Teach Like a Champion Strategy Reflection Journal

Ellen DeWitt

ENTRY #1
Technique # 6

Begin With the End

Description: This technique is not executed live in front of the students.

However, it sets the stage for success once the students walk in the
door. Teachers need to think about their learning objective when they
teach, not just an activity. You have to think of what you want your
students to know or be able to do by the end of the lesson. By framing
the objective first, your objective is measureable and think about what
they will understand today, not what they will be doing today.
Objectives need to not only be measurable, but assessable. It is
important for teachers to know why they are teaching what they are
teaching. They need to think about how the outcome relates to what
they will be learning tomorrow and in their futures.
Observation/Implementation: In my third grade class at Tarrant, I
noticed my teacher implementing this strategy. Mrs. Morgan taught
reading, writing, and language. Every day, she wrote an objective on
the board for each of these three subject areas. She made this visible
for her students to see on the board so not only she would know what
the learning outcome would be, but the students would as well. For
example, one of the writing learning objectives was creating a
reflective narrative. Not only did Mrs. Morgan want her students to
create a reflective narrative, but she made sure her students knew
what a reflective narrative was and how to write an effective one. She
wanted to make sure her students knew how to write one and what a
reflective narrative was because they would be writing one on the ACT
Aspire test. I like that she made her learning objectives visible to her
students and she began with the end in mind.
Technique # 28

Entry Routine

Description: Technique 28 focuses on building classroom culture:

making your room, a place where students work hard, behave, model
strong character, and do their best. The Entry Routine technique is a

technique for how students enter the classroom. It is about making a

habit out of what's efficient, productive, and scholarly after the
greeting and as students take their seats and class begins. A typical
entry routine begins with students entering the room and picking up a
packet of materials from a small table just inside the door. Sometimes
packets are already at the students' desks. It is more efficient for
students to pick their packets up than teachers to hand them at the
door because this builds behavioral expectations. Students should also
have assigned seats and know where to sit instead of mull around
trying to decide where to sit while wasting time. Whatever students do
with homework should be done the same way, every day.
Observation/Implementation: I noticed my Kindergarten teacher at
Mountain Brook Elementary implementing this strategy during my Jan
Term. The students all came in the same way every day and knew
exactly what to do. The students put their folder in their cubbies in the
shelf in the hallway, lined up their backpacks up against the wall, and
put their lunch boxes on a different shelf in the hallway. The students
brought their library books from the day before inside and put them by
the sink, and on Fridays they brought back their sight word folder
inside. They immediately found a book to read and sat wherever they
liked until it was time for the morning meeting. The students knew
their routine because Mrs. Jinnette had explicitly showed them at the
beginning of the year. The students knew her expectations and
followed the same entry routine every day.

ENTRY #2
Technique # 28

Do Now

Description: This technique also focuses on building a classroom

culture. Students should never have to ask themselves what they
should be doing when they enter a classroom. Teachers should want
students to know what to do and there should be no ambiguity or
excuses from students. Do Now describes a short activity that is
written on the board or waiting at their desks before they enter the
room. Students are hard at work perhaps even before the teacher is in
the room. The students are productive at all times and ready as soon
as the teacher is ready to begin the day. Students should be able to do
the activity without any direction from the teacher and without any

