Expert Advice: Key Stage 3 and 4

Using the 4 Bs to encourage independence

You recognise the problem. No sooner have you set a piece of open-ended enquiry work with you initially as facilitator, than the hands go up. Please Sir/Miss, “How do I start?” “I don’t get this.” etc.

One department I worked with recently adopted a simple, but highly effective approach to combat over-reliance on you, the teacher. Their method was the 4 Bs.

Pupils had to go through three stages before they were allowed to ask the teacher. These were:

• Brain – try working out by THINKING
• Book – always made available
• Buddy – asking a friend

• Before recourse to the final one - BOSS

So why not have a go at: Brain, Book, Buddy, Boss