from The TeachThought staff
What is “3 in front of me”?
3 in Front of Me is a simple classroom strategy—perhaps both a teaching and learning strategy—that requires that when students experience a challenge, they must first ask three different people for help before turning to the teacher.
Evolution of this strategy? When students get “stuck”, they must first try to solve the problem in three different ways before asking the teacher. This makes it more flexible. You can ask students to ask one person and look for two resources or two people and one resource. You can also group students in your classroom and have students go to one person from three of the groups. (You can group by general ability, content area, social factors, etc.)
The ability of students to solve problems both independently and collaboratively is a critical component of a modern, effective classroom. When students get “stuck” or aren’t sure where to go or what to do next, the teacher is usually the first place to turn. But in a classroom—whether digitally connected or not—they can often solve the problem on their own or get help from multiple sources. To truly empower students in this information age, we need to develop in them the capacity, willingness, ability and inclination to navigate complex tasks and information.
And this “rule” is an easy way to get started.
What does 3 in front of me require?
Of course, this approach requires students develop a growth mindset (ie that they believe they can) and practice over time to build it up as a learning reflex. It also requires having actual “answers” in the classroom: more knowledgeable students, books, a search engine, encyclopedias, etc. Obviously, “stagnation” doesn’t have to be academic. If it is a matter of process, procedure or direction in the classroom, “3 in front of me” is more immediate and effective. If the problem is based on skills or content knowledge, the probability that the teacher will need to step in is even higher, but still less than 100% (as it was before using a strategy like this).
Over time, this approach can be a good starting point for moving students from “learn to do” to “learn to do well.” Of course, there may still be “areas for growth,” which is why the holistic “learning + others + caring” approach that accompanies the “3 in front of me!” is vital. In addition to mastering content knowledge and the ability to think critically, students also need time (both experiential and temporal) to grow in other areas and build capacity as readers, writers, and thinkers—that is, as “learners.” We learn more in relation to and with our peers rather than comparing ourselves to them.
Only through growth and independence from institutions and adults can we create a society that can actually affect change – grow and solve constant challenges. To develop, not reproduce. Progressive models of teaching and learning should be ‘people first’ and focus on helping individuals develop their abilities to identify problems for themselves. Of course, “3 before me” isn’t a world-changing tactic. It is just a step towards the disciple self-directed learning built around a self-organized learning environment.
Conclusion
In schools, students often learn in relation to books and adults rather than in relation to nature, objects or other environments. Rather than describing learning in terms of degree of understanding, depth, or complexity, we identify achievement as relative and assess learning through subjective assessments of how well students have done with specific learning objectives, rather than how well they have identified problems, sought resources, persevered through uncertainty, and over time built learning literacy (e.g., learn how to learn)
Although 3 Before Me does not always “solve complex problems” about “comprehension,” its consistent use over time can help students achieve understanding in ways that create a more sustainable learning environment for both teachers and students.
What is 3 in front of me? A teaching strategy for building student capacity
