Academic Ethos
Through my years of observing other educators, there seems to be a clear divide between champion teachers and their counterparts. All teachers openly state that they have an academic environment and push students students to reach their maximum, but very few provide concrete actions taken to do so. As Lemov (2015) states, there are some clear steps taken to "establish both an expectation of and a desire for academic excellence---both academic rigor and seriousness of purpose." These concepts are at the center of academic culture in a building and a classroom. Stating them or listing them on a letter sent home are not enough. All teachers can become a champion teacher by following widening their toolbox to include some/all of the techniques below.
Setting High Academic Expectations
Technique 11: No Opt Out
Technique 12: Right is Right
Technique 13: Stretch It
Technique 14: Format Matters
Technique 15: Without Apology
Technique 12: Right is Right
Technique 13: Stretch It
Technique 14: Format Matters
Technique 15: Without Apology
No Opt Out
This concrete action can change the culture of an entire classroom and conveys deeply embedded ideas the teacher has of education and the students. For No Opt Out, teachers "turn 'I don't know' into a success by ensuring that students who won't try or can't answer practice getting it right." As discussed in other pages, it is okay to try and miss the target, as we attempt to eliminate failure as a mindset, but it is not okay not to try. Early on in my career, students often stated "I don't know" or shrugging and looking off in the distance when being asked a difficult question. They were opting out of their educational experience and the designed opportunity to learn. It wasn't long after that I realized this can be toxic to the academic rigor I claimed existed in my classroom. Even before reading Lemov's work, it was obvious that I could no longer let students opt out of participating and opt out of their education. Lemov (2015) conveys the importance of students saying/repeating the answer: "Students hear themselves getting it right--and getting it right over and over again." This initial and then rehearsal of success re-cultivates the student's mind and an academic expectation and desire begin to take hold.
On a behavioral level, this begins the teacher's understanding that it is important and powerful to always return to a student who won't try. It is okay in school to get it wrong and then get it right, but it is not okay not to try.
Sample options with more online via Teach Like a Champion:
On a behavioral level, this begins the teacher's understanding that it is important and powerful to always return to a student who won't try. It is okay in school to get it wrong and then get it right, but it is not okay not to try.
Sample options with more online via Teach Like a Champion:
- You provide the answer; the student repeats it
- Another student provides the answer; the student repeats the answer
- You provide a cue; your student uses it to find the answer
- The place where answer can be found
- The next step in the process being used/discussed
- A synonym
- An identification of a mistake
- Another student provides a cue; the initial student uses it to find the answer
- Provide another At Bat
- Importance of planning and having multiple questions/prompts ready
- Add a Stretch or an Error Analysis
Right is Right
As an ELA teacher, I often struggled with the time constraints of class and the partially correct answer provided by students. This occurs more so during discussions of abstract issues and complex pieces of literature. Unintentionally, I found myself taking their answer as correct, responding back with a "sort of" and then providing an elaboration to complete the answer. On some level it worked from my belief that the student was trying to answer, so I should reward that attempt; however, after engaging in this behavior, it is obvious that my lacking to demand a correct answer reduced the focus and attention to detail I wanted the students to exhibit. Lemov (2015) defines Right is Right, "When you respond to answers in class, hold out for answers that are 'all-the-way right- or all the way to your standards of rigor" and continuing on "the difference between partially right and all-the-way right--between good and 100 percent." Lemov defines my actions taken above as Rounding Up, an often utilized skill that can reduce the academic environment of the class. Rather than pushing the student or students to achieve the correct answer, the teacher takes what is given and polishes it off to make it 100% right. As educators, we must be conscious of this behavior and move on to pushing students to only answering with the correct answer.
Lemov suggests creating some backpocket phrases that work within your content to hold on to when students do not answer completely. These can be universal so the student knows they are not quite there or content specific, so they provide some direction. As an ELA teacher, I found myself pushing students to return to the text for a more complete answer. "Did that happen in the text?" "Can you find me a location where that happens?"
