Run a modelling and rehearsal clinic
Help teachers make expert decisions visible, then practise the explanation before teaching it.
Choose an expert decision
Identify the part learners often miss: where to find evidence, how to interpret it, how to order ideas or when to qualify a claim. Prepare a complete response so the local decision can be seen in its whole-text or whole-task context.
Keep the demonstration focused
Model one decision using a think-aloud. Name the clue, consider a plausible alternative and explain why the selected choice serves the task. Avoid narrating everything you know about the topic.
Watch with a feedback lens
Observers record the point where the reasoning became visible and the language that helped communicate it. Use a checklist with two criteria, such as explicit decision plus an accurate explanation of its purpose.
Rehearse and improve
The teacher rehearses with a partner using a fresh example. The partner restates what they understood, asks one clarification question and identifies one change. Repeat the model after the feedback.
Plan the learner handover
After modelling, learners need to make a similar decision themselves. Plan guided rehearsal followed by a new independent prompt. Decide what will be left visible and what will be removed.
Suggested session agenda
Adapt this schedule to the material, team and available time.
| Minutes | Activity |
|---|---|
| 4 | Name the expert decision |
| 5 | Watch a concise think-aloud |
| 5 | Analyse reasoning and language |
| 10 | Rehearse, receive feedback and repeat |
| 6 | Plan learner practice and independence |
Worked example
An art teacher models how a claim about contrast is supported by a specific feature of the image. In rehearsal, a colleague notices that “effective contrast” was named but not explained. The revised model shows how the viewer’s attention is directed and why that matters.