The “Stop and Jot” technique is not new to the veteran teacher but likely neglected because of its simplicity. The technique promotes retention and comprehension of content and costs very little classroom time to implement.
Stop and Jot works like this:
- Students either create a rectangle where they are taking notes or are handed a graphic organizer
- The teacher strategically stops during the lesson and has their students respond to a question.
- Students come together as a group or a whole class to share what they “jotted.”
The notes can be saved for review or as a means for you—the teacher—to formatively assess the success of the lesson.
You can watch teachers describe and reflect on Stop and Jot here.