What is Shifting

Effective instruction begins at the level of each individual student in a classroom. It is not enough for educators to simply assess prior content knowledge at the beginning of the school year in order to develop an appropriate instructional program. Teachers should have knowledge of executive functions (EF), the cognitive processes associated with active learning and work production. Educators must be prepared with the tools and strategies to assess the foundational EF capacities of working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility that are essential to the learning process. Preservice training and inservice professional development that prioritize instructional strategies to further EF abilities can fill the current gap in pedagogical approaches, potentially improving the academic outcomes of students.