I had carefully planned a 2nd grade lesson about how-to writing, which included making an actual sandwich as a model for providing step-by-step directions of "how to" do something. Although students loved creating their sandwiches, unfortunately the lesson flopped.
Why? I hadn't given students a visual model listing the steps of how to make a sandwich. This model is essential for visual learners. On reflection, I realized that I should have written the steps in advance. To rectify my mistake, I told my students I would create the sequence of steps and give it to them the next day. They then had a guide to refer to as they wrote their own "how to" pieces moving forward.
—Todd Feltman, assistant principal, New York City Department of Education, Bronx, New York