Going Formal

Be Uncommon. Change History.

Going Formal

Objectives:
Analyze techniques Champion teachers use to Go Formal
Use planning and practice to improve our ability to Go Formal

In Context
Notes:

Key Term
Register: A term used to describe the tenor of an interaction. It
encompasses eye contact, body position, gestures, facial expressions, and
rhythm of language.

BC.StrongVoice.GRA.Woolway.'Register Shifts.'Clip2325
Imagine you are a student in Ericas class. What does she communicate
when she corrects in the Casual, Formal, and Urgent registers? What effect
would each register have on you?

Going Formal: Expressing Formality

Three Registers

Reflection: Three Registers

At what points in your lesson might it be especially important to Go Formal?
Why?

Going Formal
Definition: The process of shifting body language and tone to ensure that
students hear and respond to your directions and corrections.

Going Formal: Expressing Formality (Contd)

BC.StrongVoice.GR5.McElduff.'Pencils.'Clip2192
Watch Bridgets body language as she privately corrects a scholar. What
does she do to look formal?

Looking Formal in the Classroom

What similarities do you see in how these teachers use body language to
convey formality? Why is this effective?
Similarities

Differences

Three Elements of Looking Formal

Intentional Hands: Pause or remove your hand gestures so that you

keep the focus on your words as much as possible

Neutral Countenance: Maintain a neutral facial expression to show

students youre calm and in control.

Formal Posture: Maintain straight posture and symmetrical body

language to convey authority.
Going Formal: Expressing Formality (Contd)
Variations on Looking Formal

BC.100%.GR5.Comer.'Fix how you're sitting.'Clip1858

BC.StrongVoice.GR10.Ratheram.'Stop and track.'Clip2112
Watch Bridgets body language as she privately corrects a scholar. What
does she do to look formal?

Going Formal: Expressing Formality (Contd)

Sounding Formal

Quiet Power: Speak quieter and slower to show youre calm, poised,
and in control

Tone Drop: Downshift (i.e. lower) your tone briefly to make your
words stand out

Economy of Language (EOL): Use the minimum number of words

necessary

BC.StrongVoice.GR5.Faulkner.'Diction.'Clip2224
What is effective about Mauras verbal corrections? How do they support her
formality?

EOL for Directions and Corrections Mini-Practice

Direction: Write a direction and a correction for each of the scenarios
provided using eight words or less.
Scenario

Planned Response
6

#1) You want

students to pause
what theyre reading,
place their books
aside, and put their
eyes on you.

Example Direction: Books turned over, and eyes

on me.

#2) A student is not

copying down the
notes that you are
writing on the
board/overhead
projector.

Example Correction: Im writing, youre writing.

My Direction:

My Correction:

Going Formal: Expressing Formality (Contd)

BC.StrongVoice.GRA.Thompkins.'Warm formal.'Clip2329
BC.100%.GR5.Bisso.'Write what I write.'Clip2219
What do Kesete and Emily say and do that is formal? What do they say and
do to add warmth?
Say
Formal:

Do
Formal:

Warmth:

Warmth:

Adding Warmth

Bright Face: Smile to convey warmth, confidence, and enthusiasm.

Positive Contact: Routinely make positive contact with studentson

the hand, elbow, or shoulderto correct behavior and express caring.

Term of Endearment: Address students with a nickname or

affectionate term to build or maintain rapport (e.g., kiddo).

Please and Thank You: Use courteous language to show

students that civility is intact.

Going Formal: Expressing Formality (Contd)

Adding Warmth (Contd)

BC.100%.GR5.Bellucci.'Start with a good one.'Clip0077

What does Katie do to start class with warmth and formality?

Adding Warmth Mini-Practice

Directions: In the space provided, script a direction and correction that you
commonly give in your classroom. Remember to add warmth.
Direction
(Round 1)

Example: Books and pencils down, and hands up to

read question #1 to us in 321.

Correction
(Round 2)

Example: Quentin, I need your pencil moving.

Going Formal: Shifting Registers

Key Terms

Downshift: A quick and pronounced shift from your previous register

to formal

Upshift: A quick and pronounced shift from formal into your default
register (often back to warm/more energetic)

BC.StrongVoice.GR5.McElduff.'Five and up.'Clip2194

What does Bridget do to make her downshift into formal pop? What effect
does this have on students?

Making the Downshift Pop

9

Add a Gesture: Use a hand gesture to reinforce your expectations

Self-Interrupt: Stop what youre saying and doing mid-sentence to

make it obvious that something is amiss

Remove Distractions: Put things down and simplify or remove

gestures

Give an In-Task: Begin by asking students to complete a concrete,

bite-sized task

Going Formal: Shifting Registers (Contd)

Making the Downshift Pop (Contd)

BC.StrongVoice.GR1.Peterson.'Turn your chair around.'Clip1470

What does Kelli do to make her upshift visible?

Managing the Upshift

Return to Normalcy: Revert to the register you were in before or get

a bit more casual

10

Finish What You Started: Pick the lesson up right where you left off
(or slightly before)

BC.StrongVoice.GRA.Bisso.Williams.Duckett.'Register Shifts
Montage.'Clip2323
What do these teachers do to make their register shifts especially visible?

