Teach Like a Champ

Entry 1
Technique 3- Stretch it
- This technique is used to get students to continue thinking after they have given an
answer. Once they give the correct answer, the teacher asks another question that makes
the student think more and push the instruction. This strategy allows/creates a level of
differentiation in the classroom. This differentiation is helpful for on the spot instruction
for all students. Once the teacher understands where the student is in his or her thinking,
the teacher can then continue to ask questions starting at the level the student is and
pushing them to think and question their thinking. This is also a great formative
assessment tool for the teacher to gauge where the students are.
- During my number talk, I was able to get my peers to think about the question at hand.
Once they gave their answer, I asked another question. Continuing to ask these questions
about how they solved and why they thought they were right was asking them to think
about why they were doing what they were doing instead of simply doing it as always.
This strategy was good for them to see another way to solve the problem as well. When I
was asking each person to explain their answers, they were voicing a different way of
solving and by verbally explaining this method, others were able to systematically see the
problem being solved in many different ways. I think that this strategy is very important
not only for the student sharing but for the students listening to the new ideas.

Entry 2
Technique 5- Without Apology
- This technique is one that requires action on the teachers part. One part of this strategy
talks about not making excuses or apologies for children just because of their
circumstances. They are still able to learn no matter what their situation or circumstance.
This technique focuses on allowing all students the same high standard. By requiring a
high standard from all, students can learn. They are being pushed by the high
expectations and they have a person that believes in them. Often times, with children in
bad situations, people think that they cannot learn and lower standards. This strategy goes
directly against that idea. This strategy asks that teachers push their students so that the
students are able to reach their goals and potential that people may not have expected
from them.
- This strategy reminded me of Wes Moores speech. He was very clear that lowering
expectations does not help a student succeed. He noted to the audience that when teachers
lower expectations, students will not succeed. By pushing students and refusing to create
excuses for them, they are able to succeed more. I work with a child who has Down
syndrome. I have been able to use this strategy with him on a daily basis. When he is
unable to do something that is within his ability range, he is shown how to complete the
task and then given the opportunity to try for himself. This creates an environment where
the child is motivated and encouraged to become independent. Once he learns how to do
the task (opening a potato chip bag for instance) he is proud of that because he can do it
on his own and he is offended when someone does for him what he has learned. This is a
great strategy to use with him because it builds his self-confidence and independence
level.

Entry 2
Technique 10 Double Plan
- This technique is one that we deal with every time a lesson plan is written using the
Teach by Design outline. The strategy gives importance to the teachers planning. He/she
must plan not only what she/he will do during the lesson, but also plan for what the
students will do. There are different things that the students could be doing such as
listening, talking in small groups, or taking notes on a graphic organizer. By planning
these situations and providing scaffolding, the teacher is better prepared and the students
will in turn have more support to learn during the time in class. This strategy is all about
planning for what the students will do to stay engaged and interested. If the student is not
interested, then learning is not taking place. This strategy also allows that the teacher has
thought about most situations that could arise during the lesson. By being prepared for
the lesson by double planning, the teacher is able to know more of the misconceptions
that the students will have and how to address those misconceptions.
- I have used this strategy during a lesson that I taught recently. Before the lesson, I had
written and prepared for the lesson with my lesson plan. I planned on questions that the
students may have and ways that I could address them. One method of addressing was by
providing a note taking guide for all students to use during the lesson. While I was
talking, they were able to fill in the blank for the facts and content that we were
discussing for the day. Because I had planned before the lesson took place, I had an
organizer that was kid friendly and easy for my particular students to use. This was a
good way to keep the children engaged as well. They were listening with increased
intensity so that they could fill in their blanks before we discussed them in class. The
double planning is a great way to help me feel confident about what I am teaching
because I have thought about what the students may have problems with so I have been
studying the information closely.

Technique 12- The Hook
- This technique requires that the teacher provide a hook or engaging introduction to a
lesson. This engagement is supposed to introduce the lesson in an exciting and interesting
way to get the students excited about what is coming in the lesson. It also can pull from
their prior knowledge to set up a content-to-self connection that makes the students think
about the subject matter in a completely different way than they would have if that first
connection had not been made. Teachers can tell stories in order to engage students. They
can also give analogies that refer to the subject. Bringing in props will also engage
students if the props are interesting and make the students wonder why you brought them
in the first place. Teachers can show media/video clips of information that is in the
content that they will be discussing that day as well. This video, song, or other type of
media should not introduce content but should hook the students to get them excited
about the content.
- During one of my lessons recently, I was talking about George Washington. For my
engagement piece, I decided to find something that the children could connect with.
Because George Washington lived in a time that is so unfamiliar to my children, I wanted
to make sure that the engagement brought him into their lives today so that they could
connect and make room for the lesson. For the engagement, I decided to bring in a dollar
bill. The students of course all knew what the bill was and that it could be used to
purchase items because they all asked if they could have it. After we got passed that, we
were able to discuss the fact that Washingtons picture is on the bill. This was a way that
I thought would help them make the connection that we were looking for. Some of the
students actually were able to mention that his picture is on the face of a quarter as well.
This was not my plan, but the bill had started the thinking in the room and that was made
evident in the discussion.

