Culture, Behavior, and Trust
Once you have the full copy of Teach Like a Champion, there are plenty of techniques to immediately integrate into your teaching. Moving through the rest of Lemov's work can be reduced down to some of the more vital techniques necessary for all teachers of all levels to consider.
Technique 17: 4 Ms
Technique 21: Name the Steps
Technique 25: At Bats
Technique 28: Brighten Lines
Technique 33/39: Cold Call and Show Call
Technique 54: Firm Calm Finesse
Technique 21: Name the Steps
Technique 25: At Bats
Technique 28: Brighten Lines
Technique 33/39: Cold Call and Show Call
Technique 54: Firm Calm Finesse
4 Ms
All teaching preparatory programs provide guidelines on lesson planning, which is often explored during student/clinical teaching opportunities. After this point, the teaching profession rarely allows for differentiation of lesson planning. After working on the impact of lesson planning on the instructional process in both the MSEd and EdS, it is clear that lesson planning may be one of the most pivotal pieces of effective instruction. While there a numerous formats of planning, which should depict the teacher's mental organization of education and abstract concept of the classroom, Doug Lemov provides a simple framework of key steps when planning.
Lemov (2015) describes 4 Ms: "Use four criteria to write an effective lesson plan objective, making it manageable, measurable, made first, and most important."
Lemov (2015) describes 4 Ms: "Use four criteria to write an effective lesson plan objective, making it manageable, measurable, made first, and most important."
- Objectives must be manageable within a single lesson, according to Lemov (2015). When writing, make sure it is refined enough that it can be taught and assessed, at least through CFUs.
- Objectives must be measurable within a single lesson, according to Lemov (2015). If it is manageable with a given lesson, then the students should be able to demonstrate new knowledge or skills by the end of the class period, ideally, or at the beginning of the next class, minimum.
- Consider using Entrance/Exit Tickets, Spiral Apps, Google Forms, etc.
- Objectives are made first, according to Lemov (2015). During collaborative planning, it is common to ask and discuss the primary question for teachers: "What are we doing next?" The answer is often the activity: "We are reading To Kill a Mockingbird." "We are working on fractions." Following this structure removes the focus on measurable and manageable growth of the student. Instead, teachers should begin collaboration with data review and constructing necessary objectives before selecting activities.
- Objectives are most important, according to Lemov (2015). Objectives must be the most important steps on the path to college readiness.
Name the Steps
Teachers, as masters of their subject and content, often jump to the end product or skill or understanding at hand. It is imperative to remember that students are students; they are learning the steps to be masters. This is often more evident in middle and high school as some teachers often believe that the previous grade should have taught it and that students should be doing more than learning more. This type of thinking can lead to gaps for both the student and the teacher.
When planning, especially for complex procedures and thinking, it is important to name all of the steps in completion of the final thought, task, or behavior. Lemov (2015) states, "Champion teachers help their students learn complex skills by breaking them down into manageable steps and, often, giving each step a name so that it can be easily recalled. This allows the process to take on a consistent, often storylike progression."
When planning lessons, I often build in Think Aloud time for the teacher. As an ELA teacher, I often did this with the document camera. I would compose an introduction on a similar prompt or topic that students would be completing. While writing, I would state, aloud, every thought and step I took to completing the writing. This is meant to be messy and unpolished, as it depicts a more realistic process to completing the task. I would also advise either recording the screen, document camera, or at a minimum, the audio for students to have access to all year.
When planning, especially for complex procedures and thinking, it is important to name all of the steps in completion of the final thought, task, or behavior. Lemov (2015) states, "Champion teachers help their students learn complex skills by breaking them down into manageable steps and, often, giving each step a name so that it can be easily recalled. This allows the process to take on a consistent, often storylike progression."
When planning lessons, I often build in Think Aloud time for the teacher. As an ELA teacher, I often did this with the document camera. I would compose an introduction on a similar prompt or topic that students would be completing. While writing, I would state, aloud, every thought and step I took to completing the writing. This is meant to be messy and unpolished, as it depicts a more realistic process to completing the task. I would also advise either recording the screen, document camera, or at a minimum, the audio for students to have access to all year.
At Bats
At Bats might be one of the simplest changes to planning and instruction that also has the largest impact on student growth and assessment of growth. Lemov (2015) defines At Bats: "Because succeeding once or twice at a skill won't bring mastery, give your students lots and lots of practice mastering knowledge and skills." Students need to have multiple opportunities in differing circumstances with increasingly difficulty in order to develop and gain mastery. Essentially, there is always another question, problem, or activity at bat after the first one is finished by the student. During planning, this means planning for multiple practice points and multiple CFUs. This also means that students have seen the same knowledge or skill multiple times before being graded or assessed, so that they have the ability to grow and develop mastery. As Lemov covers an extended metaphor of baseball by explaining that students should be taught the mechanics of hitting a ball and then students hit as many balls as possible, much like as a pitching machine does during batting practice. Students need that practice prior to their game day.
Consider this as a keystone in your classroom and make it an explicit piece of your planning process with collaborative partners. This can be a vital piece for checkpoints during a lesson as well.
