Synopses & Reviews
A comprehensive resource filled with the techniques that have proven it is possible to close the achievement gap.In this book, author Doug Lemov offers the essential tools of the teaching craft so that you can unlock the talent and skill waiting in your students, no matter how many previous classrooms, schools, or teachers have been unsuccessful. This must-have resource is filled with concrete, specific, and actionable classroom teaching techniques that you can start using in your classroom tomorrow.
Praise for Teach Like a Champion
"Doug Lemov knows that teachers can create powerful learning environments that will help all students make dramatic progress. With Teach Like A Champion, teachers across the country will be better prepared to wake up on Monday morning and help their students climb the mountain to college. This book provides more evidence that highly effective teaching is learnable—that many more teachers can draw from the tactics of their most successful colleagues in order to realize educational equity."
—Wendy Kopp, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Teach For America
"Doug Lemov's Teach Like a Champion is a breakthrough book that is both visionary and comprehensive. If you are a teacher who wants to increase the academic success of your students, you should read this book. If you are an administrator with the same goal, you must get this book into the hands of your teachers!"
—Lee Canter, author of Assertive Discipline
"Doug Lemov has captured in one place the specific, practical techniques used by the best teachers in some of our country's best urban schools. Any teacher, principal, or policymaker who is interested in what it takes on a classroom level to close the achievement gap should read this book."
—Dacia Toll, co-chief executive officer of Achievement First
"All teachers should own at least two copies of Doug Lemov's Teach Like a Champion, one for home and one for school, so that they are never far from the roadmap to excellence that lies within. Lemov pulls back the curtain to reveal that the apparent wizardry of America's most successful teachers is really a collection of clearly explainable and learnable techniques. This will certainly be one of the most influential and helpful books that any teacher ever owns."
—Dave Levin, co-founder of KIPP(Knowledge Is Power Program)
Review
"If school districts are going to demand so much of teachers, then the least superintendents and schools of education can provide is basic tools. There is more power in effective training than there could ever be in threats." (Boston Globe, March 23, 2010)
Review
"Drop the flashcards - grit, character, and curiosity matter even more than cognitive skills. A persuasive wake-up call."
—People Magazine "In this absorbing and important book, Tough explains why American children from both ends of the socioeconomic spectrum are missing out on these essential experiences. … The book illuminates the extremes of American childhood: for rich kids, a safety net drawn so tight its a harness; for poor kids, almost nothing to break their fall."
—Annie Murphy Paul, The New York Times Book Review "An engaging book that casts the school reform debate in a provocative new light. … [Tough] introduces us to a wide-ranging cast of characters — economists, psychologists, and neuroscientists among them — whose work yields a compelling new picture of the intersection of poverty and education."
—Thomas Toch, The Washington Monthly "Mr. Toughs new book, How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity and the Hidden Power of Character, combines compelling findings in brain research with his own first-hand observations on the front lines of school reform. He argues that the qualities that matter most to childrens success have more to do with character - and that parents and schools can play a powerful role in nurturing the character traits that foster success. His book is an inspiration. It has made me less of a determinist, and more of an optimist."
—Margaret Wente, The Globe and Mail "How Children Succeed is a must-read for all educators. Its a fascinating book that makes it very clear that the conventional wisdom about child development is flat-out wrong."
—School Leadership Briefing "I loved this book and the stories it told about children who succeed against big odds and the people who help them. … It is well-researched, wonderfully written and thought-provoking."
—Siobhan Curious, Classroom as Microcosm "How to Succeed takes readers on a high-speed tour of experimental schools and new research, all peppered with anecdotes about disadvantaged youths overcoming the odds, and affluent students meeting enough resistance to develop character strengths."
—James Sweeney, Cleveland Plain Dealer "[This] wonderfully written new book reveals a school improvement measure in its infancy that has the potential to transform our schools, particularly in low-income neighborhoods."
—Jay Mathews, Washington Post "Nurturing successful kids doesnt have to be a game of chance. There are powerful new ideas out there on how best to equip children to thrive, innovations that have transformed schools, homes, and lives. Paul Tough has scoured the science and met the people who are challenging what we thought we knew about childhood and success. And now he has written the instruction manual. Every parent should read this book - and every policymaker, too."
— Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit "I wish I could take this compact, powerful, clear-eyed, beautifully written book and put it in the hands of every parent, teacher and politician. At its core is a notion that is electrifying in its originality and its optimism: that character — not cognition — is central to success, and that character can be taught. How Children Succeed will change the way you think about children. But more than that: it will fill you with a sense of what could be."
