Common Model of Instruction

Yarra Hills Secondary College has a consistent approach to teaching and learning in every class. Our Instructional Model, known as the WHAT IF Instructional Model, is informed by educational research and best practice.

The WHAT IF Instructional Model ensures your child will experience the same approach to teaching and learning in every classroom and enables students to readily identify what success in a classroom looks like. The model also encapsulates point-of-need teaching and engagement strategies that the college has been developing over a number of years to ensure all our students receive teaching according to their learning style. Parents can be assured that teaching is delivered in a consistent and effective way in every classroom.

Domains of the WHAT IF Instructional Model

Lessons are structured using the 6 domains of our WHAT IF Instructional Model, building on Department of Education recommended High Impact Teaching Strategies. These include:

Why: Learning Intentions describe to students what they need to Know, Do and Be each lesson

Hook: Teachers embed engaging stimulus into lessons to motivate learning and spark curiosity

Access Prior Knowledge: Teachers provide opportunities to students to present current levels of understanding and clarify misconceptions to move learning forward

Teach: Content and skills are explicitly taught using a range of strategies at all students’ point of need.

Investigate: Teachers monitor progress and provide multiple ways to show their learning.

Feedback: Multiple forms of assessment and feedback are used to help students improve their learning and increase their agency in the learning progress.

WHAT IF Instructional Model Strategies