Teach Like a Champion Strategy Reflection Journal

ENTRY #1
Technique # 11- Draw the Map
Description: Draw the map is a technique primarily focused on the physical
aspects of your classroom, or the map of your classroom. This technique
suggests incorporating desk and student placement in your lesson planning.
It is true that in school children should be socializing, but at what point do we
put more of an emphasis on socializing over learning? That is the argument
made here. If students are put at tables for social purposes and then have to
inconveniently turn around or face away from their desk to see the teacher,
it may be time to rethink the classroom layout. This technique also mentions
the layout of things posted on the walls. The challenge at the end suggests
nominating 5 things to be taken off of your classroom walls.
Observation/Implementation: I think that the layout of a classroom is very
important because it can greatly support of hinder your lessons. In the
classroom I observe in at Trace Crossings, the students are at tables. The
tables face different directions and so do the students this setup is great until
those with chairs facing away from the board have to turn around in their
seat to see what is going on. Because this is not my classroom, I am unable
to change the positioning of the desks. However, I was able to factor it into
my lesson. Because students must turn around in their seats to see the
board I made sure that if I used the board it was for visualizations, not
something students would need to write down. I think this was helpful
because students did not have to keep turning back and forth to take notes
and write.

Technique # 12- The Hook

Description: Essentially, the hook is the engagement portion of the lesson. A
lesson hook is quick, interesting and engages students, priming them for the
learning to come during the lesson. The hook is not necessarily needed in
every lesson. In this technique they offered up the idea of using a hook for
the first lesson regarding a certain topic. The book gave many examples of
ways to hook students for the coming lesson. One of my favorite ideas is to
give the students a challenge. The challenge would be a problem or a

question regarding the content going to be taught in the lesson. This is a

good transition into the teaching part of the lesson.
Observations/Implementation: In the recent lesson I did with students, we
talked about how multiplication and division related. TO do this, we numbers
about ourselves to create math problems. I thought that a fun way to hook
students would be to let them figure out the math problems I created about
me. But first, to hook them I had them guess the answers (I got some
funny responses to how old they thought I was). By doing this, the students
were engaged in our discussion and eager to do the math problems to see if
they were correct.

ENTRY #2
Technique #18- Check for Understanding
Description: Check for Understanding is a two-part technique. First, you must
gather the data and check for student understanding of the data. The book
gives many strategies for checking for understanding. It stresses the
importance of gathering enough data and asking questions that will foster
students showing what they know. Once you have gathered information it is
important to quickly correct the misunderstanding. There are many different
ways to reteach or re-explain a topic. The book also offers many options for
this including teaching differently, teaching slower or teaching using more
repetition.
Observation/Implementation: Check for understanding seems to me like an
extension of the exit slip. This technique takes it one step farther by
explaining what to do once you have collected the information and analyzed
it. I have never had the opportunity to teach a lesson, analyze the data and
then correct any misconceptions. However, I hope in my classroom this will
be a daily strategy.

Technique #20- Exit Ticket

Description: This technique is a quick assignment that students complete
before they exit the room. An exit ticket can be just about anything, as long
as it is quick. This technique is meant to help the teacher check for
understanding. Once a teacher takes up all exit slips she should look at and

analyze student work. It is best if she then uses the data to alter her
instruction if need be. One piece of advice this book has is to actually hand
back the corrected exit slips and use it as a starting point for the next days
instruction.
Observations/Implementation: While I have not observed our implemented
this strategy, I have heard a lot about it. I love the idea of an exit slip as a
way to end a lesson. In this way the teacher is able to get a quick check of
student understanding. When writing my unit on Native Americans, I used
the exit slip strategy a few times. While I will not be teaching this unit, I think
it was beneficial for me to write it into lessons. It gave me a feel for what it
would be like to use it in my classroom.

ENTRY #3
Technique #22- Cold Call
Description: Cold Call is a way to engage students and facilitate individual
participation. In cold call, the teacher calls on who she wants to, when she
wants to. The teacher while noticing whose hand may be raised also
determines whom she wants to answer. This strategy is effective because it
prompts all students to form an answer because they know they could be
called on whether or not their hand is raised. This strategy also shows the
teachers control of the classroom by not allowing student action to
determine who answers the question. There are many ways that this strategy
to could be seen as harsh or punitive. However, if done correctly it fosters
student engagement and leaves the student feeling empowered and
confident in their ability to answer the question.
Observation/Implementation: I like the idea of using this strategy daily in a
classroom. I think that this is an effective was for teachers to guide
instruction. During my Jan term placement this year the teacher used this all
the time. It was great because she was able to pick who she wanted to
answer the question. It was also evident that students knew they might be
called on at any time; they were almost always ready to answer the
question. I used this strategy when teaching math lessons in my placement
at Trace Crossings. It is helpful for me because I can determine who I want to
answer my questions; I often call in different students for different reasons.