Going Formal: Shifting Registers (Contd)

Make it Pop Mini-Practice
Directions: In the space below, plan out what youll do and what youll say
to Make it Pop during the Self-Interrupt.
To Make
it Pop.

Round 1:
Add a Gesture
Example: Give a
sit up gesture

Round 2:
Remove
Distractions
Example: Fold
hands behind back;
no gesture

I will do

11

Round 3:
Verbal Correction
Example: I need
you to sit up
straighter.

I will say
(Round
3)

N/A

N/A

Avoiding the Urgent Register

Reflection
When might a teacher be at risk of going urgent?

What could you do to regain composure when you feel yourself going
urgent?

Going Formal
Signs You May Be Going Urgent
You may be going urgent if you

Talk louder and faster

12

Feel short of breath

Stumble over your words

Speed up or repeat hand gestures

Use more words than necessary

See any of the above in your students/co-teacher

Formal Register Layup Drill

Objective: Get repeated practice delivering a correction while looking and
sounding formal.
Directions: Deliver the direction I need you to sit up while modulating
your tone and body language so that its formal.
Round 1: Try it Out
Round 2: Delayed Reaction
Round 3: Adding Warmth

Going Formal
Layup Drill Practice Video

13

BC.StrongVoice.GRA.McGriff.Davis.Iaia.Parvana.'Layup
feedback.'Clip2326
Whats effective about how these teachers correct while in formal? What is
effective about their practice?

Whats Strong About Strong Voice?

Final Reflection
One of the most common misunderstandings of Strong Voice is that strong
implies acting forcefully and even aggressively. Based on what you learned
today, what does it truly mean to be a Strong Voice teacher?

14

Feedback Cheat Sheets

for Practice Activities

Be Uncommon. Change History.

15

Feedback Cheat Sheets for Practice Activities

When giving feedback, it is vital that we focus on the following:
Common Language: Use technical vocabulary from the technique
notes to reinforce your teams ability to use a common language about
teaching.

Get Past Nice: Tell people how they can do better. Its tempting
but useless to say That was great! Look for something (even if it is
small) that a teacher can try differently and communicate it clearly and
directly.

Limit Yourself: Use the Success Points for each technique to ensure
that your feedback focuses on the most essential aspects of the
technique. If you dont observe one of these points then your feedback
should focus on these areas.

Cut it Short: When necessary, pause practice to provide immediate

feedback in order to ensure that teachers are doing practice activities
correctly and working to improve key aspects of the technique.

Be Quick: Minimize the time spent talking and maximize the time
spent practicing. Keep your feedback short and direct. Limit yourself
to 1 glow and 1 grow.

Power of the Positive: Tell teachers what theyve done well so that
they can do it again.

Describe the Solution (not the problem): Make your guidance

specific and actionable. Use What to Do (vs. what not to do) to tell
teachers how to succeed.

Try something new: Constructive feedback doesnt always have to

focus on something that teachers did wrong. Consider suggesting
something they could do differently.

16

Lock It In: Be sure that teachers interpret your feedback correctly.

Before re-practicing have them:
o Summarize what they heard you say
o Identify the next action theyll take to implement the feedback

For each of the practice activities, use the following structure for
feedback:
It was effective when
Next time try

17

EOL for Directions and Corrections Mini-Practice

Success Points (focus on the mastery of these points first):

1. Use Economy of Language
2. Speak lower, slowly, and quietly

Constructive Feedback
(Next time try)
Economy of
Language
Quiet Power

Formal Posture

Neutral
Countenance

What to Do

Giving your correction in fewer words

Eliminating the following words/phrases.

Slowing down your speech

Dropping your tone of voice
Speaking quieter/with a whisper

Pulling your shoulders back

Facing the student who youre addressing
Pulling your chin in more
Distributing your weight evenly on both feet

Making your expression more neutral

Making your expression warmer (with a smile)
Making more direct eye contact with the student

Making your direction/correction more specific,

concrete, and actionable
Simplifying your correction/direction

18

Adding Warmth Mini-Practice

Success Points (focus on the mastery of these points first):
1. Use Economy of Language
2. Dont forget to smile J

Constructive Feedback
(Next time try)
Economy of
Language

Tone

Formal Posture

Facial Expression

What to Do /
Describe the
Solution

Use a Countdown
(Round 1 Only)

Giving your direction(s)/correction(s) in fewer

words
Eliminating the following words/phrases.

