I took a course through Heritage Institute Online titled "Teach Like a Champion: Field Notes from the Masters." Taught by Ms. Julie Bora, M.S.T., the course chronicles general techniques that teachers can use to create rigor and support success for their students.

The techniques described are from Teach Like A Champion, written by Doug Lemov, published in 2010.

These seven techniques are some of my favorites. I think they are the most useful to classroom teachers in general because each of them establishes high expectations. Don't we all want our students to attain a seemingly elusive goal? Maybe it is a distant goal of attending college or a more immediate goal of learning the times table. Regardless of what you teach, these techniques will support high expectations for your students.

Probably without realizing it, teachers apologize about their material regularly. "I know this is dull/hard/uninteresting, but let's just get through it." These comments tend to come from low teacher expectations about subject standards. Figure out why you're teaching what you're teaching (there must be a good reason!) and then stick to it. Your goal is for students to engage in rigorous college prep content, so plan for it and don't apologize. Non-apology phrases sound more like, "The deeper we get into this topic, the more exciting it becomes!" "Other students don't learn this until college, and you'll have in down this year!"

No Opt Out is based on the concept that every student can and should be engaged in the material 100% of the time. No Opt Out means that "I don't know" is no longer an acceptable answer. Now it's more like "I don't know YET." Here's one example of what it looks like:
T: What's 3 times 4? Student B?
B: I don't know.
T: Student C, help her out. What's 3 times 4?
C: 12.
T: Great. Student B, what's 3 times 4?
B: 12.

How does this support high expectations? A student answers incorrectly and through classroom supports arrives at the correct answer. They understand that the teacher will not allow them to fail, that they will experience success in class.

Other forms of arriving at the correct answer include a teacher-given answer or a student or teacher-given cue; in the previous example, something like, "3 times 4 is the same as saying take three 4s and add them together. What's 3 times 4?"

This one seems obvious but there are many ways teachers accept responses that are almost right. Right is Right says my expectation is that students answer the question I asked fully right before we move on. No more filling in the gaps of partially right answers. Do you want them to know the entire answer to the question? If not, don't ask them that question. If you do, then hold out for fully right. This technique is most effective when used with good questions, especially questions that ask "Why?"

Cold Call is a technique where the teacher calls on students whether or not their hand is raised. It sets high expectations for your classroom by communicating that you expect each student to be prepared to participate, not just the "elite" few who raise their hands. The key to using Cold Call is to name the student after the question has been asked. (Name the student first and you'll have 1 thinker and 24 empty brains because most of your class were not required to think of the answer.)

I love cold call because of its benefits. In addition to reinforcing high expectations, it allows the teacher to check for understanding. Sprinkling the questions around the room provides the teacher with good data about what students know. Cold Call also removes the student's burden to give an accurate answer the first time. A volunteered wrong answer looks foolish, whereas any reluctant answer is neutral. Didn't know the answer and the teacher called on you anyway? No big deal.

Cold Call is an instructional technique not a behavioral management strategy. Don't call on students who aren't paying attention to get a "Gotcha!" moment. Students will be left feeling betrayed.

A teacher has all of these high expectations for her students and provides support for students to reach them and then... the students achieve them. Now what? Give them Props! It seems like the typical teacher has no time for this sort of fun, but the right kind of Props are enthusiastic and quick! The teacher gets to build a positive learning environment that incorporates movement but that is still on his/her terms.

Examples of Props:
"Two snaps, two stomps" - Exactly that, in unison.
"Raise the Roof" - Hands pump from shoulders to above heads twice while singing "Ooh Ooh."

Lemov argues that error followed by correction and instruction is merely the definition of schooling. Why is it then that making mistakes is any big deal? Normalizing error means understanding that errors are part of learning. The high expectations hidden here are that students will learn because of mistakes (not despite them).

To normalize error in your classroom, look at the responses you tend to use after incorrect answers from students in class. Don't make excuses for the student (ie. "Uf, that was a tough one") or give a longwinded reason of how that is right in a different circumstance. A simple "no" gives the student feedback without dwelling on the error or wasting precious minutes of class. Other ways to normalize error include stating the student's incorrect response back to them ("?Jamburqueso?") or guiding them to a place to start the thinking process ("What's the first step with this kind of equation?")

The final technique I'd like to talk about today is Threshold. Threshold is the idea that you actively invite and welcome students into your domain of high expectations. You decide where your domain begins, but most will consider the threshold to be at the door. Greet your students warmly and personally but expect it all from them from the beginning. Threshold sends the message: "Regardless of where you've been and what you're expected to be there, you are here now. I have high expectations for you, but I know you can do it.

Example from book - Student greeting teacher with "What up?" T says "'What up' is not appropriate" and directs student to back of line. Moral: You establish from the very beginning your expectations in your classroom.

1. Questions?
2. Which technique(s) do you use already? What benefits do you see when you use these techniques?
3. Which technique(s) do you want to try more often? Why?