Technique #14- Board=Paper

Description: Students often have to learn how to be students as much as
they need to learn content and skills. This technique is focused on note
taking. In education, we scaffold everything. You cant just put a division
problem in front of student and expect them to solve it if they have not
learned division. So why do we expect students to take notes if they have not
been taught how to. At the elementary level, teachers must show students
how to take notes. One way to do this is to model note taking for students.
Eventually, they will learn how to take notes. But at first, we as teachers
must teach them how. The title of this strategy points to the idea that what
you write on the board should be what students write down.
Observations/Implementation: I have not seen or implemented this strategy
in a classroom. However, I think it is one that is very important to keep in
mind as I am writing my unit on Native Americans. As I was about to start
making my note taking guides for the unit I remembered this strategy. I
decided to wait to create my note taking guides until after I had written the
lesson plan so that I was sure I was giving the students proper notes based
off of what I would be teaching. While I have not seen this in action, I have
seen the negative effects of students who have not been taught proper note
taking techniques. I have observed this both in the classroom and with my
younger brother. I think note taking is an important skill and one that we as
teachers cannot forget about.

ENTRY #4
Technique #26 Everybody Writes
Description: Everybody writes, while at first seems like it might be a strategy
to help build writing skills, it is actually a strategy to increase discussion and
engagement. In this technique, the teacher gives students time to think
about their answer to a higher level question, and then write down their
thoughts and response. In doing this, the teacher is bringing about a few
different things. First, she is ensuring that all students answer the question,
even if they do not all share their answers with the class. Second, the
teacher is promoting deeper thinking; the students are all given time to truly
think about a response rather than just saying what first comes to mind. And
finally, the teacher is helping students lay the ground work for a meaningful
discussion.

Observation/Implementation: I love this strategy. After watching the video, I

was able to get a better grip of how it works within the classroom. I like this
strategy because I often find it much easier to write down my thoughts
rather than verbalize them. I think that I would use this strategy a lot within
my own classroom. I could even see myself teaching a lesson on the topic
and then using homework that night as the writing portion for this strategy.
Then, when students come in the next day proceed to have the discussion
based off of their homework question.

Technique #9 Shortest Path

Description: The Shortest Path Strategy is about finding the most efficient
way to teach. Just like the title of the strategy, the Shortest Path argues that
the best way to teach content or mastery of a subject is the quickest and
least complex option. While there are plenty of strategies for teachers out
there, it is the teachers job to look at the strategies, look at the content and
decided, What is the best possible way to teach this? The book argues that
the shortest path is not always the same path, it does not always take up the
same amount of time; the shortest path is purely the best way to mast an
objective.
Observations/Implementation: I think that this strategy is one that is not
easily observed unless sitting with a teacher while she makes her lesson
plans. Rather than a strategy, I think it would be best to call this a practice,
that strategies fall under. I hope to develop a teaching style that
encompasses this principle. Not only is the strategy the most efficient, but it
allows for much greater learning. This strategy will be helpful to keep in mind
while writing my unit as well as throughout my teaching career.

ENTRY #5
Technique #17 Ratio
Description: Ratio refers to the amount of time students spend actively
participating in the classroom rather than passively taking in information.
However, within the strategy, the author makes a very important distinction
between the think ratio and the participation ratio. It is not enough for
students to be participating in the lesson, there needs to be active critical
thinking. The description of this strategy, however, offers a warning about

the ratio. While a perfect ratio would be students completely facilitating their
learning with little input from the teacher, this would not be productive. This
is where the discretion of the teacher comes in to decide how much support
her students need.
Observation/Implementation: I would like to think that in every lesson I teach
I have a good ratio. However, I know that this can always be improved. I
observed a classroom with a constantly high ratio over my Jan-term class.
During the three weeks I was in there I was amazed by the level of thinking
the first graders in this class were doing. Much of this strategy reminds me of
the thinking activities we have been talking about recently in class. I will
keep the ration in mind as I am writing my unit. I think this will help to ensure
that students are participating in a productive way.

Technique #21 Take A Stand

Description: Take a stand involves asking students to either agree or
disagree with an answer given by one if their peers. There are many different
ways that you could use this technique within the classroom. But, what is
important is to follow up with questions and asking students to defend their
answers once they have take a stand. When using this strategy, it is
important to not make it routine. If you always ask for thumbs up when the
answer is wrong, students will pick up on this. When used appropriately, this
strategy promotes critical learning and student engagement.
Observations/Implementation: After reading this section I came to realize
that I have indeed been using this strategy wrong. For the most part when I
write this strategy into my lessons and I use it in the classroom I just ask for
a thumbs up and then move on. I agree that it makes much more sense to
then follow up with a why or explain your understanding. I hope to
implement this strategy in a more effective way sometime soon. I also liked
many of the variations the book gave, including: stomping, snapping and
standing up.