Karen Gazith

Karen Gazith, PhD, is a faculty lecturer in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology at McGill University, where she also serves as the graduate program director for the Certificate of Inclusive Education and for the Office of First Nations and Inuit Education.

Magical Classrooms A Balancing Act

The ‘Magical’ Balance Between Teacher Strategies and Student Strategies

Categories: Authors

Having observed teachers over many years, I’ve often contemplated what makes some classes magical. I believe that in these magical classes, teachers apply a balance between what I’ve termed teacher strategies and student strategies. I’ve developed these terms to highlight the difference between teachers’ instructional strategies, such as a jigsaw activity or anchor exercises and student strategies such as reciprocal teaching and explicit step-by-step instruction in math problem-solving. Read more