A spotlight is a pedagogical practice that pauses what students are doing to enable the teacher to actively guide and support student learning, without taking over the lesson or limiting student voice and agency.
“The intention is that the selected student response includes something that is worth drawing attention to as a way to scaffold student thinking without direct teacher telling”
Hubbard, Russo & Sullivan, 2023, p. 32
The teacher steers the learning process without explicitly providing answers or directly telling students what to think. Instead, they encourage students to share their thinking to prompt discussion, deepen understanding, and encourage them to construct their own meaning.
We spotlight students who are:
- using an anticipated strategy.
- showing an efficient or effective strategy.
- revealing a misconception worth exploring.
- willing to share their thinking, regardless of accuracy or completeness.
To spotlight, we pause the class and highlight a selected student’s work. Make the work visible to everyone by gathering students around the work or by showing it on a screen. Ask probing questions to help the student explain their thinking and strategy:
- What were you thinking when you started the task?
- What did you already know that helped you begin?
- How did you choose to show or record your thinking?
- Can you explain this part a bit more? (point to a section needing clarification)
- Is there anything you’re still unsure about?
- What’s similar or different between these two solutions?
- Can you think of another way to solve it?
- Has anyone else used a different approach?
Invite students to ask questions about the example in light of their own ideas.
Encourage students to revisit and revise their own work based on what they’ve seen or heard. Allow time for them to collaborate and continue with the task in their own way.
Discuss with your colleagues:
- What do you use with your students that is similar to a spotlight?
- How do you think using a spotlight could benefit your students?
References
Hubbard, J., Russo, J., & Sullivan, P. (2023). Spotlighting: Helping to scaffold the 'explore phase' when teaching with challenging tasks. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, 28(1), 31-37.