Discussion Notes from:

Teach Like a ChampionChapters 3 & 4

Structuring & Delivering Your

Lessons

Chapter 3

I…We…You

I: Teacher delivers key information or models

We: T ask students for help completing task gradually allowing more autonomy

You: Students practice task on their own

I do…I doYou help…You do

I help…You doYou do and do and do

The “I” Techniques:

The Hook

An introductory moment that draws in learners

A story, analogy, prop, media, importance, a challenge

It’s short, doesn’t interfere, it’s energetic and optimisticIt can be over-used

Name the Steps

Students should learn the steps in a task,refer to the map, then leave the map behind with competence

Teachers sometimes name the steps

1. Identify the steps (<5, clear and concrete, S. take notes, posted)

2. Make them “sticky” (a catchy name, or mnemonic,use a learning them and refer to it when you want them used)

3. Build the steps (use a challenge, have students help build the steps)

4. Use two stairways (ask questions about the problem and the steps)

Board = Paper

Teach students how to be students

teach note-taking

Circulate

Move throughout the roomlayout should accommodate proximity to each student

Engage with students as you circulateteach, remind, reinforce, pre-correct

Move systematicallyuniversally but unpredictably

Keep your observational position of power

I…We…You

I: Teacher delivers key information or models

We: T ask students for help completing task gradually allowing more autonomy

You: Students practice task on their own

I do…I doYou help…You do

I help…You doYou do and do and do

The “WE” Techniques:

Break It DownIn response to student error, break down the question to the least

degree possible where the student will have success.(e.g. long “a” symbol or “that’s a long ‘a’”)

Provide an Example(best for material learned previously where the student needs a reminder)

Provide Context

Provide a Rule

Provide the Missing or First Step

Rollback(repeat the wrong answer to the student – use emphasis, not sarcasm)

Eliminate False Choices

Ratio – 1

The proportion of cognitive work students do in your classroom

Strive for Thinking Ratio and Participation Ratio

Unbundle: Break ?s into smaller parts to share the work

Half Statement: Let the student finish it.

What’s Next: Start with “OK what do I do first?”

Feign Ignorance: “So then I get the answer, right?”

Ratio – 2Repeated Examples: Ask for more, especially ones that differ

Rephrase of Add On: Ask a student to rephrase or improve a peer’s answer

Whys and hows: To explain an answer

Supporting Evidence

Batch Process: Discussion as Volleyball not ping pong and intentionally taught

Discussion Objectives: Your job is to steer anytalk back to your objective

Check for Understanding – 1

By Gathering Data

Ask a sampling of students – high to low Stop teaching (move forward) only after students get it right

several times in a row, not just once Align your questions to your objectives – what your students will

ultimately be responsible for Use fewer yes/no questions and fewer self-reports of

understanding (e.g. thumbs-up, -down) Use observation as a way of checking for understanding.

Circulate during work times. Standardize and simplify the ways students respond so that you can check quickly (“Under the ___”) Use dry erase boards or papers as formative assessments

Check for Understanding – 2

By Responding to Data

Act quickly on gaps in student mastery – Stop and fix it; then move on

Don’t let misunderstandings build up Re-teach in a slightly different way, or explain with different words

or examples Re-teach just the problem step, or at a slower pace, in a different

order, to select students, with more repetitive practice

I…We…You

I: Teacher delivers key information or models

We: T ask students for help completing task gradually allowing more autonomy

You: Students practice task on their own

I do…I doYou help…You do

I help…You doYou do and do and do

The “YOU” Techniques:

At Bats

Great lessons have plenty of opportunity for repetition –building “muscle memory”

Go until they can do it on their own

Use multiple variations and formats

Grab opportunities for enrichment and differentiation

Exit Tickets

They provide the teacher with data and they set work and learning expectations for students

Quick – 1 to 3 questions

Focus on one key objective so you can use the data(use multiple formats so you know students can generalize – e.g. 1 open response / 1 multiple choice)

The analysis can lead to great “Do Nows” (#29)

Take a Stand – 1

Have students make a judgment aboutthe answers given by their peers

“Stand up if you agree with _________” “She said 81. That’s not right, is it, __________?” “How many people think _____________ is right?” “How could she check her work to see if she is right,

___________?” “Show me the answer with your fingers”

“Is he right, ____________?” “How many people got the same answer as _______________?”

