Teach like a champion

Part 1: Teach Like a Champion – The Essential Techniques

Setting High Academic Expectations:
- Key Techniques:
  - No Opt Out: Ensure students can’t opt out of answering questions by cycling back to them after providing the correct answer.
  - Right Is Right: Only accept completely correct answers to reinforce high standards.
  - Stretch It: Push students to explain their answers or think more deeply about the content.
  - Format Matters: Emphasize the importance of correct grammar, structure, and style in students' responses.
  - Without Apology: Teach challenging content confidently, without apologizing or downplaying its difficulty.
Planning That Ensures Academic Achievement:
- Key Techniques:
  - Begin with the End: Start lesson planning by defining the desired outcomes.
  - 4 Ms: Objectives should be measurable, manageable, made first, and most important.
  - Post It: Display objectives clearly in the classroom.
  - Shortest Path: Teach in the most direct and efficient way possible.
  - Double Plan: Plan for what both the teacher and students will be doing at each step.
  - Draw the Map: Plan and visualize the physical movements of both teacher and students.
Structuring and Delivering Your Lessons:
- Key Techniques:
  - The Hook: Capture students’ attention at the beginning of a lesson.
  - Name the Steps: Break down complex tasks into specific, manageable steps.
  - Circulate: Move around the classroom to engage with students and maintain classroom control.
  - Break It Down: Decompose complex ideas into smaller, more understandable parts.
  - Ratio: Shift the balance of work so students do more of the thinking.
  - Check for Understanding: Continuously assess student understanding and adjust teaching accordingly.
Engaging Students in Your Lessons:
- Key Techniques:
  - Cold Call: Call on students regardless of whether they have raised their hands to maintain engagement.
  - Call and Response: Use group responses to reinforce learning and keep students attentive.
  - Pepper: Ask a quick series of questions to reinforce learning.
  - Wait Time: Give students time to think before answering.
  - Everybody Writes: Have students write responses to ensure participation.
  - Vegas: Include moments of excitement or surprise to maintain energy.
Creating a Strong Classroom Culture:
- Key Techniques:
  - Entry Routine: Establish routines for entering the classroom to set the tone for learning.
  - Do Now: Start with an activity that students can do immediately upon entering the classroom.
  - Tight Transitions: Ensure smooth, quick transitions between activities.
  - SLANT: Encourage students to sit up, listen, ask and answer questions, nod their heads, and track the speaker with their eyes.
  - On Your Mark: Prepare students to begin work quickly and efficiently.
  - Props: Use positive reinforcement to acknowledge student effort and achievement.
Setting and Maintaining High Behavioral Expectations:
- Key Techniques:
  - 100 Percent: Expect 100% compliance from students with instructions.
  - What to Do: Give clear, specific instructions to guide student behavior.
  - Strong Voice: Use a calm, assertive voice to command attention and maintain authority.
  - Do It Again: Have students repeat tasks until they meet expectations.
  - Sweat the Details: Pay attention to small details to maintain a disciplined environment.
  - Threshold: Greet students at the door to set the tone for the class.
  - No Warnings: Enforce rules consistently without giving warnings.
Building Character and Trust:
- Key Techniques:
  - Positive Framing: Phrase corrections and feedback in a positive way.
  - Precise Praise: Give specific, meaningful praise to reinforce good behavior.
  - Warm/Strict: Be both caring and firm to maintain a balance of discipline and support.
  - The J-Factor: Bring joy into the classroom to motivate and engage students.
  - Emotional Constancy: Maintain a calm, steady emotional demeanor.
  - Explain Everything: Ensure students understand the reasons behind rules and expectations.
  - Normalize Error: Teach students that making mistakes is a natural part of learning.
Improving Your Pacing:
- Additional Techniques:
  - Change the Pace: Vary the pace of lessons to maintain interest and focus.
  - Brighten Lines: Clearly delineate transitions between activities.
  - All Hands: Ensure that all students are engaged and participating.
  - Every Minute Matters: Maximize instructional time.
  - Look Forward: Keep students looking forward to what’s coming next.
  - Work the Clock: Use time strategically to motivate and guide students.
Challenging Students to Think Critically:
- Additional Techniques:
  - One at a Time: Encourage students to focus on one idea or problem at a time.
  - Simple to Complex: Progress from simple to complex tasks to build understanding.
  - Verbatim: Ensure students answer questions exactly as asked.
  - Clear and Concise: Teach students to communicate clearly and concisely.
  - Stock Questions: Use a set of prepared questions to probe deeper into student understanding.
  - Hit Rate: Focus on increasing the percentage of correct student responses.

Part 2: Helping Students Get the Most Out of Reading

How All Teachers Can (and Must) Be Reading Teachers:
- Overview: Emphasizes the importance of reading across all subjects and provides techniques for improving students’ reading comprehension and fluency.
The Fundamentals: Teaching Decoding, Vocabulary Development, and Fluency:
- Overview: Covers foundational reading skills, such as decoding words, building vocabulary, and developing reading fluency.
Comprehension: Teaching Students to Understand What They Read:
- Overview: Focuses on strategies for improving students’ reading comprehension, including questioning techniques and discussion prompts.

