Madeline Hunter's clinical teaching method, called "Instructional Theory Into Practice" or ITIP, consists of seven elements to be used in planning instruction. The seven elements include the learning objective, the anticipatory set, the lesson objective, teaching or presentation, checking for understanding, providing guided practice and assigning independent practice. It is not necessary to use all seven elements for each lesson; they should be used as a guide for the overall learning process.
The learning objective is what the teacher wants the student to be able to do at the conclusion of the learning period. The teacher determines the learning objective after considering the students’ needs and skill level through diagnostic testing, task analysis and Bloom’s cognitive taxonomy. The objective should be stated in measurable terms, such as, “the student will demonstrate the ability to identify parts of speech by correctly circling nouns and verbs on a written assessment with 90 percent accuracy." The teacher must determine which skills necessary for achieving the objective the student already possesses and which skills need to be learned.
Hunter encouraged teachers to use a variety of methods to motivate students. She suggested using both extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. Extrinsic would include motivators such as small prizes for accomplishing a certain goal, while intrinsic rewards refer to acknowledging positive feelings for a job well done. She noted the importance of building anticipation and interest in the material to be studied as well as holding the students accountable for their work, giving them adequate time to get it done and helping them achieve success.
In the Madeline Hunter clinical teaching method, various means are used to teach the material. The teacher uses the verbal input of labeling, or explaining the steps, while performing the visual input of modeling, such as working a problem on the board. In addition, books, films, laboratory experiments, field trips and assigned student research are used. The teacher decides what methods to use and whether to work with small groups, individual students or the entire class.
The teacher is encouraged to use several different methods to check for understanding and provide guided practice followed by independent practice of the new skills and knowledge. Hunter advised teachers to ask a question and call on a student who is likely to give the correct answer. Another method is to establish a hand signal, such as “hold one finger up for yes and two fingers up for no,” and ask the question of the entire class. This way, students stay engaged, but are not discouraged by answering incorrectly in front of the class. Teachers may also quietly engage the students individually to see if they have mastered the material.