My apologies for the delay in this post. The next chapter is overwhelming in both length and content, and this chapter has fallen right as I transition from my first student teaching placement to the second. Saying good bye to my second graders, I now enter into a third through fifth grade special education room that also goes into general education classrooms as collaborative teachers. But more on that in a later post.
Structure and Delivery, the name of this section in Lemov's book, refers to how the content is given to the students, the techniques, and the ways to make the content most comprehensive and retain-able. Due to the exhaustive length of chapter three, I am going to break this down into more readable sections with headers about the technique to which Mr. Lemov refers.
I/We/You Do
This technique is also known as direct instruction (notice the little di, not the big DI). For those who are not oriented to this teaching method, there are many studies that show the effectiveness of direct instruction, especially for students with disabilities. Lemov is accurate in noting that many students in classrooms are let go to do independent work without a chance to see a positive model, or practice and feedback. Many times when this happens, teachers are shocked when a student does not perform as well as they are expected, but common sense should dictate that if a student is not given guided practice with feedback while they are learning, then misconceptions and misunderstandings will persist.
The Hook
What a popular term! I have heard 'hooks' mentioned since my very first education class ever, when I was an undergraduate at James Madison University. Not much to elaborate on here.
Name the Steps
While this seems simple, there are parameters in naming steps that students will take to solve the problem at hand. Acronyms are helpful, such as RAP, PEMDAS, KWL, etc. to help students remember steps, something to hang their hat on, if you will. But an acronym taht is too long or with steps that are too complicated will cause a student to feel defeated before they begin. For example, using an acronym for the steps in the scientific method? Sounds great. Then try it. 1. Ask a question; 2. Do research; 3. Form a hypothesis; 4. Plan a procedure; 5. Implement the experiment; 6. Record the date; 7. Analyze the data; 8. Draw a conclusion. (Hint: A song or another technique to remember this may be a bit more conducive. Just in case you've never tried to teach this and you were wondering.) And that's why you have to think about what steps are good, what steps are useful, what steps are most important, then how you can frame those steps in a memorable way. Good point, Lemov.
Board=Paper
This technique has proven true with the little elementary school students I teach. When I write a word on the board, they ask where it goes. If I give them skeleton notes, they ask how to spell what goes in the blank, and then when I write it, they again ask which blank the word goes in, even if the students repeat after me the entire sentence with the blank filled in with the word.
Common sense, such as, 'Oh, the next word goes in the next available blank,' does not compute yet, and the only way to ameliorate all the questions and concerns, as well as preserve that precious classroom time, is to make sure that the board looks exactly like the sheet of paper in front of the students, and that I am filling in the paper at the same pace as the students.
Circulate
What a complicated, multidimensional section! There are mini sections in this section!
Position of Power- Power stance most effective way to hold a students attention without overpowering the student. Feet hip width apart, shoulders down and relaxed, arms fully extended but hands clasped behind your back. This stance isn't defensive (such as when you cross your arms in front of you) and not domineering (such as when a teacher stoops over a child), but allows the child to know you are confident, and what you have to say is important. In addition, when speaking to a child, you must get on their level so that you can look them face to face. Leaning over them overpowers the student, and being lower than the students causes most students to lose a visual of what you are saying or doing (unless stadium seating is the structure of the classroom; then they have nowhere else to look, really).
Since this chapter is so long and there is so much to take in, this is to be continued....
Reference:
Lemov, Doug. (2010). Teach like a champion. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Structure and Delivery, the name of this section in Lemov's book, refers to how the content is given to the students, the techniques, and the ways to make the content most comprehensive and retain-able. Due to the exhaustive length of chapter three, I am going to break this down into more readable sections with headers about the technique to which Mr. Lemov refers.
I/We/You Do
This technique is also known as direct instruction (notice the little di, not the big DI). For those who are not oriented to this teaching method, there are many studies that show the effectiveness of direct instruction, especially for students with disabilities. Lemov is accurate in noting that many students in classrooms are let go to do independent work without a chance to see a positive model, or practice and feedback. Many times when this happens, teachers are shocked when a student does not perform as well as they are expected, but common sense should dictate that if a student is not given guided practice with feedback while they are learning, then misconceptions and misunderstandings will persist.
The Hook
What a popular term! I have heard 'hooks' mentioned since my very first education class ever, when I was an undergraduate at James Madison University. Not much to elaborate on here.
Name the Steps
While this seems simple, there are parameters in naming steps that students will take to solve the problem at hand. Acronyms are helpful, such as RAP, PEMDAS, KWL, etc. to help students remember steps, something to hang their hat on, if you will. But an acronym taht is too long or with steps that are too complicated will cause a student to feel defeated before they begin. For example, using an acronym for the steps in the scientific method? Sounds great. Then try it. 1. Ask a question; 2. Do research; 3. Form a hypothesis; 4. Plan a procedure; 5. Implement the experiment; 6. Record the date; 7. Analyze the data; 8. Draw a conclusion. (Hint: A song or another technique to remember this may be a bit more conducive. Just in case you've never tried to teach this and you were wondering.) And that's why you have to think about what steps are good, what steps are useful, what steps are most important, then how you can frame those steps in a memorable way. Good point, Lemov.
Board=Paper
This technique has proven true with the little elementary school students I teach. When I write a word on the board, they ask where it goes. If I give them skeleton notes, they ask how to spell what goes in the blank, and then when I write it, they again ask which blank the word goes in, even if the students repeat after me the entire sentence with the blank filled in with the word.
Common sense, such as, 'Oh, the next word goes in the next available blank,' does not compute yet, and the only way to ameliorate all the questions and concerns, as well as preserve that precious classroom time, is to make sure that the board looks exactly like the sheet of paper in front of the students, and that I am filling in the paper at the same pace as the students.
Circulate
What a complicated, multidimensional section! There are mini sections in this section!
Position of Power- Power stance most effective way to hold a students attention without overpowering the student. Feet hip width apart, shoulders down and relaxed, arms fully extended but hands clasped behind your back. This stance isn't defensive (such as when you cross your arms in front of you) and not domineering (such as when a teacher stoops over a child), but allows the child to know you are confident, and what you have to say is important. In addition, when speaking to a child, you must get on their level so that you can look them face to face. Leaning over them overpowers the student, and being lower than the students causes most students to lose a visual of what you are saying or doing (unless stadium seating is the structure of the classroom; then they have nowhere else to look, really).
Since this chapter is so long and there is so much to take in, this is to be continued....
Reference:
Lemov, Doug. (2010). Teach like a champion. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
