Paradigms are theoretical models used to describe sequences of teaching.

Example
The following are examples of paradigms
PPP - presentation, production and practice OHE - observation, hypothesis formation, experimentation
ARC - authentic use, restricted use, clarification ESA - engage, study, activate

In the classroom
Paradigms can be useful to describe and identify the stages of a lesson, for example when planning or documenting a class. They often describe similar stages in different ways, for example a PPP lesson can be described as having a CRA staging.