Take a Stand – 2

Ask students to take a stand whether theoriginal answer was right or wrong

Sometimes ask students to defend “Why is your thumb down?”

Use white boards or slips of paper toensure they are accountable on their own

Praise and acknowledge the ‘bravery’in selecting unpopular answers

Engaging Students in Your Lessons

Chapter 4

Cold Call – 1

Cold Call for a few minutes every day for predictability

Engage students before they tune out –use cold calling at the beginning of class

The less a Cold Call carries emotion,the less it seems tied to what a student has or has not done

Consider different methods of tracking who has been called upon

A Cold Call is substantive (not e.g. “What did I just say?”)

The goal is for the student to get the answer right (80% success rate)

The question and what an answer could look like should be clear

Cold Call – 2

Scaffold: start with simple questions and progress to harder ones. More difficult questions build on the student’s success. (Positive Momentum)

Use “Question…Pause…Name” to ensure that every student hears the question and begins to prepare an answer

Continue using hands up as well as Cold Call to keep the incentive for hand-raising when required

Mix with Call and Response:“Question…Pause…Name. Question…Pause…Class” or

“Great answer Name…Re-state Question…Class” oruse a clear signal (e.g. “Question…One, two…”)

Call and Response must be crisp.(Serious, in sync, uniform tone, or “Let’s try that again.”)

Call and Response – 1 You ask a question, the whole class calls out an answer

Review and reinforcement – repeating a strong answer

High energy fun

Behavioral reinforcement – when on cue and repeated it makes crisp, active,

timely compliance a habit

Five levels of intellectual rigor:

1. Repeat – what the teacher said or a familiar phrase2. Report – Responding with answers to completed work

3. Reinforce – with new or important info after a correct Cold Call (#22)4. Review – Asking about yesterday’s lesson or previous concept

5. Solve – needs a clear single answer and high likelihood all can do the task

Call and Response – 2

Use a signal (an in-cue) – “Class!” “Everybody!” “One, two…”

It must be completely clear what type of response you are seeking –individual, whole class, small group

Pitfalls:

Can allow for freeloading

Doesn’t allow for true checking for understanding

Reinforces room’s behavioral culture only if it is crisp(“I like your enthusiasm – but let’s try again on the cue.”)

Pepper Quick fundamental questions as review and reinforcement

Fast paced – with a correct answer move on; incorrect ask another person

Use it like a game – have students stand, or call on students in a unique way:

Use pick sticks, or

Head to Head (2 stand when one misses s/he sits and a new challenger stands), or

Stand or Sit – students stand; they can earn their seats with a correct answer, or

with all students sitting they can earn a place in line

It’s all about pacing – fast. Don’t get mixed up with discussions of answers, corrections – limit talk to just

answers rather than the game

Wait Time

Waiting makes it more likely you’ll receive a high quality answer

Waiting taps into new ideas and students

Less time wasted re-processing poor answers

3 to 5 seconds narrated at the beginning –“I’m looking for people who are pointing to the passage with the answer” “I’m

waiting for more hands” “I’ll give you a few seconds, because this is a tough one”

Use the narration to call for and reinforce the specific learning and responding behaviors you are seeking

Everybody Writes

Ask students to prepare for more ambitious thinking anddiscussion by reflecting in writing for a short interval

Allows the teacher to:

1. Observe thoughts (read over shoulders) and select effective responses2. Cold call naturally “What did you write _________?”

3. Give every student a chance4. Steer students’ thinking in a fruitful direction

5. Students remember twice as much by thinking a writing before a discussion

Everybody Writes increases your Ratio (#17)

Vegas

Production Values – dramatic effect with teacher delivery

Like a Faucet – Quick on / quick off like a faucet – e.g. Student say “ooh, aah” every time they here the key phrase or word –use a signal to indicate start stop –

do not allow it to ‘leak’ into other lessons or be used when not asked for

Same Objective – must support, not distract from, the lesson’s objective

Chorus Line – Everyone is doing the same thing at the same time. They must know the format and rules

On Point – As soon as it is off focus immediately correct and reinforce the standards of excellence