discussion from the classmates and should only take three to five
minutes to complete. There should be a written product from the
activity and it should preview the day's lesson (there should be a point
to the activity).
Observation/Implementation: I noticed this being implemented in my
Kindergarten class at Mountain Brook Elementary, my third grade class
at Tarrant, and my first grade class at Trace Crossings. At MBE, after
the students unpacked, they answered the question of the day on the
daily news chart. Mrs. Jinnette would use this data to compare and
contrast the data and see which side, yes or no, had more votes. In my
third grade class at Tarrant, my teacher had a journal quick-write
written on the board every day that the students did first thing after
unpacking. In my first grade class at Trace Crossings, the students
immediately got their comprehension folders out of the bucket and
started working on them after their entry routine. This is something I
will definitely use as a teacher to get my students' brains ready for the
day and keep them busy at all times.
Technique # 19 At Bats
Description: This technique describes students practicing over and
over again until they can do it in their sleep. Students remember
things by muscle memory and repetition. They should have many at
bats as if they were practicing baseball. Nothing inscribes and refines
a skill so that it can be reliably applied under any circumstances like
at bats, so every lesson should have many of them. Students need
lots of repetitions during the you do of the lesson. Every lesson
should end with students getting at bat after at bat after at bat.
Students should go until they can do it on their own, use multiple
variations and formats, and have opportunities for enrichment and
differentiation.
Observation/Implementation: I noticed this being implemented in my
first grade classroom at Trace Crossings. Ms. Gartmans students
practiced math problems until they became easy for them. They would
practice the problems by playing games but also with worksheets.
They also practiced as a class with Ms. Gartman. Practicing the same
types of problems over and over again instilled memorization, muscle
memory, and repetition in the students. They knew how to do the

problems and seemed to truly understand the process, not simply the
product.

ENTRY #3
Technique # 48 Explain Everything
Description: This technique deals with building character and trust.
Explain everything describes a strategy where a teacher couches
conversations about misbehavior in language that explains to students
why it matters and how one action or behavior affects another. This
way, students understand the logic behind decision making and will be
more likely to both believe that the systems are in their best interests
and make rational choices on their own. The teacher explains his or her
reason for something, usually so the class can stay on task or get
moving throughout the day. Teachers need to explain why they do what
they do to their students.
Observation/Implementation: I noticed this being implemented in my
third grade class at Tarrant. Mrs. Morgan had two bathroom breaks for
her class: one in the morning and one after lunch. The whole class
went to the bathroom at the same time during these two bathroom
breaks. This way, it allowed for fewer distractions and more time to
learn. Students will not miss out on any learning if they all go to the
bathroom at the same time and no one leaves during the middle of a
lesson. One time I heard a student ask Mrs. Morgan if he could use the
restroom during the middle of a writing lesson. After the student said
no when she asked if it was an emergency, she let the student know
that if he decided to use the restroom now (when he probably didnt
even have to go in the first place), he would have silent lunch.
Although this might seem harsh, Mrs. Morgan explained her reason
why he should not go to the restroom since it wasnt an emergency. He
used this reasoning to base his decision for the rest of the day.
Technique # 45 Warm/Strict
Description: This technique also deals with building character and
trust. The degree to which a teacher is warm has no bearing on the
degree to which you are strict, and vice versa. Teachers can be warm
and strict. Teachers should be caring, funny, warn, concerned, and

nurturing, but also strict, relentless, and sometimes inflexible. Teachers

should think, Because I care about you, you must serve this
consequence. Teachers should be clear, firm, but also, positive,
enthusiastic, and caring. Having high expectations is part of caring for
and respecting someone. Students should know that consequences are
temporary and behavior can often be nonverbal.
Observation/Implementation: I noticed this being implemented in my
Kindergarten class at Mountain Brook Elementary. Mrs. Jinnette was
both a warm and strict teacher. She used a loud, firm voice when she
wanted her students to behave, but her students also loved her and
respected her. For example, one student had a behavior problem and
was in Mrs. Jinnettes class for the second year in a row. This student
was sent to the hall a few times if she was being disruptive during a
lesson. However, this student knew what she was doing wrong and
when I saw her hugging Mrs. Jinnette later in the day, I knew she
respected her and cared for her.

