Our Work

Team-Based Cycle of Instruction for All Students

The Team-Based Cycle of Instruction (TBCI) is at the core of Boundless Learning. It gives you and your students a structure for learning and puts the focus on the students working and learning together in their teams. With practice, the TBCI can become the engine that drives learning for your students. And it provides a consistent framework that helps everyone – you and your students – know exactly what they are expected to do at any given moment.

There are six stages in the TBCI:

1. SET-Up – Teachers use a protocol for general directions to start the class period and to activate prior knowledge; students predict answers to the Challenge Question for the lesson.

SET-Up is posted in the same location each day and students quickly ease into the routine of completing the outlined tasks in preparation for learning.

2. Presentation – Teachers make presentations that address the Challenge Question; students work in peer learning groups to develop deeper understandings of the content and learn how to apply new concepts.

Boundless Learning teachers use the SPARK protocol to plan effective presentations that promote active learning and student engagement.

3. Learning Together – Students engage in team learning activities in which they apply new understandings, problem-solve, discuss, create models or projects, question and review concepts in order to answer the Challenge Question.

During this stage students use the Learning Together Guide to help prepare for teamwork, collaborate successfully, and assess the quality of their tasks when finished.

4. Just for Me – Students work independently so they can reflect on their new understandings and their particular ideas for answering the Challenge Question.

Discovery Cards are used during Just for Me to help students capture the big ideas related to the content presentation and application activities.

5. Assessment – Teachers check student understanding of the concepts presented; information gathered from this formative assessment then drives instructional planning for the next lesson.

During Assessment teachers determine the degree to which students can answer the Challenge Question.

6. WRAP-Up – In this protocol for organizing the close of the lesson, students write homework assignments, return materials and organize supplies, assess their performance as individuals and as teams and prepare to transition to their next activity.

The WRAP-Up protocol promotes self-regulation by outlining specific procedures for organizing closure activities.