Using a more positive/upbeat tone

Using a more formal tone
Using a more casual tone

Pulling your shoulders back

Facing the student(s) who youre addressing
Pulling your chin in more
Distributing your weight evenly on both feet

Making you expression a bit more neutral

Adding warmth with a smile and/or raising your
eyebrows
Making sure your direction(s)/correction(s)
describes what students SHOULD do as opposed
to what NOT to do
Making your direction/correction more concrete,
specific, and actionable

Lengthening/shortening your countdown

Using an specific/odd increment of time (e.g.,
give students 3 seconds instead of 5)

19

Make it Pop Mini-Practice

Success Points (focus on the mastery of these points first):
1. Self-Interrupt mid-word (e.g., "Sixth grade, I need schol-)
2. Effectively use different methods to Make the Downshift and Upshift
Pop
3. Use Economy of Language

Constructive Feedback
(Next time try)
Self-Interrupt

Formal Posture

Neutral
Countenance

Quiet Power
Nonverbal
Gesture

Pausing mid-word (e.g., "Sixth grade, I need

schol-)
Pausing any movement and standing still
Extending the pause by a few seconds for
emphasis
Rolling your shoulders back to model for
students how they should sit
Facing the student who youre addressing
Pulling your chin in a bit more
Distributing weight equally on both feet

Making your expression firmer

Making your expression more neutral
Making your expression warmer (with a smile
and/or raising eyebrows)
Making more direct eye contact with the student

Speaking slower
Speaking in a lower tone of voice

Pausing/ simplifying your gesture(s)

Using a nonverbal gesture that Describes the
Solution (i.e. what TO do as opposed to what
NOT to do)
Slowing down your delivery of the gesture

20

Manage the
Upshift

Economy of
Language
(Round 3 Only)

Restarting the sentence that you Self-Interrupted

during
Returning to a more casual/upbeat instructional
tone

Giving your correction in fewer words

Eliminating the following words/phrases.

Strong Voice Layup Drill Feedback Cheat Sheet

Success Points (focus on the mastery of these points first):
1. Stand up straight/still when delivering direction(s)
2. Speaking lower, slowly, and quietly

Constructive Feedback
Next time try

Formal Posture

Nonverbal Gesture

Quiet Power

Rolling your shoulders back to model for students

how they should sit
Directly facing the student who youre addressing
Distributing weight equally on both feet
Crouching to enhance the privacy of your
correction
Keeping your hands at your sides or folding them
behind your back
Using a positive nonverbal (e.g., a thumbs up)
after the student complies
Delivering your correction with (or without) a
nonverbal gesture
Speaking slower
Speaking in a lower tone
Correcting with a whisper

21

Neutral
Countenance

Making your expression firmer

Making your expression more neutral
Making your expression warmer (with a smile
and/or raising eyebrows)
Maintaining direct eye contact with the student
until they follow through completely

Appendix Materials

22

Be Uncommon. Change History.

Body Language Dos and Donts

Reflection:
23

In which situations would you get more formal? When would you Add
Warmth?

Three Key Criteria

Persistence: When students persistently engage in off-task behavior

that they know they shouldnt, the teacher should opt to go more
formal. If it seems like the cause was benign distraction or a
misunderstanding, try correcting while Adding Warmth.

Visibility: If a students behavior isnt visible enough to disrupt

others learning, use your discretion about whether to show warmth or
go more formal; if the students off-task behavior is so visible that it
does disrupt learning, go more formal.

Intention(s): If a student is clearly testing your expectations, you

should project more formality. Exuding warmth in response to a student
who is clearly defying you could not only corrode your relationship with
him/her, it could damage your authority and credibility to the rest of
the class.
24

More Formal vs. Add Warmth Case Studies

Directions: Use the three key criteria (above) to complete the table below.
Scenario

Go More Formal
vs. Add Warmth?

My Reasoning

Go More Formal
vs. Add Warmth?
(Contd)

My Reasoning (Contd)

1) Afonte put his head down

on his desk three times
during the lesson. Five
minutes ago, you used a
non-verbal re-direct and
he sat up slightly. Now
his head is down again.

Scenario (Contd)

2) By the end of your

countdown, you notice
that all but two students
followed your directions
to drop their pencils and
track you. You respond,
We just need two sets of
eyes. Jamie immediately
drops her pencil and
tracks; Erin continues
writing for five more
seconds before doing the
25

same.

3) Will, a student who

normally struggles in
your class, begins to
proudly wave his paper in
the air at you during
Independent Practice (IP)
to show off the great
work he just completed.
The expectation is that
students raise their hand
if they want to speak with
you during IP.
4) When James, a struggling
reader who youve called
on to read aloud, has
difficulty pronouncing a
word, a peer named
Michael snickers at him
under his breath. James
and the rest of the class
dont seem to notice the
snickering and they
continue reading.
5) A student named
Raynelle drops his pencil
while youre teaching a
lesson, so he gets up out
of his chair to pick it up.
The expectations for
students when youre
teaching are: a) dont
have writing utensils out;
b) show a hand signal if
they need an extra
pencil; c) do not get out
of their seats.

Additional Videos Analysis Questions

26

BC.StrongVoice.GR8.Latto.'Warm formal.'Clip2330
What does Lauren do to exude warmth and formality?

BC.100%.GRK.Rumph.'Check.Eyes.'Clip2165
What does Brittany do to make her upshift especially legible?

BC.StrongVoice.GR5.McCue.'Mr. Bray's office.'Clip1472

Watch as Scott Goes Formal in the cafeteria. How does he effectively apply
and adapt the technique in a different setting?

BC.StrongVoice.GR10.Bogard.'Close that book.'Clip2327

What does Jon do to Go Formal while giving directions?

27