Suggested ideas when addressing Right is Right:
Lemov suggests creating some backpocket phrases that work within your content to hold on to when students do not answer completely. These can be universal so the student knows they are not quite there or content specific, so they provide some direction. As an ELA teacher, I found myself pushing students to return to the text for a more complete answer. "Did that happen in the text?" "Can you find me a location where that happens?"
Suggested ideas when addressing Right is Right:
- Appreciate the attempt and remain upbeat about their attempt
- Clear and honest about the current level of answer/work
- Fast enough response to get back on topic and thinking
- Simple and familiar phrases that do not need explanations/directions
Stretch It
Questioning is a continued practice focused on during professional developments. Better questioning leads to better thinking. It is vital to remember that an answer isn't the focal point of questioning, it is the process students engage in to reach the answer. Processes can be transferred between differing content and contexts; however, the answer is finite in its applicability. In planning questions and the procedures of questioning, it important to keep the academic culture in mind. Lemov presents the technique of Stretch It to alter how the class and individual students perceive questioning. For Stretch It, "...the reward for right answers is harder questions" and this is used to "...build a culture where students want, expect, and relish challenge, and where they perhaps use a growth mindset" (Lemov, 2015). Not only is this technique developed for instructional and academic purposes, but it is deeply rooted in Costa's work on the Habits of Mind and Dweck's work on fixed versus growth mindsets. It targets the process and thinking skills of students.
In champion classrooms, teachers can take simple, concrete steps to establish this procedure and culture:
Lemov (2015) states that Stretch It conveys to students that "I am never done learning, and when I overcome a challenge, I start looking forward to the next." Students begin to seek the challenge and integrate the mindset of lifelong learning, as well as the readiness to take on more difficult learning opportunities.
As a more interesting point in planning and an evolution of questioning, Stretch It also provides several differentiation and mastery-based questioning for students. Lemov (2015) continues, "By tailoring questions to individual students, you can meet them where they are and push them in a way that's directly responsive to what they've shown they can already do." When planning, teachers may want to consider grouping students into levels at first. This is not a rearranging of classroom and seating charts or a public labeling of students. It is a grouping done by the teacher and based on data that is not known by the students. Teachers then create a starting question based on the current level for that group and then Stretch It. Stretch It consists of several questions that increase in difficulty, focus on abstract reflection, etc. As teachers also integrate the tracking mindset, they can track individual students and the group to determine mastery of the concept.
Stretch It Questioning Type (Purchase the book for more details and examples)
A Note on Prompting
Often, students will need prompting, a skill coupled with the technique of No Opt Out. Teachers commonly use the phrases "Say More" "Keep going" "Develop" as per Lemov's (2015) research. Champion teachers replace these verbal cues with nonverbal cues to effectively use less time to get more students thinking done within a given class. Teachers commonly roll the hands to signal keep going or a head nod in agreement.
In champion classrooms, teachers can take simple, concrete steps to establish this procedure and culture:
- Making a habit of asking follow-up questions to successful answers
- Asking a diversity of types of questions
- Building a culture around those interactions that helps students embrace, and even welcome, the notion that learning is never done
Lemov (2015) states that Stretch It conveys to students that "I am never done learning, and when I overcome a challenge, I start looking forward to the next." Students begin to seek the challenge and integrate the mindset of lifelong learning, as well as the readiness to take on more difficult learning opportunities.
As a more interesting point in planning and an evolution of questioning, Stretch It also provides several differentiation and mastery-based questioning for students. Lemov (2015) continues, "By tailoring questions to individual students, you can meet them where they are and push them in a way that's directly responsive to what they've shown they can already do." When planning, teachers may want to consider grouping students into levels at first. This is not a rearranging of classroom and seating charts or a public labeling of students. It is a grouping done by the teacher and based on data that is not known by the students. Teachers then create a starting question based on the current level for that group and then Stretch It. Stretch It consists of several questions that increase in difficulty, focus on abstract reflection, etc. As teachers also integrate the tracking mindset, they can track individual students and the group to determine mastery of the concept.
Stretch It Questioning Type (Purchase the book for more details and examples)
- Ask How or Why
- How'd you get that? How'd you use that process?