—Alex Kotlowitz, author of There Are No Children Here "Turning the conventional wisdom about child development on its head, New York Times Magazine editor Tough argues that non-cognitive skills (persistence, self-control, curiosity, conscientiousness, grit and self-confidence) are the most critical to success in school and life....Well-written and bursting with ideas, this will be essential reading for anyone who cares about childhood in America. "
— STARRED Kirkus Reviews “This American Life contributor Tough (Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canadas Quest to Change Harlem and America) tackles new theories on childhood education with a compelling style that weaves in personal details about his own child and childhood. Personal narratives of administrators, teachers, students, single mothers, and scientists lend support to the extensive scientific studies Tough uses to discuss a new, character-based learning approach."
—Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
Teach Like a Champion offers effective teaching techniques to help teachers, especially those in their first few years, become champions in the classroom. These powerful techniques are concrete, specific, and are easy to put into action the very next day. Training activities at the end of each chapter help the reader further their understanding through reflection and application of the ideas to their own practice.
Among the techniques:
- Technique #1: No Opt Out. How to move students from the blank stare or stubborn shrug to giving the right answer every time.
- Technique #35: Do It Again. When students fail to successfully complete a basic task—from entering the classroom quietly to passing papers around—doing it again, doing it right, and doing it perfectly, results in the best consequences.
- Technique #38: No Warnings. If you're angry with your students, it usually means you should be angry with yourself. This technique shows how to effectively address misbehaviors in your classroom.
The print version includes a DVD of 25 video clips of teachers demonstrating the techniques in the classroom. E-book customers: please note that details on how to access the content from the DVD may be found in the e-book Table of Contents. Please see the section: "How to Access DVD Contents"
Synopsis
Easy-to-apply ideas for becoming an outstanding teacher
How to Teach Like a Champion is filled with proven teaching techniques that are designed to help teachers, especially those in their first few years, become champions in the classroom. These powerful techniques are concrete, specific, and are easy to put into action the very next day. Includes techniques and tips in the following areas
Setting high academic and behavioral expectations Structuring and delivering excellent lessons Engaging students in your lessons Creating a strong classroom culture Building character and trust Improving the pace of your classroom Helping students improve their reading skills
Written by Doug Lemov, an expert in urban education and school performance, this book will give new and experienced teachers the information they need to help their students succeed.
Synopsis
This resource is filled with proven teaching techniques that are designed to help teachers, especially those in their first few years, become champions in the classroom.
Synopsis
This special enhanced edition of Teach Like a Champion brings to life the 49 essential teaching techniques from Doug Lemov.In his best-selling book, Teach Like a Champion, Doug Lemov helps new and veteran teachers working with students of all ages become champions in the classroom. These powerful techniques are concrete, specific, and easy to put into action immediately.
In this enhanced edition of Teach Like a Champion, the reader will find all the great content in the original book but all 25 video clips are integrated and playable within the chapters. Read the technique description and see it in action immediately! The enhanced edition makes the invaluable content even more accessible and engaging. It's perfect for personal professional development as well as for use in group settings.
Among the techniques:
**Technique #1: No Opt Out. How to move students from the blank stare or stubborn shrug to giving the right answer every time.
**Technique #22: Cold Call. In order to make engaged participation the expectation, call on students regardless of whether they have raised their hands.
**Technique #35: Do It Again. When students fail to successfully complete a basic task, from entering the classroom quietly to passing papers around, doing it again, doing it right, and doing it perfectly, results in the best consequences.
Highlights of the enhanced edition include:
**A complete digital version of the print book.
**25 seamlessly integrated video clips of champion teachers demonstrating successful techniques with their students.
**A new bonus Video Introduction with author Doug Lemov. Hear Doug's suggestions on how to use the book, and why he thinks this new enhanced format of Teach Like a Champion is perfect for busy educators!
Synopsis
A foremost New Yorker and New York Times journalist reverses three decades of thinking about what creates successful children, solving the mysteries of why some succeed and others fail - and of how to move individual children toward their full potential for success.
Synopsis
Why do some children succeed while others fail?The story we usually tell about childhood and success is the one about intelligence: success comes to those who score highest on tests, from preschool admissions to SATs.
But in How Children Succeed, Paul Tough argues that the qualities that matter most have more to do with character: skills like perseverance, curiosity, conscientiousness, optimism, and self-control.
How Children Succeed introduces us to a new generation of researchers and educators who, for the first time, are using the tools of science to peel back the mysteries of character. Through their stories—and the stories of the children they are trying to help—Tough traces the links between childhood stress and life success. He uncovers the surprising ways in which parents do—and do not—prepare their children for adulthood. And he provides us with new insights into how to help children growing up in poverty.
