I would challenge you to time the number of minutes you talk during an instructional period. In a 50 minute period, what percentage should be the teacher and what percentage should be the student?

The person doing the work, is the person doing the learning.

How many minutes does each student spend talking?

Technology

Technology should change what we do. We should not bury our head in the sand and pretend that technology does not exist. Google exists and so do math apps that calculate the answer and show all the steps. In light of this, this should change the types of questions we ask.

Technology makes it more possible than ever to have a student-centered classroom. To ask really good questions rather than tell information. Start by having a really good classroom website that outlines the agenda for the day. Any information the students need to know should be clearly presented on the website.

Directions

Rather than speaking directions I recommend you post your directions digitally. This allows students to get right to work. This also allows students who are absent to access those directions. How many instructional minutes do you save when you don’t tell students directions? Once students are used to accessing directions online, you eliminate downtime in class and create independent student learners.

When students ask questions about the directions, I update the directions.