Archive for July, 2011
Techniques that Put Students on the Path to College – No Opt Out
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Hello again,
As I stated in my previous post, I’m no longer a classroom teacher. I’m working at a new school in administration. When I met my new principal, he gave me a book that he wants the staff to embrace as part of his vision to prepare the students for college.
It’s called, Teach Like a Champion – 49 Techniques that Put Students on the Path to College by Doug Lemov.
I started reading it, and found that the techniques mentioned in the book are very good. I found that I had already been incorporating some of them in my lessons without even knowing. Others mentioned in the book made me want to jump back into the classroom just to try them out.
It may be too late for me, but I’d like to share some of these techniques here on SITC so that new teachers can be able to use these techniques in their own classrooms.
I doubt I’ll be able to mention all 49 techniques, so I’ll highlight the ones I saw as especially noteworthy.
Here’s the first technique: No Opt Out
How many times have you asked a student a question only to get the blank stare in response?
A lot of times, we give the student a break, and move on to another student. We don’t want to embarrass the student in front of the class. I’ve done this.
The idea of this technique, however, is to not let the student off the hook when you ask him/her a question. He/She can’t opt out of answering the question.
Many times a student will not be able or not be willing to answer a question. They’ll say, “I don’t know,” and expect you to move on to someone else.
This technique ends with the student responding with the correct answer.
How do you do this?
One strategy you can use is to ask another student to answer the question. Then, return to the original student, and ask the question again.
The point is to make sure the original student completes the cycle by responding with the correct answer.
According to the book, “…the technique allows you to ensure that all students take responsibility for learning. It establishes a tone of student accountability, and it honors and validates students who do know the answer by allowing them to help their peers in a positive and public way.”
I think you have to be careful that you don’t humiliate the student. I wouldn’t spend too much time getting the student to answer. I wouldn’t even make a big deal about a correct answer. I would say, “Good job,” and move on to the next question.
The student, however, cannot be given the option of NOT answering the question.
I like this technique, because eventually every student in the classroom will know that in your classroom, they will be held accountable.
That is good practice for college.
What do you think? Too stressful on the student?
Let me know.
Thanks,
Sam
Well, it happened.
I was hired as a Student Advisor at another school.
What’s a Student Advisor? Thank you for asking.
A Student Advisor in my district is a position just above a teacher and just below an assistant principal. A Student Advisor is part of the administrative team in a school.
I decided it was time to take the leap into school administration, and to get there, I had to first become a Student Advisor.
My duties will include student scheduling, discipline, enrollment counts, student recognition, along with supporting programs such as English Language Development and the Associated Student Body.
I’ll have my own office, and I’ll be working closely with the principal and the assistant principal.
I had applied several times before for this position.
I had gone through the interview process each time, and each time I had been disappointed to hear that a friend of a friend of the principal had been hired.
Politics.
It was kind of disillusioning experience, so when I applied this last time, I didn’t have my hopes up too high.
I went into the interview, and I answered their questions about my philosophy on discipline and what I would do to lessen the achievement gap along with others, and I went home feeling good, but prepared to get another rejection letter.
Then I got a call back for a second interview. That’s when I started getting my hopes up.
As it turned out, out of 29 applicants, I was in the top TWO.
Finally, after spending almost the whole day waiting for a call from the district, the call came.
I was offered the position of Student Advisor.
I accepted, obviously, but when I hung up the phone, I was hit with feelings of joy and sadness.
I was happy and grateful that I was offered the job, but it meant that I would be leaving my school, my friends, and most of all, teaching.
I was excited about the idea of becoming an administrator, but having been a teacher for 23 years, it’s kind of hard to think that I won’t be teaching anymore.
The toughest part of leaving the classroom was the idea of leaving my friends at my old school. I’ve been on the same team with the same group of teachers for over 13 years. We have become family. We’ve been through so much, and now it’s over. Yes, we can still call and text and visit, but it’s not the same.
I’m going to miss the classroom. I love teaching. It’s what I do. It’s who I am, and I finally got to the point where I was pretty good at it.
Now, however, it feels like I’m starting all over again. I’m a rookie. I’m a student, learning how to do a new job.
I’m a little nervous, because my responsibilities are a bit daunting, but I’m also excited about making an impact in a new arena of education.
I think I’ll be alright.
I have the support of my new principal and the assistant principal, plus I have made so many friends in administration over the years who I know I can call if I get stuck. Plus, I have a world-wide community of bloggers and tweeters who I’ve connected with over the past year. I know where I can go for help.
What about SuccessInTheClassroom.com?
I’m glad you asked.
I’m going to continue adding tips and strategies for new teachers, but maybe not as frequently. Sorry.
I will be starting a new blog called: SchoolAdministrationMastery.com.
Cool name, huh?
Sounds like a site where school administrators can go to learn to be masters at their profession.
Actually, it’s a blog that will be describing my journey toward school administration mastery.
I hope you can stop by and take a look. It should be up sometime this month.
This isn’t good-bye, but I would like to say thank you to all those visitors who made SuccessInTheClassroom.com so popular. I hope my posts have been helpful in making your journey as a classroom teacher a more successful one.
Until next time,
Here’s to lots of Success in the Classroom!
Sam
Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/41878878@N00/
