6 Keys

Context, Content, and Process have been identified by the National Staff Development Council as the three critical domains to ensure effective instruction.

The Teaching for Excellence model provides a comprehensive approach to ensuring learning by spanning all three of the critical domains with the Six Keys that add operational guidance to curriculum, instruction and assessment.

The Six Keys are a decision screen based on human needs. As a decision screen, they are used in the design and assessment of instruction to determine best steps in either initial design or needed improvement steps.  The Six Keys are the human need for:

Safety – from fear of embarrassment or physical harm.

Success – through challenging and successful accomplishment and recognition of the continued growth in valued creativity, competence, skills, and knowledge.

Love and Belonging – through valued inclusion, respect, and sincere caring.

Freedom and Independence – through the power and the option to make meaningful and valued decisions and choices.

Fun and Enjoyment – through engagement in what provides either fun or enjoyment.

Valued Purpose – through knowing and believing that what is being done is fulfilling a need, solving a problem or serving a purpose that is valued by the learner.

When using the Keys, it is important to remember to use them, not just protect them. For example, people will often engage in an activity or task simply because they either value the activity itself or value what the task will accomplish for them (safety, success and valued purpose key). However, if the valued purpose doesn’t exist directly, they will often “do” the task if they can protect themselves from feeling embarrassed (safety, success, and indirect valued purpose) in front of those whose opinion they value. In another scenario, they might fear (safety key) they cannot successfully (success key) do what is being asked and look stupid (safety) and refuse to engage in the expected task. Or, they will do something else that will result in what they perceive to be “success” to themselves – even though what they are doing will be perceived by others as negative behavior and typically have long-term, negative consequences.