Acknowledgments xvii

The Author xviii

About Uncommon Schools xix

Introduction 1

A Map of the 49 Techniques 8

Section 1 Setting High Academic Expectations

Technique 1 NO OPT OUT 11

Turn ‘‘I don’t know’’ into a success by helping students who won’t try or can’t succeed practice getting it right (and being accountable for trying).

Technique 2 RIGHT IS RIGHT 22

When you respond to answers in class, hold out for answers that are ‘‘all-the-way right’’ or all the way to your standards of rigor.

Technique 3 STRETCH IT 37

Reward ‘‘right’’ answers with follow-up questions that test for reliability, challenge students, and extend knowledge.

Technique 4 FORMAT MATTERS 52

Help your students to ‘‘format’’ responses to your questions grammatically, in complete sentences, audibly, and according to other worthy criteria.

Technique 5 WITHOUT APOLOGY 65

Get beyond labeling what students need to learn as ‘‘boring,’’ out of your control, or too remote or hard for them. Keep it rigorous, not watered down.

Section 2 Planning That Ensures High Academic Achievement

Technique 6 BEGIN WITH THE END 73

Progress from unit planning to lesson planning. Define the objective, decide how you’ll assess it, and then choose appropriate lesson activities.

Technique 7 4 MS 82

There are four criteria for an effective lesson plan objective: Manageable, Measurable, Made first, and Most important.

Technique 8 POST IT 89

Display your lesson objective where everyone can see it and identify your purpose.

Technique 9 SHORTEST PATH 92

In planning lessons, find the most direct and effective route by which students can reach a goal.

Technique 10 DOUBLE PLAN 97

As you plan a lesson, plan what students will be doing at each point in class.

Technique 11 DRAW THE MAP 103

Consciously design and control the physical environment in which you teach, including seating arrangements.

Section 3 Structuring and Delivering Your Lessons

Technique 12 THE HOOK 110

Introduce material to your class in a captivating, inspiring, and exciting way.

Technique 13 NAME THE STEPS 114

Break down complex tasks into steps that form a path for student mastery.

Technique 14 BOARD = PAPER 121

This is a method by which a teacher models and shapes how students should take notes in order to capture information he or she presents.

Technique 15 CIRCULATE 125

Move strategically around the room during all parts of the lesson.

Technique 16 BREAK IT DOWN 134

When a student makes an error, provide just enough help to allow her to ‘‘solve’’ as much of the original problem as she can.

Technique 17 RATIO 148

In some classrooms, teachers do nearly all of the cognitive work. The aim of Ratio is for students to do progressively more of it themselves.

Technique 18 CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING 163

While you teach, constantly assess what your students understand. Correct misunderstandings as quickly as you can.

Technique 19 AT BATS 179

Succeeding twice at a skill won’t bring mastery. You get to real mastery on the twentieth iteration. Or the fiftieth. Or the hundredth. Give your students lots of practice in learning and mastering knowledge or skills.

Technique 20 EXIT TICKET 185

End each class with an explicit assessment of your objective that you can use to evaluate your (and your students’) success.

Technique 21 TAKE A STAND 190

Get students to exercise their own judgment of their peers’ answers. Doing so builds engagement, healthy skepticism, and confidence.

Section 4 Engaging Students in Your Lessons

Technique 22 COLD CALL 195

Call on students regardless of whether they’ve raised their hands.

Technique 23 CALL AND RESPONSE 211

You ask (call); the class answers in unison (response). Do it to build energetic, positive engagement and to spread the work around the room.

Technique 24 PEPPER 227

Pepper is fast-paced cumulative vocal review that builds energy and actively engages the whole class.

Technique 25 WAIT TIME 233

Allow students time to process before answering. If they aren’t productive with that time, narrate them toward being more productive.

Technique 26 EVERYBODY WRITES 245

Prepare your students to engage rigorously by giving them the chance to reflect in writing before you ask them to discuss.

Technique 27 VEGAS 251

Vegas is the sparkle, the fun that brings students together while progressing toward your learning objective.

Section 5 Creating a Strong Classroom Culture Strength

Overview to Section 5

THE IMPORTANCE OF ROUTINES 257

Strong routines are the backbone of an efficient classroom. And students take pride in knowing how to do things the right way. But getting there is easier said than done. Here’s what we’ve learned about the ‘‘how’’ for techniques 28 through 35.

Technique 28 ENTRY ROUTINE 261

Entry Routine is what students do as soon as they enter the classroom. This technique covers how to make it and other routine tasks automatic to free more time for teaching.

Technique 29 DO NOW 267

A Do Now is a short activity you have written on the board or placed on students’ desks for them to do as soon as they enter the classroom.

Technique 30 TIGHT TRANSITIONS 271

Maximize time and energy for learning by instilling tight routines for transitioning from one class activity to another.

Technique 31 BINDER CONTROL 281

Require students’ notes to live in a binder that you manage actively and protect from loss, damage, or disorganization.

Technique 32 SLANT 284

SLANT comprises five student behaviors that boost their ability to pay attention: (1) sit up straight, (2) listen, (3) ask and answer questions, (4) nod your head, and (5) track the speaker.

Technique 33 ON YOUR MARK 288

Everyone in class should be ready at the ‘‘starting line’’ with any needed materials when you begin the class.

Technique 34 SEAT SIGNALS 292

Teach students to use signals to get permission to attend to necessary business (bathroom, pencil sharpener, and so on) without distracting the class.

Technique 35 PROPS 295

Engineer whole-class positive reinforcement for students who demonstrate excellence.

Section 6 Setting and Maintaining High Behavioral Strength Expectations

Technique 36 100% 300

Expect 100% compliance, 100% of the time, 100% of the way. But get it with finesse.

Technique 37 WHAT TO DO 319

Use specific, concrete, sequential, and observable directions to tell students What to Do, as opposed to what not to do.

Technique 38 STRONG VOICE 333

Affirm your authority through intentional verbal and nonverbal habits, especially at moments when you need control.

Technique 39 DO IT AGAIN 354

Give students more practice when they’re not up to speed—not just doing something again but doing it better, striving to do their best.

Technique 40 SWEAT THE DETAILS 363

Even minor physical details of the classroom and personal appearance can signal and reinforce high expectations.

Technique 41 THRESHOLD 366

Meet your students at the door, setting classroom expectations before they enter the room.

Technique 42 NO WARNINGS 374

Warnings are the slipperiest of slopes. Effectively and appropriately intervene, to keep expectations high.

Section 7 Building Character and Trust

Technique 43 POSITIVE FRAMING 380

Narrate the classroom you want and show your faith in students even while making corrections consistently.

Technique 44 PRECISE PRAISE 395

Make your positive reinforcement strategic. Differentiate between acknowledgment and praise.

Technique 45 WARM/STRICT 408

Be both warm and strict at the same time to send a message of high expectations, caring, and respect.

Technique 46 JOY FACTOR 416

Celebrate the work of learning as you go.

Technique 47 EMOTIONAL CONSTANCY 426

Manage your emotions to consistently promote student learning and achievement.

Technique 48 EXPLAIN EVERYTHING 432

Help students see the big picture. Let them know how what you and they are doing in the classroom will advance them academically.

Technique 49 NORMALIZE ERROR 438

Getting it wrong then getting it right is the fundamental process of schooling. Expect it and communicate the normality of that process to students.

Index 447

How to Use the DVD 459

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