Top Ten Techniques

I'm trying to do a bit of analysis of these 49 techniques and see what I think are the top ten techniques applicable to my college classroom.  This is going to be a tough exercise, I think.  Here is my first crack.  Results are not in any particular order.

1. Begin with the End: prepare lesson objectives.
2. No Opt Out: a student can't get by by saying "I don't know." 
3. Ratio: increase active participation in class.
4. At Bats: give students practice, practice, practice.
5. Take a Stand: make students commit to an answer.
6. Cold Call: call on students "randomly" around the classroom.
7. Explain Everything: explain your methods and choices to students.
8. Normalize Error: make getting answers wrong normal.
9. SLANT: insist students exhibit positive posture for learning.
10. Positive Framing: encourage your students with positive responses.

Honorable mentions: 

• Circulate
• The Hook
• Check for Understanding

Technique 49: Normalize Error

(Part of chapter 7, "Building Character and Trust")

Normalizing error means expecting wrong answers and then working toward correct answers.  It means normalizing the process of learning -- not understanding something, and then working toward understanding it.  It is important to expect wrong answers as normal.

Regarding wrong answers:

If making mistakes is normal, then the teacher does not have to chasten a student for making a mistake, nor excuse the mistake.

In fact, if wrong answers are truly a normal and healthy part of the learning process, they don't need much narration at all.  It's better, in fact, to avoid spending a lot of time talking about wrongness and get down to the work of fixing it as quickly as possible. (p 221, 222)

One interesting example in the book is when "Noah" gives a wrong answer.  The teacher doesn't identify the answer as wrong at all.  Instead, she says "What's the first thing we have to do in solving this kind of problem, Noah?" (This is an example of Name the Steps.)  When the teacher does this, she introduces a bit of suspense into the situation.  This gets students' attention focused even more, as they wonder if the answer is correct or not.

If you do need to identify an answer as incorrect, do it quickly and move on.  Just say "Not quite right," or "I know what you're thinking", and then move on to helping the class learn how to get the correct answer.

Regarding right answers:

For right answers, just acknowledge that the answer is correct (or praise the student if the answer is exceptional), and then move on.  A teacher should expect both correct and incorrect answers in the classroom, so making too big a deal about either is not good.


My response:

I use a Q and A format in my intro to programming courses: the students are expected to read a section of the textbook, and then when we meet on Monday, I give them a series of questions for which they need to know the answers.  Then, we go through the questions again and I give the answers.  Because of this format, the students often come up with wrong answers.  I find it difficult to find kind ways of saying, "No, that's not correct" without making the student feel dumb -- even though I don't think they are dumb.

I think I could do better by Explaining Everything about how I expect students to make mistakes -- it is normal.  So, making a mistake is nothing to be ashamed of.

Technique 48: Explain Everything

(Part of chapter 7, "Building Character and Trust")

The author says that Explain Everything means explaining to the students why certain decisions are being made and what the implications of students' decisions will be.  The teacher should explain why certain pedagogical activities will help the students learn the lesson better.  When a teacher does this, the students learn that the activities they have been asked to do having importance, and have been thought through.

But, the teacher should explain to students the implications of their decisions.  The author suggests that if a student often asks to go to the nurse, the teacher should explain to the student that missing class will hinder the student's ability to excel.  In this way, the teacher reminds the student that they are responsible for their own education, and that their decisions (going to the nurse) have implications -- perhaps long-term implications.

My response:

Explaining to students why certain activities in the classroom are important is a crucial technique at the college level.  This is especially true if a professor employs techniques (from this book, e.g.) that college students are not used to seeing in the college classroom.  The students are old enough to know that the professor has choices in how to teach, so when they are told the reasons for doing a certain activity, they can know what the professor is thinking, and they (hopefully) can be confident that the professor's methods have merit.

I have made a special effort to do this in my classroom, where I use Formative (or Diagnostic) Assessment techniques, and I don't lecture much.  This is new to students, and some find it very unusual and are very skeptical about it.

As for the second part of Explain Everything -- reminding students of the implications of their decisions -- I think this is important, too.  I don't do this enough in my classrooms.  I do emphasize to students at the beginning of a course that skipping class is a sure-fire recipe for a lower grade.  But, perhaps I could emphasize this kind of thing more during the course.

Technique 47: Emotional Constancy

(Part of chapter 7, "Building Character and Trust")

Two important things about emotions:

Modulate them.  Many students have a lot of baggage from crazy peer interactions, unstable home life, etc.  Constancy and reliability in the classroom makes for a secure place to work.
Tie your emotions to student achievement, not your own moods or the emotions of the students.  


Using your language carefully can make all the difference.  Saying "I expect better of this class" is more positive and less emotional than "I'm disappointed in you."  The latter ties the teacher's emotions to the students' performance.  The former does not (or not as much).

