Teach Like A Champion Strategies Rachel Cason

Entry 1
Strategy #4: Format Matters

Description: This strategy emphasizes the importance of using correct grammar and complete
sentences at every opportunity. Teachers should make a point of correcting grammar throughout
the school day, not just at writing time. Even though some slang language may be common in a
student's dialect, it is important to teach students to distinguish between formal and informal
language. Students must understand that formal, grammatically correct language is necessary for
writing college and professional essays, and they need to start learning these skills at a young
age. Encouraging correct grammar in every subject area will help students get used to using good
grammar in their writing.


Observation/Application: My teacher at Trace has shifted the focus of Daily News toward using
correct grammar. At the beginning of the year, she wrote their sentences for them, but now they
have the responsibility of writing sentences by themselves. They then go through the sentences
as a class to point out any mistakes that need to be corrected. This discussion is very interactive
for students, and they make the corrections, as opposed to the teacher telling them what is wrong.
The teacher uses this time to emphasize the importance of correct grammar in writing, which
translates to better use of grammar in the rest of their writings in other subject areas.



Strategy #7: 4 Ms

Description: According to this strategy, each objective a teacher creates should be manageable,
measureable, made first, and most important. A manageable objective is one that sets high
standards for students but is still reasonable for their age and ability level. This M also
accounts for the appropriate time needed for content mastery. A measureable objective is one that
can be assessed in some way to check on student achievement. Objectives must be made before
the lesson is taught. This way, the teacher knows what exactly to teach in order to reach that
objective. Finally, objectives must focus on the most important content and skills needed to get
students ready for college.


Observation/Application: When I write objectives for my lesson plans, I try to incorporate these
four Ms. I like that the objective is one of the first things on our lesson plan outline because that
forces me to make them right at the beginning of my plans. For my unit objective, I tried to think
about how to take the standard and put it into a manageable scope and sequence. I also wanted to
make sure I could create an assessment that would measure students achievement of that
objective, and I will soon be working on questions for that assessment. After looking at a lot of
information about the 1920s, I tried to choose the content for my objectives that would be most
essential to my students understanding of the culture and changes during that time.



Entry 2
Strategy #15: Circulate

Description: While students are working or while the teacher is teaching, the teacher should
move around the room to monitor students' work and behavior. It is important to break the
plane, the imaginary line that separates the teacher's part of the classroom from where the
students sit. If the teacher does not take ownership of the entire room, the students will. Teachers
must also be mindful of the patterns they follow as they walk around the room. They should
move in systematic but not predictable patterns, meaning that students shouldn't know when the
teacher will make it to their area, but they should be aware that the teacher could come at any
time. The teacher should also engage students as he/she walks by commenting on their work or
behavior.


Observation/Application: I use this strategy in the classroom even when my teacher does not. I
have found that circulating this way is necessary not only for answering students questions and
keeping them on task, but also for monitoring their social interaction and behavior. I noticed
recently that some students have a difficult time playing at the games math center because they
are paired with students they dont get along with, which means they spend their workshop time
arguing instead of learning. Circulating through the classroom can help the teacher determine
how to group students for learning to be most effective.



Strategy #25: Wait Time

Description: This strategy encourages teachers to pause after asking a question to give students
more time to think about their answers. Mary Budd Rowe discovered that teachers typically only
wait about one second before calling on a student, but the answers a student can prepare in that
short amount of time are not as reflective and thought-out as they could be. Research shows that
even increasing the wait time to 3-5 seconds helps students incorporate more evidence into their
answers and increases the number of students willing to answer questions aloud. Teachers should
narrate their wait time so that students will stay on task and understand why the teacher is
waiting.


Observation/Application: I used this strategy recently when I was asked to teach a math game
called Missing Numbers. I used the ELMO to project a 100 Chart on the board, and then I
covered five numbers using pennies. The students had to figure out which numbers I had hidden
using clues from the chart. After covering the numbers, I told the students not to yell out any of
the missing numbers right at first. They had to silently look at the board and give me a thumbs-
up sign when they had an answer, but I did not immediately call on anyone. I tried to allow
enough time for every student to figure out at least one of the missing numbers before I asked for
answers.



Entry 3
Strategy #30: Tight Transitions

Description: One change that would greatly benefit teachers would be if they could make their
transition times run more smoothly and efficiently. According to research, tight transitions could
result in as many as 35 additional hours of instruction time each school year! Students should
know exactly what is expected of them during transitions so that they are not tempted to play
around. Directions must be simple and clear, with a beginning point and an ending point, and
must be something that students can remember. With time and proper instruction, students will
become conditioned to making transitions tight, and teachers will have more time to devote to
teaching rather than management.


