Intentional Teaching. The Purposeful Teacher

Defining Intentionality in Teaching

One of the attributes that seems to be most characteristic of truly exceptional teachers is something known as intentionality.

Intentionality, at its core, means doing things for a reason—that is, always acting with a clear and well-defined purpose.

Teachers who are intentional know full well that maximum learning doesn’t happen by chance or by a simple stroke of luck.

Although children can learn in unplanned ways, the real challenge of organizing and retaining new knowledge requires a purposeful teacher.

To be able to help students do their best and make conceptual leaps, teachers must be intentional, reflective, and also flexible.

Constantly Thinking About Outcomes

Intentional teachers consistently think about the outcomes they want for each of their students throughout the learning process educational.

They constantly evaluate how each of the decisions they make in the classroom brings children closer to those previously established outcomes.

They never lose sight of their goals for each child, ensuring that all of their actions are perfectly aligned with the ultimate learning objective.

This focus on outcomes allows them to adjust their strategies on the fly, ensuring that their time in the classroom is as effective as possible.

The Strategies of the Intentional Teacher

Intentional teachers select their instructional strategies with a purpose, understanding the benefits and shortcomings of each one they choose.

They plan their lessons in a way that is appropriate for the objectives they have in mind, choosing their methods based on their students and the content.

As they teach, these teachers constantly probe their students' understanding, using different forms of formative assessment to verify learning.

They do this so they can know for sure that students are actually learning wha