Why Before How

Friday, August 23, 2013

Team,

            Good morning! I trust things continue to go well for you as we finish up our first full week of school with students.  I love this time of year because it seems I am able to get into classrooms more frequently as we get into full swing. 

            As I’ve been in classrooms this week I have to tell you I’ve been totally blown away by you!  You are doing an outstanding job with your students.  Do you know what one thing is that has impressed me?  It’s the rigor of your instruction even just a week and a half into school.  In the past we used to take some time and get the year going.  While we still take time to set up our Readers Workshop and other procedures, nowadays we jump right in with the rigorous instruction we know our students need. 

            I was reminded this week about the concept of “why before how.”  As you know, I have a four year old at home named Katie.  Katie is at that age where she is often asking Meredith and me, “why?” whenever she’s asked to do something.  Now, as a parent it’s pretty easy to get frustrated with this question, “why?” especially when we’re running late to get somewhere. 

            When it comes to a child being obedient to a parent, the question of why may or may not be a direct challenge to given authority.  However, in the classroom, the question of “why” is a vital aspect of effective instruction.  As educators we need to answer the why before we teach the how. 

            Now, we’ve all either had, or we were, the student who asks the teacher, “Why do we have to learn this?”  Many of us grew up in homes and at schools where the answer to that question might be, “Because I said so.”  Well, without getting into the societal changes over the last 20 years that impact that question, please know that your students today are still wondering, “Why do we have to learn this?” 

            To be honest, it’s a valid question.  As adults, we rarely get into something without knowing a purpose; in fact, we would say it’s unwise to do so.  If someone tells us to do something, we would need to know why before making a decision about whether or not to comply.

            In order to prepare our kids for the future, we need to teach this same critical thinking so they can make wise choices.  In fact, research shows that in order for our instruction to be truly effective, we NEED to explain the why before we teach the how. 

            First of all, explaining the “why” of a lesson gives it relevance.  We know that good teaching rests on Relationships, Relevance, and Rigor.  Why is relevance important?  It is important because we all want to learn things that matter to us.  If a student doesn’t see why what you’re teaching matters to them, they probably won’t want to learn it.  So we need to answer the question of “why” because it makes the learning relevant. 

            Second, making sure our students know why we’re learning something helps with motivation and classroom management.  If I don’t see why I need to learn something I’ll be much more likely to become distracted with something else.  If you’re struggling with classroom management, make sure you’re making learning relevant in your class. 

            Finally, answering the “why” question before the “how” allows a student to focus on the “how” once you teach it.  We know that our top students can quickly infer why we’re teaching something even if we don’t communicate it.  But a majority of students will either take much more time to infer why, or they won’t be able to at all.  Chances are if you communicate an objective, but don’t take the time to explain why, many of your students will be trying to figure out why while you’re explaining how!  Sometimes we get frustrated when kids don’t “get it,” but often it’s because they’re trying to figure out why you’re teaching it instead of learning how to do it…

            So we know top notch teachers take the time to have the conversation about why what students are learning is important.  This can happen many ways.  Sometimes we just say it, and other times we find ways for kids to discover it.  Teaching the “why” before the “how” is the science of teaching. How you teach the “why” is the art!  I look forward to seeing how you make learning relevant in your classrooms this year!

Dave