2b Establishing a Culture for Learning
The Elements, Examples, and Indicators come from the Danielson Framework.
Scroll down to find techniques to implement to help you meet your goals.
Click on the links below the techniques to view videos that illustrate the techniques.
The Elements, Examples, and Indicators come from the Danielson Framework.
Scroll down to find techniques to implement to help you meet your goals.
Click on the links below the techniques to view videos that illustrate the techniques.
Elements
Indicators
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Examples
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Techniques from Teach Like a Champion (Lemov)
Technique 1: NO OPT OUT*-- In typical classes, when students don’t know an answer, or don’t want to try, they quickly learn the teacher will leave them alone if they respond to a question with “I don’t know” or shrugging their shoulders. The teacher then moves on to another student. Instead, NO OPT OUT is a useful tool to get all students to the right answer, as often as possible, even if only to repeat the correct answer.
Technique 2: RIGHT IS RIGHT* The key idea behind RIGHT IS RIGHT is that the teacher should set and defend a high standard of correctness by only naming “right” those answers which are truly and completely right.
Technique 3: STRETCH IT – Rather than stopping after a student gives you the correct answer, follow up with questions that extend knowledge and check for full understanding. Champion teachers ask students how they got the answer, what is another way to get the answer, what is the evidence, how to apply the same skill in a new situation, and what more specific vocabulary words they can use. This both challenges students to extend their thinking, and checks that students don’t get the correct answer by luck.
Technique 4: FORMAT MATTERS* -- It’s not just what students say when they respond that matters, but how they say it. If we want our students to be prepared for college we need to make sure they respond in complete (not one word) answers, answer in a loud enough voice, and use correct grammar. For inaudible answers you can simply and swiftly say, “Voice” to remind them to speak up. For grammatical errors, try repeating the sentence and emphasizing the incorrect words, “We was walking down the street?”
Technique 5: WITHOUT APOLOGY -- In the hands of a great teacher, no content is boring. Don’t lower your expectations inadvertently with comments such as, “I know this is kind of dull,” or “This material is on the test so we’ll have to learn it.” It also lowers expectations to assume that these students won’t connect to college prep material and instead replace learning sonnets, for instance, with learning contemporary songs. Instead, show your belief in your students with comments such as, “This material is great because it’s really challenging!” or “Lots of students don’t understand this until college, but you’ll know it now. Cool.”
Sustaining Strong Classroom Culture
Technique 1: NO OPT OUT*-- In typical classes, when students don’t know an answer, or don’t want to try, they quickly learn the teacher will leave them alone if they respond to a question with “I don’t know” or shrugging their shoulders. The teacher then moves on to another student. Instead, NO OPT OUT is a useful tool to get all students to the right answer, as often as possible, even if only to repeat the correct answer.
Technique 2: RIGHT IS RIGHT* The key idea behind RIGHT IS RIGHT is that the teacher should set and defend a high standard of correctness by only naming “right” those answers which are truly and completely right.
Technique 3: STRETCH IT – Rather than stopping after a student gives you the correct answer, follow up with questions that extend knowledge and check for full understanding. Champion teachers ask students how they got the answer, what is another way to get the answer, what is the evidence, how to apply the same skill in a new situation, and what more specific vocabulary words they can use. This both challenges students to extend their thinking, and checks that students don’t get the correct answer by luck.
Technique 4: FORMAT MATTERS* -- It’s not just what students say when they respond that matters, but how they say it. If we want our students to be prepared for college we need to make sure they respond in complete (not one word) answers, answer in a loud enough voice, and use correct grammar. For inaudible answers you can simply and swiftly say, “Voice” to remind them to speak up. For grammatical errors, try repeating the sentence and emphasizing the incorrect words, “We was walking down the street?”
Technique 5: WITHOUT APOLOGY -- In the hands of a great teacher, no content is boring. Don’t lower your expectations inadvertently with comments such as, “I know this is kind of dull,” or “This material is on the test so we’ll have to learn it.” It also lowers expectations to assume that these students won’t connect to college prep material and instead replace learning sonnets, for instance, with learning contemporary songs. Instead, show your belief in your students with comments such as, “This material is great because it’s really challenging!” or “Lots of students don’t understand this until college, but you’ll know it now. Cool.”
Sustaining Strong Classroom Culture