SamTastic Weekly Tip: 5/19/26 - Great Teaching Moves
- Jim Mercer
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
This week’s Tip: Great Teaching Moves
Have you considered what defines a great teaching move? Mike Rutherford, Rutherford Learning Group, says:
“Keen classroom observers can spot and analyze effective teaching moves. A “move” is a “short burst of teaching technique that puts the teacher at a quick advantage.” Great moves have two parts: cause (what the teacher does) and effect (how the move affects learning and learners).
Specific feedback can only follow specific observation. One way to enhance specificity is to observe classroom happenings using the frame of cause-effect. Things the teacher does, says, designs, or allows can be viewed as causes. Effects can be thought of as the resulting impact on learners and/or learning. A simple cause-effect expression might sound like this: “When the teacher asked all students to count by threes out loud and all together (choral response), the energy level in the classroom increased.” Or, “When the teacher asked students to use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast fiction and non-fiction, students confused these two types of writing less often.”
You can access Mike’ article by clicking here: Learn to Look at Classroom Cause and Effect
Mike’s website address is: https://rutherfordlg.com/
Mike has been a featured presenters at several National SAM Conferences. Here’s a link to his keynote at our 10th annual conference: Seven Unforgettable Classroom Observations: https://bit.ly/4dPd0EJ
It is budget time in most schools and districts. Be sure to include your SAM services for the 2026-27 school year. You can request an early invoice now by using this link: https://bit.ly/40GtA33
Consider budgeting for the 20th Annual National SAM Conference, too. The conference provides an opportunity to learn from SAM teams across the US and an amazing array of national and international speakers, authors and thought leaders in leadership, education, and psychology.
20th Annual National SAM Conference announcement video: https://www.wevideo.com/view/4003300281
What does a SAM conference look like? https://bit.ly/4cxGEw7