How do you use the I do, we do, you do or similar models in your classroom? In this five-article series, Helen Webb explains the teaching and learning model at Orchard Mead Academy and how it translates metacognitive approaches into classroom practice. In part three, she dissects the school’s principles of instruction and their I do, we do, you do model


Metacognition and self-regulation are rated by the Education Endowment Foundation’s Teaching and Learning Toolkit as “high impact for very low cost, based on extensive evidence” (EEF, 2021).

It is a golden thread that can be weaved into all aspects of our classroom practice. In this series of articles, I describe the rationale behind our whole-school teaching and learning model at Orchard Mead Academy, our behaviour for learning model, our recent professional learning, and how this offers an integrated metacognitive approach in the classroom.

Learning at Orchard Mead is underpinned by the philosophy that teachers and students should know explicitly “why” they are doing “what” they are doing and “how” they can do it more effectively.

This supports both teachers and students to plan for, monitor and evaluate their learning more effectively. It also allows our staff to have greater certainty, clarity and confidence in the choices they make in the classroom and how they articulate these decisions and model their thinking to students and colleagues.

This third article in this series reflects on our teaching and learning model – the Orchard Principles of Instruction – and how we teach and explain new concepts more effectively so that students can learn and remember more.


Metacognition: A teaching and learning model

Article 1: An integrated approach to metacognition: Models for teaching, learning and behaviour: Published January 11, 2023.
Article 2: Memory, attention and FAST behaviours for learning. Published January 17, 2023.
Article 3: Learning more: I do, we do, you do. This article.
Article 4: Checking for understanding: Cold calling and mini-whiteboards. Published February 1, 2023.
Article 5: Challenge, reviewing and reflecting on learning. Published February 7, 2023.


How do you explain new information so that students understand it more easily?

At Orchard Mead, teachers employ a direct instruction approach to teaching new material, using the three phases:

  • I do
  • We do
  • You do

We use “I do” to give great explanations using a direct instruction approach, “we do” to provide an extended handover, and “you do” to provide plenty of practice to improve and consolidate learning.

The sequence of each of these stages is fluid and the cycle can be applied numerous times in one lesson or spread across numerous lessons. The sequence may also go – I do, we do, I do, you do, I do. It all depends on the information gleaned when checking for understanding.


I do

During this phase, the teacher presents new learning in small steps so as not to overload students’ working memory. This may include (but is not limited to) an explanation, elaboration (describing ideas in many details and making connections between what you are trying to learn and connecting it to your own experiences, memories and day-to-day life), a demonstration or modelling activity, or the inclusion of concrete examples and use of non-examples.

It is important at this stage for the teacher to model their own thinking to help students develop their metacognitive and cognitive skills. As part of our professional learning we refer frequently to Tom Sherrington’s and Oliver Caviglioli’s book Teaching Walkthrus (2020).

We have adopted their approach to metacognitive talk to support teachers to narrate their own thought processes and make them explicit. This process involves:

  • Setting a problem and exploring it: For example, considering what the question is asking or what type of problem or task it is. What past experience and prior knowledge can you draw upon?
  • What do we already know? This could be from the question itself, supporting materials, or previous learning.
  • Where do we start? For example, this could be talking through the first steps in solving this type of problem or utilising a standard approach to the task. Or being explicit about the approach taken, if there are multiple options, emphasising the how and why.
  • Make a plan and monitor: For example, by modelling the process of making an overview plan, being as explicit as possible about every choice, every step, and providing a logical reason for each one. You also narrate your progress through the task and model your need to check your progress at various stages.
  • Have we been successful? For example, by modelling the process of self-review, checking back to see if your work is correct, complete, accurate, and finished to a high standard and explaining the methods you use to do this.

Presentations may be used in lessons to support the encoding of information (that is the process by which information moves from short-term to long-term memory). Dual-coding theory suggests that providing both verbal and pictorial representations of the same information enhances learning and memory. However, to again prevent cognitive overload and avoid distraction, any extraneous information, images or animations should be omitted.

Consideration is also given to the “best” way that information is presented to students so that it can be more effectively encoded and later “retrieved” by students. For example, a bulleted list, comparison table, labelled diagram, flow diagram or timeline.

Encoding strategies such as chunking, mnemonics or self-referencing (relating the information to yourself or “real life” or encouraging students to prepare the information so that they could teach or explain it to another student) also support the initial “learning” phase. These strategies along with providing notes, talking through the problem out loud, and breaking the task down into simpler steps also ensure that we do not over-burden the working memory.

The teacher asks many questions to check for understanding throughout the “I do” phase of the lesson. This provides the teacher with the necessary information to decide their next steps: reteach or move on.


We do

During this phase the teacher guides student practice using prompts and retrieval cues, via further modelling or by providing worked examples – gradually phasing out scaffolding to increase the challenge.

This “rehearsal” stage of teaching may also include techniques that promote automaticity, e.g. rote repetition, reading aloud as a class, note-taking, or with the highlighting or annotation of texts.

“We do” can also be further stretched into two phases:

  • “I do – you help” For example: “The first step was to circle the command words in the question. What words should I circle, James?”
  • “You do – I help” For example: “Let’s try this again, what was the first step in tackling this problem, Anya?”

This extended handover gives the teacher an opportunity to gradually reduce support until students can have high levels of success independently. The harder the task and (if students struggle) the longer the handover, the more guided practice there will need to be.


You do

During this phase, students carry out independent practice. These tasks may be differentiated to enable students to achieve a high success rate, but all have a focus on what students “must know” or “must know how to do”. For students to be successful at this independent stage they need to have the knowledge and skills to approach the task unsupported.

One of the big challenges here is that you may have students who are ready to move from “we do” to “you do” while others are still struggling and need more guided practice.

One effective strategy is to differentiate by support. Say to students: “Now we have had a couple of practices at this, if you feel that you know what you are doing, please work through the rest of the questions at your own pace in silence. The rest of you can do another worked example with me.”

Then complete another worked example with this smaller group. Then pause. Allow some take-up time and observe which students now also move onto independent work. Keep repeating this process until you can see all students working independently or until you just need to offer targeted one-to-one support.

Once all students are working independently, the teacher circulates, monitors, supports and continues to question students. The teacher may encourage students to explain or reflect on their learning or may employ live marking techniques where appropriate. This practice supports “responsive teaching” and informs the teacher’s next steps – error correction, feedback, future planning, or homework.

Useful process questions to ask at this stage might be:

  • That’s correct: How did you know? How did you work it out? What method did you use? What other methods could you have used? What did you do first/what do you need to do next? What would you do if I wasn’t here to help?
  • That’s a good idea: What made you make that choice? What assumptions were you making here? What might another opinion or viewpoint be?

The fourth article in this series will focus on how we can check for understanding. I look specifically at cold-calling and the effective use of mini-whiteboards so that all students are challenged to think hard during the lesson and to help students (and us teachers) to monitor their learning more accurately.


Further information & resources

  • EEF: Metacognition & self-regulation, Teaching and Learning Toolkit, last updated July 2021: https://bit.ly/3zJ5ruN
  • Quigley, Muijs & Stringer: Metacognition & self-regulation: Guidance report, EEF, first published April 2018: https://bit.ly/3zKVE7w
  • Sherrington & Caviglioli: Teaching WalkThrus: Five step guides to instructional coaching, John Catt Educational, 2020.

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