Conclusion: The End Is the Beginning

Summary: Reinforces the idea that the techniques in the book are tools to be used in a teacher’s ongoing journey to master their craft. Continuous practice, reflection, and refinement are key to becoming a champion teacher.

Part 1: Teach Like a Champion – The Essential Techniques

Setting High Academic Expectations:

Key Techniques:

No Opt Out: Ensure students can’t opt out of answering questions by cycling back to them after providing the correct answer.

Right Is Right: Only accept completely correct answers to reinforce high standards.

Stretch It: Push students to explain their answers or think more deeply about the content.

Format Matters: Emphasize the importance of correct grammar, structure, and style in students' responses.

Without Apology: Teach challenging content confidently, without apologizing or downplaying its difficulty.

Planning That Ensures Academic Achievement:

Key Techniques:

Begin with the End: Start lesson planning by defining the desired outcomes.

4 Ms: Objectives should be measurable, manageable, made first, and most important.

Post It: Display objectives clearly in the classroom.

Shortest Path: Teach in the most direct and efficient way possible.

Double Plan: Plan for what both the teacher and students will be doing at each step.

Draw the Map: Plan and visualize the physical movements of both teacher and students.

Structuring and Delivering Your Lessons:

Key Techniques:

The Hook: Capture students’ attention at the beginning of a lesson.

Name the Steps: Break down complex tasks into specific, manageable steps.

Circulate: Move around the classroom to engage with students and maintain classroom control.

Break It Down: Decompose complex ideas into smaller, more understandable parts.

Ratio: Shift the balance of work so students do more of the thinking.

Check for Understanding: Continuously assess student understanding and adjust teaching accordingly.

Engaging Students in Your Lessons:

Key Techniques:

Cold Call: Call on students regardless of whether they have raised their hands to maintain engagement.

Call and Response: Use group responses to reinforce learning and keep students attentive.

Pepper: Ask a quick series of questions to reinforce learning.

Wait Time: Give students time to think before answering.

Everybody Writes: Have students write responses to ensure participation.

Vegas: Include moments of excitement or surprise to maintain energy.

Creating a Strong Classroom Culture:

Key Techniques:

Entry Routine: Establish routines for entering the classroom to set the tone for learning.

Do Now: Start with an activity that students can do immediately upon entering the classroom.

Tight Transitions: Ensure smooth, quick transitions between activities.

SLANT: Encourage students to sit up, listen, ask and answer questions, nod their heads, and track the speaker with their eyes.

On Your Mark: Prepare students to begin work quickly and efficiently.

Props: Use positive reinforcement to acknowledge student effort and achievement.

Setting and Maintaining High Behavioral Expectations:

Key Techniques:

100 Percent: Expect 100% compliance from students with instructions.

What to Do: Give clear, specific instructions to guide student behavior.

Strong Voice: Use a calm, assertive voice to command attention and maintain authority.

Do It Again: Have students repeat tasks until they meet expectations.

Sweat the Details: Pay attention to small details to maintain a disciplined environment.

Threshold: Greet students at the door to set the tone for the class.

No Warnings: Enforce rules consistently without giving warnings.

Building Character and Trust:

Key Techniques:

Positive Framing: Phrase corrections and feedback in a positive way.

Precise Praise: Give specific, meaningful praise to reinforce good behavior.

Warm/Strict: Be both caring and firm to maintain a balance of discipline and support.

The J-Factor: Bring joy into the classroom to motivate and engage students.

Emotional Constancy: Maintain a calm, steady emotional demeanor.

Explain Everything: Ensure students understand the reasons behind rules and expectations.

Normalize Error: Teach students that making mistakes is a natural part of learning.

Improving Your Pacing:

Additional Techniques:

Change the Pace: Vary the pace of lessons to maintain interest and focus.

Brighten Lines: Clearly delineate transitions between activities.

All Hands: Ensure that all students are engaged and participating.

Every Minute Matters: Maximize instructional time.

Look Forward: Keep students looking forward to what’s coming next.

Work the Clock: Use time strategically to motivate and guide students.

Challenging Students to Think Critically:

Additional Techniques:

One at a Time: Encourage students to focus on one idea or problem at a time.

Simple to Complex: Progress from simple to complex tasks to build understanding.

Verbatim: Ensure students answer questions exactly as asked.

Clear and Concise: Teach students to communicate clearly and concisely.

Stock Questions: Use a set of prepared questions to probe deeper into student understanding.

Hit Rate: Focus on increasing the percentage of correct student responses.

Part 2: Helping Students Get the Most Out of Reading

How All Teachers Can (and Must) Be Reading Teachers:

Overview: Emphasizes the importance of reading across all subjects and provides techniques for improving students’ reading comprehension and fluency.

The Fundamentals: Teaching Decoding, Vocabulary Development, and Fluency:

Overview: Covers foundational reading skills, such as decoding words, building vocabulary, and developing reading fluency.

Comprehension: Teaching Students to Understand What They Read: