Five More Strategies from "17 Ways to Combat Learned Helplessness in the Classroom" By Sarah Tantillo
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Tantillo says:

13. Assigned reading should always have a purpose
IF: You assign reading with students without establishing a purpose for reading…

THEN: Students don’t know what they are supposed to look for or pay attention to. The default is NOTHING. So you can’t blame them if they stare out the window and think about lunch.

SO DO THIS INSTEAD: Clarify why you are reading this particular bit of text and what they are supposed to do while reading. Either provide a question or ask them to generate their own questions about the text.

Bridget and Brooke say:

• Having one or a series of "focus questions" for kids to read for can benefit their understanding of the text and can provoke great discussion--especially if  the reading offers different perspectives. 
• Providing a note-taking template or organizer can also help kids focus on what you intend them to read and comprehend. 
• TPEP Criteria Connection:  4.3: Discipline-specific conceptual understanding

Tantillo says:

14. Define the reading partnership

IF: You tell students to “read and work with a partner”…

THEN: You will see a lot of chatting and no reading. This is because students are unclear about their roles, so they wait for each other to take the lead, with the result that neither does. It’s easier to chat.

SO DO THIS INSTEAD: Clarify the role that each partner will play in the work: e.g., “Partner A will read aloud while Partner B will raise and record questions about this page. On the next page, you will switch roles. Partner B will read, and Partner A will surface the questions and write them down.” Choose the partners ahead of time so that you are purposeful in the groups with respect to ability/personality, etc.

Bridget and Brooke say:

• The A/B partner is a GREAT idea for any subject area. 
• This also helps students who are English language learners, who are still navigating the language, work with  a partner to hear the words and help them with their comprehension.
• TPEP Criteria Connection: 4.2: Alignment of instructional materials and tasks.

Tantillo says:

15. Don’t overdo the partnership work strategy
IF: You do ALL the work as a group or in partners…

THEN: Students learn they don’t need to do the hard work since it’s always done together and for them by others if they choose not to.

SO DO THIS INSTEAD: Plan and keep independent work time sacred in class with aggressive monitoring and personal feedback.

Bridget and Brooke say:

• This reminds us of the idea of gradual release. Starting with partners is a great idea, especially in the beginning phases of new learning. However, as kids start to get the hang of things then that would be a great time to allow them to work independently.
• TPEP Criteria Connection:  2.4: Scaffolds the task; 2.5: Gradual release of responsibility; 4.2: Alignment of instructional materials and tasks

Tantillo says:

16. Stop sweeping in to save the day
IF: You answer student questions immediately during independent work time…

THEN: Students learn not to try or struggle on their own. They’ll always wait for you to swoop in!

SO DO THIS INSTEAD: Set a timer as soon as 100% of students are actually working and you have announced that you will address questions after 5 minutes of sustained work time. When the timer goes off, you can say, “Raise your hand if you need my attention,” and write student names on the board. Students then return to work and you address questions in the order of the names on the board so students aren’t sitting there waiting with their hands up.

Bridget and Brooke say: 

• It's so easy to fall into the habit of answering kids' questions right as they raise their hand. We find that allowing some kids to conduct in some struggle can be a good thing! This allows kids to try and fail in a safe environment where they know they can eventually get some help from their teacher. 
• The strategy "3 Before Me" can also apply in this situation. Students must ask three peers for support before they can ask the teacher for help. Students can make great resources for each other. 
• TPEP Criteria Connection: 2.5: Gradual release of responsibility; 3.3: Strategies that capitalize on learning needs of students

Tantillo says:

17. Always encourage wonder
IF: You ask all the questions…

THEN: Students never learn to ask their own or invest themselves enough to wonder.

SO DO THIS INSTEAD: Create time for asking and answering questions about the text, problem, or content at hand. Invest students in seeking their own answers. Keep the wonder alive!

Bridget and Brooke say:

• One strategy we've seen put in place is a class "Parking Lot." Kids put their questions about the day's lesson on a sticky note and place it on a big chart paper where the teacher can read it during class or after to be answered the next day. 
• No chart paper? We've used our windows to post questions from students, too! White board markers work well on windows. 
• A fun strategy called "Snowball" is another way for kids to ask questions. Kids write a question on a piece of paper, ball it up like a snowball and throw it into the middle of the room. Kids then pick up a paper and take turns reading the questions aloud for either other students to answer or for the teacher to answer. This also keeps things anonymous so kids might be afraid to ask in front of the class has the opportunity to do so.  
• TPEP Criteria Connection:  2.1: Quality of questioning; 3.3: Strategies that capitalize on the learning needs of the students.