Teach Like a Champion! Paula Hagan, Summer 2014 Instructional Coordinator, Northside Elementary

Teach Like A Champion  “Great teaching is an art… Great art relies on the mastery and application of foundational skills, learned individually through diligent study.”

 Participants will understand teaching techniques that will lead to mastery of foundational teaching skills.  Participants will evaluate the techniques presented to identify the one technique that is most critical for immediate implementation. Objectives:

What do you think? Clip 13: Tight Transitions  Watch the video clip and answer the following questions…  1- In your opinion, is it realistic/worthwhile for a teacher to spend class time on this?  2- What are the benefits of this activity?  3- How would students feel about this activity?  4- What would make an activity like this worthwhile/successful?

Setting High Academic Expectations & Engaging Students In Your Lessons  This was an example of one of the 49 techniques presented in the book.  We will not have time to discuss all 49 techniques, but will focus on two high- yield types of techniques…  Setting High Academic Expectations &  Engaging Students in Your Lessons

Setting High Academic Expectations  No Opt Out  Key Idea: A sequence that begins with a student unable to answer a question should end with a student answering that question as often as possible.  Watch clip 1  3 cues that are helpful…  1- The place where the answer can be found  2- The step in the process that’s required at the moment  3- Another name for the term that’s a problem

Setting High Academic Expectations  Right Is Right  Key Idea: Set and defend a high standard of correctness in your classroom.  Watch clips 2 and 3  1- Hold out for all the way  2- Answer the question  3- Right answer, right time  4- Use technical vocabulary

Setting High Academic Expectations  Format Matters  Key Idea: It’s not just what students say that matters but how they communicate it. To succeed, students must take their knowledge and express it in the language of opportunity.  Watch clip 5  1- Grammatical format  Identify the error  Begin the correction  2- Complete sentence format  3- Audible format (voice)  4- Unit format (math)

Setting High Academic Expectations  Without Apology  Key Idea: There is no such thing as boring content. In the hands of a great teacher who can find the way in, the material students need to master to succeed and grow is exciting, interesting, and inspiring, even if as teachers we sometimes doubt that we can make it so. Pitfalls to Avoid:  Assuming something will be boring  Blaming it (it’s on the test; it’s part of the curriculum)  Making it “accessible” (don’t dilute the rigor)

Engaging Students In Your Lessons  Cold Call  Key Idea: In order to make engaged participation the expectation, call on students regardless of whether they have raised their hands.  Cold Call is an engagement technique, not a discipline technique!  Timing the name  Watch clip 7, 8, 9

Engaging Students In Your Lessons  Call and Response  Key Idea: Use group choral response – you ask; they answer in unison – to build a culture of energetic, positive engagement.  Benefits:  Academic review and reinforcement  High-energy fun  Behavioral reinforcement  Risks / Downsides:  It can allow freeloading  It does not provide effective checking for understanding  It reinforces the behavioral culture in your classroom only if it’s crisp

Engaging Students In Your Lessons  Pepper  Key Idea: The game is fast, providing dozens of opportunities to practice skills in a short period of time and in a fast-paced and energetic environment. It’s a reinforcement of skills.  Watch clip 10  Variations of Pepper:  Pick sticks  Head to head (around the world)  Sit down (earn your seat)

Engaging Students In Your Lessons  Wait Time  Key Idea: Delaying a few strategic seconds after you finish asking a question and before you ask a student to begin answering  Watch Clip 11  “I’m waiting for more hands”  “I’d like to see at least 15 hands before we hear an answer”  “I’ll start taking answers in ten seconds”  “I’m looking for someone who’s pointing to the place in the passage where you can find the answer”

Engaging Students In Your Lessons  Everybody Writes  Key Idea: Set your students up for rigorous engagement by giving them the opportunity to reflect first in writing before discussing. As author Joan Didion says, “I write to know what I think.”  Watch clip 12  Benefits:  Select effective responses  Everyone is prepared  All students have a chance to be part of the conversation

Cl0sing  Take the time to reflect on the teaching techniques discussed.  1- On an exit ticket, write down the techniques you are already using.  2- Now write down at least one technique you plan to use / refine  No Opt Out  Right is Right  Format Matters  Without Apology  Cold Call  Call and Response  Pepper  Wait Time  Everybody Writes