Jordan Johnson

Teach Like a Champion Strategy Reflection Journal

Entry # 6

Technique #3 Stretch It

Description: This technique pushes a teacher to take correct answers and ask
students to expand and add depth to their answer. This is good to do when you
think/feel that students already have some background information about the
content. By having students stretch out their answer it is making them think deeper
about the content and allows them to draw connections.

Observation/Implementation: In my first grade class that I am observing now at
Trace Crossings, I see this a lot. Ms. Young is constantly asking them to think more
in depth about their answer. She feels it is important for them to start drawing
connections so that she knows that they are learning and not just memorizing.

Technique #39 Do It Again

Description: This technique is about repetition. Repetition is the one way to be sure
that students understand what you expect and that it is done to your standards. This
technique means that even if students complain about how many times they have to
go over something you cant give in and not make them do it. This is the way you
help set those high academic standards/expectations.

Observation/Implementation: I see this ALL the time in EVERY classroom that I have
been in. One example in my class that I am observing now at Trace Crossings is the
Daily News. Every day they do Daily News in their class and Ms. Young has 4
students every day, these students stay the same every week for each day. They tell
Ms. Young a sentence about what they are doing that day, have done already that
week, or are going to do later in the week. Each day she goes over the news for the
day and each wee she has a different focus. This past week it was the short E sound.
They go over every sentence every day and they pick out all the es and decide if that
is a short e, long e, etc. This repetition really makes the content stick in their heads
and by the end of the week they are pros at deciphering the different es.









Entry #7

Technique #8 Post It

Description: This technique says that teachers should post the objectives of the day
on the board so that your students know exactly what is on the agenda for the day
and what to expect. It is easier to put these objectives up on the board because it will
let the students know exactly what to expect and it will stop them from asking you
every five minutes what they are going to be doing.

Observations/Implementations: I see this being implemented in Ms. Youngs class at
Trace Crossings. She posts on the board everyday what they are going to be doing
for the day. She also keeps them on a schedule, which I have learned is important
for first graders because they have a set way the day goes and if they stray from it, it
can become chaotic. If students know what to expect it will keep them more focused
on the task.

Technique #9 The Shortest Path

Description: This technique focuses on having teachers take the shortest path to
the objective. Lemov believes this is the most effective way for students to learn. He
realizes that there are so many new approaches to teaching however he believes
that you dont need to fluff things up. It is easier for student to learn if you are to
the point and straight forward.

Observations/Implementations: I have seen this in every classroom that I have
observed in. I think that all teachers realize that you have to get straight to the point
especially with elementary school students because you only have their attention
and focus for so long. You have to make the most of their attention span and make
sure that they are learning the content. Ms. Young does a great job of getting the
content across without wasting time. I see this especially in math, she is really
concise with everything she does and has a well thought out plan as to how she is
going to attack each lesson.













Entry #8

Technique #10 Double Plan

Description: This technique says that as a teacher you should double plan, which
means you must not only plan what you will do during a lesson but what the
students will do during the lesson as well. This means that you must know what
types of interactions your students might have to your lesson and you need to know
ways that you are going to respond.

Observations/Implementations: I think that in my classes I have gotten used to
double planning because when we are writing lesson plans we have to be so specific
on the lesson and script out what the students might say or do. I think that this helps
prepare us for double planning when we are teachers. I have talked to Ms. Young
about this and she anticipates what the students might say or do during the lesson.
This is a technique that comes with time and practice.



Technique #11 Draw the Map

Description: This technique requires the teacher to know his/her students because it
refers to controlling the environment by wisely grouping students through the
seating chart. This means that you know who can sit by each other and work
together and who cannot.

Observations/Implementations: I have seen this in my classroom at Trace Crossings.
Ms. Young knows who can work together and get a long and who absolutely cannot.
She makes sure that the students who cannot work together sit no where near each
other both at their tables and when they are on the rug. It is usually pretty easy to
tell who can and cannot work with one another. Ms. Young told me that you can tell
who the students who are going to cause trouble are on the first few days of school.














Entry #9

Technique #13 Name the Steps

Descriptions: This technique is about the teacher breaking down the tasks into steps.
It is like the metaphor of a great teacher being like a great coach, a coach wouldnt
just through their team out there and see how they do. The coach breaks down
what the team needs to do into steps. That is exactly what a teacher needs to do
the tasks of an assignment should be clearly explained in smaller steps for the
students to understand.

Observations/Implementations: I have seen this happen in every lesson at Trace
Crossings that I have observed Ms. Young teach. She never just throws her children
out there and expect them to know what to do. She breaks down every lesson into
smaller steps so that the students understand what is expected of them. Especially
in math, since math has concrete operations to how to solve problems she uses
smaller steps in order to get the big sum.

Technique #15 Circulate

Descriptions: This technique involves the teacher creating a classroom so that she
can constantly be moving around. This means that the classroom design must allow
her to move unhindered and be able to circulate the classroom freely. This
technique is more for the teacher to be able to walk around and keep an eye on what
the students are doing as well as if students have a question the teacher can get to
them faster.

Observations/Implementations: I see this technique in Ms. Youngs classroom. Her
room is very well organized and there is so much space to walk around. She also
has her students keep all of their bookbags and jackets on hooks outside of the
classroom so this means they are not on the floor and the floor is clear of everything
so she is never hindered when walking around. The classroom is also set up to
where there is a lot of room for the students to work on the floor and spread out for
centers and workshops.












Entry #10

Technique #21 Take a Stand

Descriptions: This technique encourages students to have opinions and to take a
stand on their opinion. This is important because it makes students start to form
opinions. Once students form opinions it is important that they follow through with
their opinion and not let others persuade them to change how they feel.

Observations/Implementations: Ms. Young always encourages her students to form
their own opinions about every question that she asks. She allows every student to
answer questions and think about their answer. She also has students use hand
signals for when they agree with what the student said. This allows for the other
students to be able to show if they agree or disagree and allows them to take a stand
for their own opinion.

Technique #37 What to Do

Descriptions: This technique ensures that the teacher is very explicit in explaining
what it is that they want their students To Do. Meaning that there is no question
in what they students should be doing. Teachers need to explain the steps and be
repetitive so that all students understand and comply with what is going on in the
classroom.

Observations/Implementations: Ms. Young does a great job of this technique.
Students always know what they are to be doing in the classroom at what time. She
often repeats herself several times and that is not because they are not listeningit
is because she is being explicit and wants to know that EVERY student is aware of
what they are supposed to be doing at a specific time. It also helps that they follow
pretty much the same schedule everyday so there is rarely any confusion as to what
they should be doing.