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We Do · You practice it together

Hinge Questions

A hinge question is one quick multiple-choice item placed at the point where the lesson turns, answered by every student at once so the teacher can see whether to move on. TeacherHero builds it into the We Do phase, with whiteboards held up together and the misconceptions each wrong answer would reveal.

Pause at key decisions to check the whole class.

Real generated output

Quick Check: Ada’s Promises

The We Do phase of a Grade 6 ELA lesson, as TeacherHero generated it. Planned for 9 minutes.

  1. Teacher directions

    • 0:00–1:00 — Have students read Promises and Evidence on Word Cards and Choices. Explain that arithmetic here means weighing what Ada owes, not calculating numbers.
    • 1:00–2:00 — Read Quick Check. Require everyone to show A–D simultaneously on whiteboards before hearing explanations. Scan every response.
    • 2:00–3:00 — Confirm B. If fewer than about 80% choose B, connect each printed promise to something Ada feels responsible for doing. Contrast a duty with worry, determination, and hiding feelings. Repeat the check before proceeding.
    • 3:00–4:00 — Have students propose the definition, synonym, and antonym in the printed blanks before comparing answers. Elicit and confirm: definition—noun; a duty or responsibility; synonym—duty; antonym—freedom from responsibility. Explain that freedom from responsibility is more precise here than choice: Ada can choose an action while still feeling bound by a promise.
    • 4:00–6:00 — Present the draft source sentence. Ask students to select and copy the stronger sentence from Evidence. Use the printed explanation frame for two brief responses. Confirm that the preceding sentence names what Ada owes several people; the draft alone does not identify those duties.
    • 6:00–8:00 — Jointly complete the use-it sentence from student suggestions: Ada considers her obligation to her brother because she promised not to leave without him. Students write it and underline the supporting promise. Fade from supplying entries to asking only: Which detail supports your word?
    • 8:00–9:00 — Have everyone display the completed card. Check all five entries and the underlined promise. Give specific corrections before partner work: Your sentence names an obligation; add the promise that explains the duty. Students then carry Word Cards and Choices into work on resolve and falter.

  2. Student directions

    • Together with me: Complete the obligation card in Word Cards and Choices.
    • Underline the story detail supporting your completed use-it sentence.

  3. Questions to ask

    • What does obligation mean in Ada’s thoughts about her family? Choose A–D in Quick Check.
    • Which sentence better explains Ada’s thoughts about her family? Use “The stronger sentence shows ___ because ___.”
    • How can you explain Ada’s thoughts using a promise? Use “Ada considers her obligation to ___ because ___.”

  4. Misconceptions to expect

    • Obligation means wanting something. Correction: A wish describes what someone wants; a duty describes what someone feels responsible for doing.
    • The sentence “The answer never came out even.” independently identifies Ada’s duties. Correction: It suggests conflict but does not name whom she feels she owes.
    • Choice is the clearest opposite in every context. Correction: Ada has choices while still feeling responsible; freedom from responsibility is the more precise opposite here.
    • Falter means feeling afraid. During the transition, distinguish fear from hesitation if this misconception arises: Ada feels afraid but does not hesitate when she leaves to find Tomas. Have partners locate the action supporting that distinction.
Why the coach chose it here — Hinge questions use retrieval practice and informative feedback to check every learner’s understanding before support fades. Students move from the conceal model to an obligation card, matching meaning with stronger evidence about Ada’s competing duties. The completed card prepares them to apply the same meaning–evidence check to resolve and falter before writing independently.

Frequently asked questions

What makes a good hinge question?

Wrong answers that each mean something. If a student picks option B, you should know which misunderstanding put them there. The example pairs each likely error with a correction, so the teacher reading the whiteboards knows what to say next rather than only that someone got it wrong.

Why should everyone answer at the same time?

So nobody copies the first hand up. The generated directions require all students to show their letter simultaneously on whiteboards, which turns the question into a reading of the whole room in a few seconds instead of a conversation with the three students who volunteer.

Where does a hinge question go in a lesson?

At the hinge: after the shared practice and before students work without the teacher. TeacherHero places it in the We Do phase for that reason. If too many students miss it, the next phase should not start yet, and the example's questions give the teacher material to reteach with.

Strategies that pair with it

First Chart Row

We Do · Complete the first row of an organizer together.

See the example

Guided Practice

We Do · Complete a parallel task with decreasing teacher support.

See the example

Revise a Weak Example

We Do · Improve a weak response through guided revision.

See the example

Shared Annotation

We Do · Annotate a new excerpt through sequenced teacher prompts.

See the example
Example free · generation with Pro

One move out of six phases.

A TeacherHero lesson generates all six with your course, unit, week and text in context, so the We Do phase continues the one before it instead of starting over.

Explore a whole example lesson