24 Operating Principles of MSTV

This "constellation of Teaching Skills” on the concept map includes the use of 24 operating principles, the ability to dig into content and identify the most important concepts that should be the focus of instruction, and designing substantive questions that will guide classroom exploration and lead to student understanding of those concepts. 

A repertoire of 24 operating principles one can use to facilitate student talk and check how one’s practice is develop. These operating principles name and explain choices a teacher makes during a discussion to engage more students in the conversation, to facilitate student-to-student dialogue, and to get students to reveal and evaluate their reasoning in support of developing genuine understanding. Many of the operating principles can and should be taught to students so they can adopt and apply them when working independently in peer-group learning experiences. They can be used as a checklist for how one’s practice is developing. 

Referenced in The Skillful Teacher, 7th Edition, p.257