ENTRY #4
Technique # 8 Post It
Description: This technique deals with planning that ensures academic
achievement. In the post it technique, teachers post the learning
objective for the day in a visible location in their room. This should be
in the same location every day so the students can identify the
purpose for teaching and learning that day in as plain English as
possible. Students will work more intentionally towards their goal if
they know what they should be working for. Teachers can have
students discuss or write about the learning objective if they wish.
When visitors come to observe a lesson a teacher is teaching, it is
helpful if they can see what goal you are trying to instill in your
students.
Observation/Implementation: I noticed this being implemented in my
third grade class at Tarrant. Mrs. Morgan posted her learning objectives
for each of the three subject areas she taught, reading, writing, and
language arts, every day. She posted them on the board every day in
the same spot. The students knew what they would be working
towards and it was really helpful for me, as an observer, to know what

the students were supposed to be grasping. This way, I could tell if the
students were obtaining their learning objectives or not.
Technique # 9 Shortest Path
Description: This technique also deals with planning that ensures
academic achievement. With shortest path, the most direct route
from point to point should be taken to achieve a learning objective.
Teachers should forget the complex if something less clever will yield a
better result. Teachers should use evidence-based strategies, but
should not beat around the bush to get there. They should take the
quickest and most effective way to get students to achieve the goal.
They should do what gets the students there best and fastest. Teachers
should take the shortest path and throw out all other criteria. Teachers
should switch among a series of reliable activities with a variety of
tones and paces.
Observation/Implementation: I hope to implement this when I become
a teacher. Oftentimes I see teachers providing intense, time-taking
activities to get students to understand something. However, there is
often a much quicker way for both the students and the teachers to get
there. Teachers can spend less time preparing and students will
achieve the goal faster and have time to practice or move on to
something new. I hope to get the most out of my day and ensure that
students are learning effectively and not wasting any time.

ENTRY #5

Technique # 31 Binder Control

Description: This technique deals with creating a strong classroom
culture. Teachers should care enough about and demonstrate the
importance of what they teach to build a system for the storage,
organization, and recall of what the students have learned. Teachers
should have a required place for students to take notes. This should be
a required binder. Teachers can even keep this in their own classroom

so they dont get lost, damaged, or disorganized. The students can

take home what they need in a homework folder so they dont have to
take the binder home. Teachers should have a required format for
organizing papers within the binder so everyone is using the same
system and teachers can easily check it. Teachers can even number
notes so students have easy access and the teachers know what they
want the students to pull out.
Observation/Implementation: This is something I will definitely use if I
teach a higher-grade level. I especially like the numbering system for
notes. This way, teachers can just call out a number and the students
will know what to pull out. Teachers can say, youll need numbers 2432 for Mondays test. Take them home in your folder to study. This
way, students do not have to take home a big binder. This reduces the
risk of losing or damaging the binder. The binders will stay in my
classroom and the students can just take home what they need in their
smaller folder for the night. I like this idea rather than students having
messy notebooks that will get thrown away or lost. The teacher has
more control this way and there should be little discrepancy.
Technique # 32 SLANT
Description: This technique also deals with creating a strong classroom
culture. No matter how great a lesson, if students arent alert, sitting
up, and actively listening, teaching them is pointless. Students need to
be taught the behaviors and skills that help students concentrate,
focus, and learn. SLANT is an acronym that describes five key
behaviors that maximize students ability to pay attention. Sit up,
Listen, Ask and Answer questions, Nod your head, and Track the
speaker is what SLANT stands for. This is a quick saying teachers can
use to get a lot across. It is quick and efficient. It can be broken apart if
they just need to remind the class of one of the behaviors. Teachers
can also use nonverbal hand signals to prevent interrupting.
Observation/Implementation: This is something I noticed being
implemented in my Jan Term placement in my Kindergarten class at
Mountain Brook Elementary. Mrs. Jinnette used a similar phrase, eye
to eye, knee to knee when the students were doing turn and talks.
The students had to sit with their knees almost touching and looking
into their partners eyes. This way, they were listening attentively to

their partner and being still. Mrs. Jinnette could quickly say this phrase
and the students behaviors immediately improved and they were on
task.