Entry 3
Technique 13- Name the Steps
- With this technique, the teacher teaches the students how to perform tasks by laying out
the process in easy to follow steps. The teacher breaks down the whole process into more
manageable pieces that are easy for the students to follow. The steps of the process
should be clear, easy to follow, and helps the project become more manageable. This
strategy can also cut down on management issues within the room. When the students are
unsure of what the next thing they should do is, they ask or become off task. By having
the steps spelled out for them, they remain on task and can review notes if they have
questions.
- I have used this technique at the school that I work at. I am in charge of a fifth grade
knitting club. With this club, the students have never been introduced to knotting. They
came to me with no understanding or prior knowledge of the way to knit. During our first
few sessions, our time was spent going over the steps and breaking down the process to
make it simpler for the students to imitate. By breaking down the steps, they were able to
pick up on the process fairly quick and now, they are very enthusiastic about their
progress.


Technique 15- Circulate
- With the circulate strategy, teachers are moving around the room while their students
work. The teacher should not only be walking, but should be listening to what is
happening and what the students are discussing as they review the content being taught.
One part of this technique, is engaging the students and talking to them as you walk
around the room. The teacher should listen in on the conversation, ask questions that
promote thinking, and take note of levels that the student is on with the information. This
can also be used when the students are not sharing in groups. The teacher can ask
questions such as how did you get your answer and what were you thinking when you
answered this question the way you did. This technique is critical in showing the level of
cognitive involvement in the content and in providing the teacher with opportunities for
formative assessment.
- I used this technique in my George Washington lesson as well. As the children were
given time to pair and share, I walked around the room and listened to their conversation.
This was very telling of the place they were in with their thinking. It was also a great time
for me to ask the questions that I could that made the students think. This strategy is one
that I enjoy because it provides a chance for some one on one time with the students
without preventing their learning.

Entry 4
Technique 25- Wait Time
- This strategy talks about allowing a moment for the students to think before they share
answers. When a teacher asks a question of the class, she should tell them that in order to
answer they need to take a certain amount of time to think about their answer and come
up with why that is their answer. This is important so that when they share with their
group, of when you ask what their answer is, you have better quality answers than you
would have without the wait time. Not only are the answers a better quality, but the
students are more willing to give their answers and contribute to the conversation. This
wait time is a chance for them to put their ideas in order, weigh the options, and develop
a stance that they can defend if necessary. Without think time, students feel unprepared
and nervous about their answers. The quality is also lacking when think time is not
provided.
- I have used this strategy during my George Washington lesson as well. I think that it is
important for the students to have a chance to talk among themselves every so often
during the lesson so that they still have a chance to share their ideas. This sharing also
helps them develop their answers. During the George Washington lesson, I allowed them
a moment, asked them to think about the question and them gave them a set amount of
time to talk to their group about what they thought. This think time was positive but
could be an unproductive strategy if too much time is granted for the students to get off
task.
Technique 35- Props
- This technique is a fun one that involves movement. It is used by teachers in the class in
order to bring attention to the hard work and thinking that the students have done. It is
used to congratulate students for this hard work. There are many different props that can
be used. Whichever one you choose should be short and require a very short amount of
time to complete. If the prop takes too much time, then that is time that is being taken
away from instruction. The prop should also include some sort of movement to engage
the student and provide an extra bit of reinforcement for the positive behavior that you
are trying to promote in the class. This strategy is a fun way to make it known to the class
as well that the hard work and thinking that one student is doing is something that you
want to see the whole class take part in. With the prop, more students will want that
attention to be brought to their answer, so they will work harder for that.
- I have seen this strategy used by Dr. Bluiett. She came and sat in of some students that
we were working with for one of our projects. She was very impressed with their hard
work and enthusiasm that they had for the project that she encouraged them to kiss their
brain. You could tell that they were not used to this gesture and that they were not
completely sure of what it meant, but she was trying to show them and convey to them
that she was proud of them and that they deserve a prop. They thought it was fun and
participated in their own little way.

Entry 5
Technique 39 Do it Again
- This technique requires that students complete a task again if it was not done correctly to
begin with. This technique gives students immediate feedback for their actions. Instead of
simply tell the student to stop, you are asking that they start over, modeling the positive
behavior that you want to see in their task. This strategy also sets a standard in the
classroom of excellence. If something is not done with excellence, they are asked to go
back to the start and try again. This technique also creates a sense of accountability. The
student knows that they are going to be held accountable for their actions and this helps
to set those higher standards. By requiring that students repeat tasks, the students are also
able to end the task with a positive outcome. Without repeating the task, the student
would simply get in trouble and end on a negative. The repetition requires ending on a
positive.
- During class, when the students move to the carpet, they are supposed to move silently
after they push in their chairs. This is a point that my teacher is trying to stress, so as they
move he makes sure to send those who forgot to push in a chair back to try again. Once
they complete the task, he thanks them for finishing what they were supposed to. This is a
great example of finishing on a positive. When he thanks them, the failure before is not a
big deal.

Technique 44 Precise Praise
- Precise praise means that when a student does something well, the teacher gives feedback
that is specific and meaningful to that student. This technique ensures that students are
receiving appropriate and effective feedback for their work. This strategy stresses the
importance of praising specific moments which a student did a good job or worked hard
to find an answer. By providing them with the meaningful and precise praise, the student
then knows what he/she should do the next time a task of this nature is asked of him.
Feedback is a sure way to reproduce positive behavior in children that you want them to
learn. This strategy can be difficult because the key is being specific about what the child
has done. There is nothing meaningful if the teacher did not provide an example for the
child of what it was that was so great or wonderful.
- I tried to incorporate this technique into my Washington lesson. It is surprising how hard
the specific praise can be. It is hard to remember that simply saying good job is not
sufficient or beneficial to those involved. You should make sure that you are giving an
example of the positive in order for it to take place again later. I was able to give a few
students some specific feedback that was a positive treat for them. They saw that I
noticed and that I appreciated what they had to say.