CLASSROOM Q & A with LARRY FERLAZZO
My Latest EdWeek Blog Contribution:
The Most Popular Instructional Strategies That Don’t Work
April 27, 2026
‘MEet THE Learner Where They’re at’
As a special education teacher, I have a broad knowledge of instruction across many content areas. I also hear from the students I support about their challenges in the classroom. From these observations, I have identified eight examples of ineffective instructional strategies along with more successful alternatives.
Organizing and delivering instruction in the same way students were taught decades ago limits students’ growth. These older forms of instruction continue to be copied today despite the amount of pedagogical research supporting new approaches. It can be hard to change routines and try something new. A more effective way to teach is to observe how each student learns best and experiment with different strategies. Think how a student would learn something new from their unique perspective. To be effective, meet the learner where they're at, be creative and think outside-the-box instead of using what feels comfortable or familiar. Trying a new instructional strategy or making use of websites like Kahoot might not work right away; it may need to be tweaked and tried several times. Newer strategies do not mean lowering standards. Rather, they aim to bring all students up to their own standards.
Being tough, rigid and cold with students does not build a positive relationship. A teacher who creates rapport and builds trust with students improves their engagement, motivation and willingness to take risks. When a teacher does not admit making a mistake, they miss the chance to model for students a growth-mindset and allow students to know them better.
Standing in the front of the classroom and not walking around does not engage students. Being out among students when delivering instruction or during an activity makes it easier for students to ask questions and teachers to observe students’ learning to help individualize instruction.
Straight rows of desks do not promote interaction among students. Mixing up the layout of a classroom allows students to cooperate on projects and engage in student discourse. When students can move about the classroom, it benefits students who need movement and lets students get to know their peers.
Lessons that solely involve students independently reading a textbook or novel selection and answering end-of-the-chapter comprehension questions is not an effective strategy for developing critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. Directed and scaffolded instruction and activities are more effective ways to deliver content. Textbook reading and comprehension questions are appropriate after students have been supported in learning new content. Textbook reading is more effective if it is scaffolded to address the needs of diverse learners. Comprehension questions can be used later to assess students mastery and comprehension of content material. Students’ learning outcomes are improved when lessons include cooperative group assignments and active ways to engage with the material rather than individually answering comprehension questions.
Using the same language or approach to explain material to students who are confused often does not improve their understanding. Instead, use different language and paraphrase the initial explanation. Try to explain the topic from a different direction or with an analogy. This reframing requires getting in the head of the student to understand their perspective on the topic. Address the topic from the student’s way of thinking so that they understand the concept instead of falling back on only one way of understanding it.
Expecting students to know what they are confused about when they ask a question is unrealistic. Students often require help determining which step or part of a concept confuses them. They perhaps need help visualizing the problem, remembering a fact, clarifying a vocabulary world or recalling a math rule in order to understand the topic. Asking a series of questions can guide the student to their specific area of confusion and pinpoint what they need help on. This becomes a skill teachers acquire through practice.
Not grading and returning work in a reasonable amount of time denies students the feedback they need to improve their learning. A more effective instructional strategy is to make the best attempt to regularly give written or verbal feedback to students about the quality of their work to help them grow and improve. Giving timely feedback and returning graded work lets students know if they are progressing with their growth and learning.