Consider this as a keystone in your classroom and make it an explicit piece of your planning process with collaborative partners. This can be a vital piece for checkpoints during a lesson as well.
Brighten Lines
While pacing is a difficult skill of instruction to master, Brightening the Lines is a concrete planning piece that will assist in pacing. Lemov (2015) defines Brighten Lines: "Ensure that changes in activities and other mileposts are perceived clearly by making beginnings and endings of activities visible and crisp." During the planning stage, it is important to explicitly structure beginnings of activities, so that students are aware of what they will be doing. This prepares their brain for the upcoming learning. Likewise, it is also important to plan endings of activities. Doing so will indicate that something is ending and a transition to a new activity is coming. Ideally, this point may also hint at the connection between activities. During observations, I noticed several champion teachers referencing their daily objectives with the students, even having students identify and reflect on their progression with mastering it.
This can be as overt as slapping desks, grabbing pencils, and writing or a slight, quiet instruction that when the buzzer beeps, students should transition from collaborative brainstorming to writing. The effectiveness of the planning lines is the most important aspect. As a teacher integrates these points, it is important to reflect and observe their impact on students. If students all transition simultaneously than it is effective. If most of the class remains confused, even after it is introduced and rehearsed, then it may need some refinement.
This can be as overt as slapping desks, grabbing pencils, and writing or a slight, quiet instruction that when the buzzer beeps, students should transition from collaborative brainstorming to writing. The effectiveness of the planning lines is the most important aspect. As a teacher integrates these points, it is important to reflect and observe their impact on students. If students all transition simultaneously than it is effective. If most of the class remains confused, even after it is introduced and rehearsed, then it may need some refinement.
Cold Call and Show Call
It is important to establish a clear understanding of student progress with the understanding and skills being taught. The more explicit and purposeful a teacher's gathering, recording, and analyzing of this data, the more effective planning and instruction becomes for students. As mentioned in earlier sections about planning out the gathering of data, it might be worthwhile to group students into the points of data you are trying to collect. This is not done through a seating chart or giving students a group name, but done secretly, only known to the teacher and PLC team. To gather this data, as well as its other benefits, it becomes useful not to ask for volunteers to answer questions or solve equations, but rather Cold Call and Show Call student work and thinking.
Lemov (2015) defines these concepts: "Call on students regardless if they've raised their hands." Calling on students to verbally answer (Cold Call) or show their work (Show Call) achieves numerous goals of the teacher.
Lemov (2015) defines these concepts: "Call on students regardless if they've raised their hands." Calling on students to verbally answer (Cold Call) or show their work (Show Call) achieves numerous goals of the teacher.
- Checking for Understanding
- Provides more purposeful collection of student data
- Creating a Culture of Engaged Accountability
- Students will learn that their hand can be a signal of participation, but that anyone can be called upon to provide evidence of thinking and process.
- Students expect and prepared for the possibility
- Pacing
- No longer waiting for hands to go up or only having the same students volunteer
- This saves valuable instruction and increases the speed of the lesson during answer, process, solution, etc. reveal portion
- Backstopping your Ratio
- Using Show Call and Cold Call provides a greater participation ratio
- Teacher ensures all students participate throughout the week
Firm Calm Finesse
There is no doubt an abundance of emotional stress in school organizations. Students are pushed harder and faster than ever before, experiencing rigorous activities with little brain breaks. Throw in the daily drama of children and teenagers and conflicts can boil and burst without the proper environment and response. Teachers wear many, many hats in the profession of teaching. One of the best parts is the parenting of students, where educators see and connect with students as if they are truly family. We have high expectations of our students and we provide the resources and support system. Even providing the right amount of support does not diminish the challenge that students face in effective instruction.
To achieve 100% compliance, teachers must reflect, observe, and exude a purposeful tone in both setting the environment and responding to breaks in the norms. Firm Calm Finesse focuses on the teacher's tone to be both commanding and motivating. We are unwavering in our expectation of student achievement but remain calm when student's are unable to handle their current stress. Lemov (2015) defines this technique: "Take steps to get compliance without conflict by establishing an environment of purpose and respect and by maintaining your own poise."
Simple reminders for Firm Calm Finesse in the classroom:
To achieve 100% compliance, teachers must reflect, observe, and exude a purposeful tone in both setting the environment and responding to breaks in the norms. Firm Calm Finesse focuses on the teacher's tone to be both commanding and motivating. We are unwavering in our expectation of student achievement but remain calm when student's are unable to handle their current stress. Lemov (2015) defines this technique: "Take steps to get compliance without conflict by establishing an environment of purpose and respect and by maintaining your own poise."
Simple reminders for Firm Calm Finesse in the classroom:
- Do not believe that if you let it go, it will be fixed; address issues and address them early, just be varied in how you need to address them
- Rules exist to help students achieve readiness for college, not for the teacher to have control
- Thank you can be the best phrase
- Rules and norms are universal and everyone will be held accountable; it isn't personal
- After addressing the issue, return to your normal facial expression (smile, etc.) and body language
- Remember that their behavior does not get you out of your element and into an emotional reaction
- Focus on the behavior at hand that is breaking the cultural norms of the classroom
Lemov, D. (2015). Teach like a champion 2.0: 62 techniques that put students on the path to college.