- Ask for Another Way to Answer
- Resolve or answer the question using a different process
- Ask for a Better Word or More Precise Expression
- How about using one of our vocabulary words? How about using a word more precise than happy to describe the character?
- Ask for Evidence
- Push students to provide reasoning behind the answer or textual evidence that supports answer or conclusion
- Ask Students to Integrate a Related Skill
- Ask students to add in or modify syntax of answer or build in/apply a related skill; That is an interesting theme for this section, how about referencing the protagonist's conflicts to support the theme?
- Ask Students to Apply Same Skill in a New Setting
- Provide new problem to reapply the skill or a separate text excerpt on the board/projector to reapply skill
A Note on Prompting
Often, students will need prompting, a skill coupled with the technique of No Opt Out. Teachers commonly use the phrases "Say More" "Keep going" "Develop" as per Lemov's (2015) research. Champion teachers replace these verbal cues with nonverbal cues to effectively use less time to get more students thinking done within a given class. Teachers commonly roll the hands to signal keep going or a head nod in agreement.
Format Matters
As stated above, the answer is not the sole focus of the process of questioning. The conduit and language used to convey the answer is a learning opportunity in and of itself. The teacher's expectation in receiving and presenting answers further develops the culture of the class and the student's academic mentality. Lemov (2015) states, "To succeed, students must take their knowledge and express it clearly in formats that form the demands and expectations of situations and society." I often explain to students that the way I talk and discuss in our class is different from how I talk with my boss, which is different from how I talk with my daughter, which is different from how I talk with my friends. Situational language is important as a life skill and students who understand that teachers are not asking them to change 100% of who they are but rather how they act in the situation of school are more likely to build that academic character for the culture of the class. Additionally, the increased diversity in schools further necessitates an explicit class norming for expectations of the culture to be clear to all students.
In its simplest base, Format Matters pushes students to write and verbalize answers and ideas through complete, academic sentences. Lemov (2015) states, "...prepares your students to succeed by making complete sentences and proficient syntax at the expectation of the classroom."
Strategies for Format Matters (Lemov, 2015)
In its simplest base, Format Matters pushes students to write and verbalize answers and ideas through complete, academic sentences. Lemov (2015) states, "...prepares your students to succeed by making complete sentences and proficient syntax at the expectation of the classroom."
Strategies for Format Matters (Lemov, 2015)
- Grammatical Errors
- Choose One of the 2 when Teacher Spots Error
- Identify the error: Teacher repeats student's language with an interrogative tone
- Begin the correction: Begin to rephrase the answer as it would sound if grammatically correct, then allow the student to complete it
- Choose One of the 2 when Teacher Spots Error
- Complete Sentence Format
- Provide first words of a complete sentence a starter for how to begin
- Audible Format
- If it matters enough to be said in class, it matters enough to be heard
- Teacher says "voice" or "volume" to cue students to increase audible volume for entire class
Without Apology
In my classroom and during observation, I notice many teachers often apologize for the hard work that they will be doing. This is often seen in clinical teachers and new teachers who subconsciously convey the unity of the class. A teacher might say "I know this is hard. Sorry, but we've got to do it" or "They're making us do it. Sorry for making you do this, but it has to get done." These inadvertently lower the expectations of the class and undermine the learning opportunity students will engage in. Students now see the activity as a checklist or required task will often avoid in engaging in the opportunity to the best of the ability. It conveys the mentality that we are doing this to get it done and not doing it to learn. Lemov (2015) describes Without Apology, "Embrace--rather than apologize for--rigorous content, academic challenge, and the hard work necessary for scholarship."
Key things to avoid apologizing for in a course (Lemov, 2015)
Key things to avoid apologizing for in a course (Lemov, 2015)
- Apologizing for content
- Assuming that students will find it boring
- Blaming the content or outside entity
- Replacing academic rigor in activity for "accessible content"
- Apologies for students who you think can't get it
Lemov, D. (2015). Teach like a champion 2.0: 62 techniques that put students on the path to college.