Early adversity, scientists have come to understand, can not only affect the conditions of childrens lives, it can alter the physical development of their brains as well. But now educators and doctors around the country are using that knowledge to develop innovative interventions that allow children to overcome the constraints of poverty. And with the help of these new strategies, as Toughs extraordinary reporting makes clear, children who grow up in the most painful circumstances can go on to achieve amazing things.
This provocative and profoundly hopeful book has the potential to change how we raise our children, how we run our schools, and how we construct our social safety net. It will not only inspire and engage readers, it will also change our understanding of childhood itself.
About the Author
Doug Lemov is a managing director of Uncommon Schools and oversees its True North network. He is the former president of School Performance and former vice president for accountability at the State University of New York Charter Schools Institute. He also trains school leaders and teachers and has taught English and history at the university, high school, and middle school levels. Visit Doug Lemov at www.douglemov.com.
Table of Contents
DVD Contents ixForeword xi
Acknowledgments xv
The Author xix
Introduction: The Art of Teaching and Its Tools 1
PART ONE
TEACH LIKE A CHAMPION: THE ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES
1 Setting High Academic Expectations 27
Technique 1: No Opt Out 28
Technique 2: Right Is Right 35
Technique 3: Stretch It 41
Technique 4: Format Matters 47
Technique 5: Without Apology 51
Reflection and Practice 55
2 Planning that Ensures Academic Achievement 57
Technique 6: Begin with the End 57
Technique 7: 4 Ms 60
Technique 8: Post It 63
Technique 9: Shortest Path 64
Technique 10: Double Plan 65
Technique 11: Draw the Map 67
Reflection and Practice 69
3 Structuring and Delivering Your Lessons 71
Technique 12: The Hook 75
Technique 13: Name the Steps 77
Technique 14: Board = Paper 82
Technique 15: Circulate 84
Technique 16: Break It Down 88
Technique 17: Ratio 92
Technique 18: Check for Understanding 97
Technique 19: At Bats 104
Technique 20: Exit Ticket 106
Technique 21: Take a Stand 106
Reflection and Practice 108
4 Engaging Students in Your Lessons 111
Technique 22: Cold Call 111
Technique 23: Call and Response 125
Technique 24: Pepper 131
Technique 25: Wait Time 134
Technique 26: Everybody Writes 137
Technique 27: Vegas 141
Reflection and Practice 144
5 Creating a Strong Classroom Culture 145
Technique 28: Entry Routine 151
Technique 29: Do Now 152
Technique 30: Tight Transitions 154
Technique 31: Binder Control 157
Technique 32: SLANT 158
Technique 33: On Your Mark 159
Technique 34: Seat Signals 161
Technique 35: Props 163
Reflection and Practice 165
6 Setting and Maintaining High Behavioral Expectations 167
Technique 36: 100 Percent 167
Technique 37: What to Do 177
Technique 38: Strong Voice 182
Technique 39: Do It Again 191
Technique 40: Sweat the Details 195
Technique 41: Threshold 197
Technique 42: No Warnings 199
Reflection and Practice 201
7 Building Character and Trust 203
Technique 43: Positive Framing 204
Technique 44: Precise Praise 210
Technique 45: Warm/Strict 213
Technique 46: The J-Factor 214
Technique 47: Emotional Constancy 219
Technique 48: Explain Everything 220
Technique 49: Normalize Error 221
Reflection and Practice 223
8 Improving Your Pacing: Additional Techniques for Creating a Positive Rhythm in the Classroom 225
Change the Pace 226
Brighten Lines 228
All Hands 229
Every Minute Matters 230
Look Forward 231
Work the Clock 232
Reflection and Practice 233
9 Challenging Students to Think Critically: Additional Techniques for Questioning and Responding to Students 235
One at a Time 237
Simple to Complex 239
Verbatim (No Bait and Switch) 240
Clear and Concise 240
Stock Questions 241
Hit Rate 243
Reflection and Practice 245
PART TWO
HELPING STUDENTS GET THE MOST OUT OF READING: CRITICAL SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES
10 How All Teachers Can (and Must) Be Reading Teachers 249
11 The Fundamentals: Teaching Decoding, Vocabulary Development, and Fluency 263
12 Comprehension: Teaching Students to Understand What They Read 283
Conclusion: The End Is the Beginning 309
Appendix: Behind-the-Scenes Interviews 311
Index 325
How to Use the DVD 331