Catch-up Pauses involves pausing to allow students to review their notes, compare with other students and ask clarifying questions at transition points in the class.
Instructions
- Before moving from one block of content to the next, let your students know that you are giving them ~5 minutes to look through their notes and make note of any questions they have. Allow them to talk to their neighbours to check for understanding or fill in any notes that they missed.
- Allocate ~5 minutes to taking any remaining questions before moving on to the next block of content.
Resources
N/A
Variations
- Peer Teaching: Instead of just comparing notes with a partner, have students take turns teaching each other a key concept from the class material during the pause.
- Make it a game: Turn the pause into a mini-quiz game. Collect the questions and award points or small prizes to students who can correctly answer them.
References
Active Learning | Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning (yale.edu)
Getting started with active learning techniques | Center for Teaching Innovation (cornell.edu)