jigsaw strategy in terms of a jigsaw puzzle
- Formation of groups and assigning topics or text sections to become experts on
- Individual work and understanding of assigned topics/text sections
- Collaboration within the group to construct knowledge and deepen understanding
- Potential activities such as research, presentation creation, or analysis of shared material
- Benefits of the Jigsaw strategy in increasing interdependence and building classroom community
- Optimization of classroom time through efficient coverage of information
Jigsaw Strategy in English Classroom and Creative Applications
- Adapting the Jigsaw strategy for studying fiction literature
- Examples of using the Jigsaw strategy to explore different literary lenses
- Incorporating multiple perspectives and understanding in literary analysis
- Promoting active engagement and critical thinking in literature discussions
Conclusion and Teacher Strategies
- Significance of teacher-student relationships in the overall teaching process
- Comparison of teacher-student relationships with the impact of Jigsaw strategy
- The potential of the Jigsaw strategy to accelerate learning by three years
- Appreciation for the effectiveness and efficiency of the Jigsaw strategy in the classroom
- Encouraging comfortable implementation methods and focus on effective teaching strategies
Timestamped Overview
00:02:25 Metacognition, cognitive tests, multiple perspectives in learning.
00:05:29 Content delivery matters more than content knowledge. Implementation method has minimal impact; focus on teaching strategies. Teacher-student relationships have potential, but Jigsaw strategy is more effective.
00:06:50 Jigsaw strategy: Accelerates learning, covers more info.
00:12:18 Increased student community, peer-dependent learning, quizzes with individual and group scores.
00:15:08 Synthesizing specific literature topics into assessments.
00:19:14 New task, new group, visual tableau assignment.
00:21:53 Jigsaw work reflects interpretations and promotes discussion.
00:25:57 Color-coded slides aid student understanding, Jigsaw strategy.
More About Anti-Burnout for English Teachers
Are you wanting a classroom strategy that keeps you energized and joyful but want tools and resources to make teaching high school English more manageable? It’s possible, and I’ll share what I’ve learned through my years of trial and error. Let’s build a better classroom!