Observation/Application: One transition that I have helped with this year is the transition from
lunch to recess. A small group of students has to stay behind each day in the cafeteria to sweep
and clean the table, so I stay with this group until they are finished. The teacher makes sure the
students know who has this responsibility at the beginning of each week, and they know the
after-lunch routine. Because they have been given clear directions, they can work independently
(under my supervision) while the rest of the class transitions outside. The clean-up committee
then comes after they have finished their responsibilities.



Strategy #39: Do It Again

Description: This strategy requires that students repeat classroom procedures if they do not
perform them well the first time. This creates a high standard of achievement, rather than the
idea that adequacy is acceptable. Each time this strategy is used, the procedure ends with
success, which is what students are most likely to remember. It is also an easy punishment
technique because it doesnt require calling parents or sending students to the office. It is quick,
immediate, and effective.


Observation/Application: While teaching a lesson about communities, I asked students to raise
their hands to give me answers to the questions I asked. At first, they were good about showing
me a thumbs-up sign or raising their hands when they had something to say, but they forgot to do
that after a while. When it started to be a problem, I stopped them and reminded them that they
needed to raise their hands or they werent going to be allowed to answer. This reminder got
them back on track and showed them that I was serious about my instructions.




Entry 4
Strategy #49: Normalize Error

Description: This strategy encourages teachers to be careful how they handle incorrect answers
from students. Instead of chastising or belittling students when they get an answer wrong,
teachers should ask students to simply try it again. This way, class time is not wasted and
students are not embarrassed. Likewise, teachers should make correct answers a normal part of
class. Students should be acknowledged for the correct answer, but they should not be lauded as
smart in front of the class just because they got a correct answer. Teachers should strive to
make both correct and incorrect answers a normal part of the learning process.


Observation/Application: I have tried to use this strategy to make correct answers normal as
well. I am tempted to praise students when they get a correct answer, and positive feedback is a
good thing, but I want to avoid calling them smart just because they got an answer correct. We
had a substitute the other day who told the students she knew they could understand a concept
because she knew they were smart, and I thought it might be better if she had told them that they
could do it if they worked hard. I think an important part of normalizing error is realizing that
errors can be corrected though hard work.



Strategy #37: What To Do

Description: This strategy describes the procedure for handling students who are noncompliant,
whether this happens because they have misunderstood the teacher's directions or because the
student simply refuses to do what he or she is told. In both cases, the solution is to make
directions clear and specific. Instead of telling students what they should not be doing, teachers
should provide orderly and direct instructions for what they should be doing. If a student still
fails to comply, the teacher should firmly give specific instructions that show that the teacher is
in control.


Observation/Application: One problem in my clinical classroom is that students get off-task
during workshop times. They know what the instructions are because they have been the same all
year long, but they sometimes prefer to do their own thing instead of follow directions. I have
handled this by walking over to their group and asking them, What are you supposed to be
doing right now?. This serves as a simple reminder of their instructions, and it helps them focus
on the task at hand.


Entry 5
Strategy #46: The J-Factor

Description: This strategy encourages teachers to help students find joy in their work by keeping
the classroom energy positive and happy. Teachers could incorporate games into instruction, use
us language that makes everyone feel included, or use drama, song, and dance to liven up the
classroom. Teachers should also use humor, suspense, and surprise to make class interesting and
make students feel that learning is fun. They are more likely to be engaged if they are having fun,
so it is important to keep the classroom joyful.


Observation/Application: My teacher keeps the classroom atmosphere joyful by featuring
students each week. During the students turn, he or she can make a poster collage about
him/herself to hang in the hallway, and he/she gets to share a favorite book and special object
with the class. For instance, this weeks Star of the Week got to bring his dog to visit the class!
These sharing times make each student feel valued and appreciated, and they also provide
opportunities for students to have fun learning about each other.



Strategy #17: Ratio

Description: According to this strategy, the teacher should never do all the talking during a
lesson. Lessons should involve a balance of instruction and feedback from the teacher and
participation by the students. As students get ready, they should take on more and more of the
responsibility during lessons, with the teacher asking more questions and the students doing
more of the thinking and responding.


Observation/Application: I recently taught a lesson about leaders, which focused on the president
of the United States. My teacher suggested that I use a piece of chart paper to record students
ideas about what leaders do, so I wrote the question What do leaders do? in the center of the
page and wrote down things the students told me. I thought this was a great way to get students
engaged, activate their prior knowledge, and give them a chance to speak. Letting students
interact with the teacher, instead of making them listen to lectures all the time, helps them
contribute to their own learning and get more out of the lessons.