As much as we are told to keep direct instruction to a minimum in our classes it is an unavoidable necessity. In science we can’t always get our hands on the materials of the lesson. When teaching about the planets in my eighth grade science class we can’t really experiment with the actual planets. We can’t easily see the actual planets. Knowing about the planets is important though, so we have to essentially do direct instruction. We can do it in as interesting way as possible. Our students worked in groups to study a planet and then they created presentations to present to the class. Even though it isn’t me standing in front of the class presenting information the students are essentially presenting information to each other. The same can be said of of other topics on science. We can’t see the insides of cells, inside the Earth, or atoms. While we don’t have to just stand up in front of the class and lecture, topics like these do require some form of direct instruction at some point in the lesson.
Another instance where direct instruction can be helpful in when dealing with recent immigrants or ELL students. For these students, the various teaching models can be more confusing when they don’t have all the language or they are hesitant to participate in group activities. Cultural views on interactions in class may affect their participation. A friend of mine teaching math at a high refugee and ELL school was having trouble with newer immigrants trying to teach the constructivist math methods. She got a hold of some older textbooks and tried teaching in the old “drill and kill” method of teach and practice. The newer students had an easier time with that method. She could then try scattering different types of lessons in every once in a while to try to get those students used to different styles of learning.