My response:

I have been guilty of making this mistake a few times.  I don't often get angry in class, but when I do, I'm sure I communicate my anger by tying it to students' behavior.

Technique 46: The J-Factor

(Part of chapter 7, "Building Character and Trust")

The J-Factor means Joy -- finding and expressing joy in teaching and learning.  Genuine Joy "is a key driver not just of a happy classroom but of a high-achieving classroom." (p 215)

The author lists five categories of J-Factor activities:

1. Fun and games. Spelling bees, relay races (to solve problems), etc., help students get excited about learning.
2. Us (and them). Building a special "secret" classroom culture helps students feel they are part of something special -- which motivates them to do well and not let down their teacher or their peers in this "club".  One can do this by having secret hand-signs, secret songs, unique names for each student, classroom rituals, etc.
3. Drama, song, and dance. "Music, dramatic play, and movement raise spirits and also establish collective identity." We all remember the words to songs from our childhood -- why not use this to help students memorize details from a lesson?  "To sing is to remember." (p 217)
4. Humor. Laughter helps learning.  'Nuf said.  My motto: don't take yourself too seriously, and be a little silly.  Students enjoy it.
5. Suspense and surprise. If you have a set routine in class, then occasionally mix it up.  Students will enjoy the suspense/surprise of wondering why things are being done differently this time.

Note that to do any of these, the teacher has to be genuine.  Fake joy isn't going to work.

My response:

In general, college professors take themselves too seriously!  Why not relax a little and enjoy.  Be a little crazy.

I used a song in my intro to programming class in Java to help the students learn how to write an entry point for a Java program: public static void main(String[] args).  That's a lot to memorize.  But, when I put it to "Row, row, row your boat", the students memorized it easily.  And, while they thought it was silly, they appreciated it when it came time to write code in lab or on a test.  I found them humming the tune to themselves!

I also teach my students the powers of 2 by putting it to "Bah, bah, black sheep".  "1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 // 64, 128, 256 // "...  The students enjoy it.

Technique 45: Warm/Strict

(Part of chapter 7, "Building Character and Trust")

Warmth and strictness are not mutually exclusive.  A teacher can be warm or cold, strict or lax.  Some are cold and lax.  The best are warm and strict.

[Y]ou must be both: caring, funny, warm, concerned, and nurturing -- and also strict, by the book, relentless, and sometimes, inflexible. [...] It's not, "I care about you, but you still must serve the consequence for being late," but, "Because I care about you, you must serve the consequence for being late." (p 213)

When a teacher is firm and loving, the message is that you care about the student and about their attaining excellence.  You indicate that "having high expectations is part of caring for and respecting someone."

Some quick ideas:

• Explain to students why you're doing what you are.  (See Explain Everything, coming up.)
• Distinguish between behavior and people.  ("You are doing well", not "You are good.")
• Demonstrate that consequences are temporary.  Never hold a grudge.
• Use warm, nonverbal behavior.  E.g., put your arm on someone's shoulder when you deliver bad news (the student having to redo an assignment).

 My response:

I think this may be one of the most important techniques in this book -- surely in the top 10.  As a professor at a smallish Christian college, this is exactly how I want me students to remember my classroom.

Technique 44: Precise Praise

(Part of chapter 7, "Building Character and Trust")

We have all heard that positive reinforcement is stronger than negative reinforcement, in the classroom (and in the home).  "Most experts say it should happen three times as often as criticism and correction." (p 210)

Doug Lemov offers four guidelines for using Positive Praise:

• Differentiate acknowledgement and praise.  The best teachers differentiate expected work from exceptional work.  Expected work is acknowledged, while exceptional work is praised.  Describing what the student did or thanking the student are good ways to acknowledge the student's work.  Students who do exceptional work deserve to be praised.  "Praising usually carries a judgment in addition to a mere description: 'Fantastic work, John!'  'Shayna's really done something amazing!'" (p 211)
  
  The author argues that conflating these two circumstances is counterproductive.  When you praise a student for just doing what is expected of everyone, then you lower the standards in your classroom.  You cause students to wonder if one student is less capable than others, so that he gets praised for doing what is expected of everyone.  Finally, you devalue the times you do offer genuine praise.

"Recent research demonstrates that students have come to interpret frequent praise as a sign that they are doing poorly and need encouragement from their teacher.  They see cheap praise as a marker of failure, not success." (p 211)

• Praise (and acknowledge) loud; fix soft.  Correct less-than-exception behavior quietly -- even non-verbally, if possible -- but acknowledge correct behavior openly.
• Acknowledge and praise hard work, not being smart.  Working hard is something everyone can do.  Being smart isn't.  If you acknowledge and praise hard work, you encourage all students to strive for that praise.
• Praise must be genuine.

My response:

This is good stuff.  I need to work more on distinguishing between acknowledgement and praise.  I don't think I have ever praised someone for being smart, but I do something praise students for just doing what is expected of them.