1. T&L Briefing Wednesday 7th February 2018
No ‘Opt Out’
T&L Briefing
Wednesday 7th February 2018

2. in a high-performing classroom.
No Opt Out
Maintain the expectation that:
It’s NOT ok NOT to try.
Everybody learns
in a high-performing classroom.

3. Embrace the Struggle!
But: Inspire – not – overwhelm!!

4. X How? Do not allow ‘I dunno’ as a response to a question
Do not accept shrugging impassively when asked a question.
Instead:
Ask another student the same question;
assuming the correct answer is given, turn back
to the original student and ask the same question
again, or
At the first refusal, throw the question out to the class: ‘can anyone help x…?’ X

5. See: Rosenthal’s Pygmalion Effect
Change the Script
I’m not a ‘swot’
It’ll do
Nobody asks for extra homework
I don’t want to stand out
I’m not going to try too hard in case I fail
I don’t want to be wrong
What’s the right answer
I can’t do that
Don’t tell the class what I got
You don’t want to go there
All universities are the same
Oxbridge is ‘not for people like me’
A ‘B’ is good enough
X is a polite and pleasant student...
The script can self-limit students’ expectations, abilities or potential
See: Rosenthal’s Pygmalion Effect

6. Four basic Strategies of No Opt Out
Teacher provides the answer; the student repeats the answer
Another student provides the answer; the initial student repeats the answer
Teacher provides a cue; the student uses it to find the answer
Another student provides a cue; the initial student uses it to find the answer

7. Cues, Hints and Questions
The place where the answer can be found:
“Who can tell x where he could find the answer?”
The next step in the process that’s required at
the moment:
“Who can tell x what the first thing he should do is?”
3. Another name for a term that’s a problem:
“Who can tell x what denominator means?”
4. An identification of the mistake:
“Who can explain what x might have done wrong here?”

8. Boost the Rigour!
Another try at a similar problem: secure the learning and avoid it being a fluke!
Respond to a correct answer with a series of harder and more challenging questions e.g. ask why or how; ask for evidence etc
Ask for an error analysis e.g. ‘And what did you do incorrectly the first time?’ or ‘what was the difference the second time around?’ This allows the student to narrate his thinking process and to demonstrate an understanding of his error.
Add a ‘star’: congratulate attributes like perseverance: ‘you really stuck with that, well done’ or ‘you told me you couldn’t but when you used your notes, it turns out you could!’

9. 3B4ME
Board
Buddy
Brain
Book

10. Wrong is ok with me; failing to try is not.
Message
Wrong is ok with me; failing to try is not.

11. 4. Format Matters
The medium is the message The ‘language of opportunity’ Grammar, Sentence, Voice and Vocabulary

12. Over to you… Four groups: Grammar Sentence Voice Vocabulary
Create a ‘strap-line’ to establish the standard you will aim for
2. Consider the classic errors: create a simple
way to avoid/deal with these

13. How do we ‘learn to the top?’
Relentlessly high expectations of all
Slow down and teach more of less
Care over feedback
Berger- esque redrafting and critique works
Provide proper lesson time for ‘Fix-it’
Use big, open questions: How do we know this? Why? Why is this significant? Why is this important? (not the same!!)
Move on but then come back; develop a culture of revisiting
Learning is a rollercoaster

14. Without Apology
‘Embrace – rather than apologise for – rigorous content, academic challenge, and the hard work necessary to scholarship.’ – Lemov (TLAC)
Apologies for content
Assuming something will be boring
Blaming the content
Making the content accessible