MORE TLaC....the FIELD GUIDE

Today we reviewed how things are going. 

Then we read what Lemov has to say about the new book on TLaC ----  the Field Guide.

We were most intrigued by the following comments:

With this book teachers will be able to find and strengthen their signature skills. It’s true that no champion teacher is without weaknesses, even those who take our collective breath away. What champions have in common is a portfolio of five or six skills at which they excel. Of course the skills aren’t the same ones for every teacher—the combinations are as unique as the applications. But it’s these skills that drive much of their success. The lesson from this is: strengthen your strengths as much as your weaker areas, make your strengths exceptional, even while you broaden the range of areas where you have mastery.

AND

Given that there are 49 techniques I’m frequently asked, Where to start?

Every teacher and facilitator will approach this question differently. The way you move through the book and use it to enhance your teaching practice will be as individual as you are. Still, here are some initial thoughts:

If you wanted to begin with the two techniques that were most likely to revolutionize what I call “the culture of academic expectations” then I’d suggest you choose Cold Call and No Opt Out. But I realize not all teachers are looking for this kind of revolution as a starting point. In fact some of the best teachers argue that great classrooms rest on a culture of strong everyday routines that give teachers the power to teach efficiently and students the power to excel. These kinds of routines often free up astounding amounts of time for teaching. So, for many teachers starting with the techniques such as Entry Routine and Tight Transitions, in Section Five, numbers 28 through 35, makes a lot of sense. Another possible place to begin is with planning techniques such as Begin with the End and Double Plan.

I know my PE portfolio of skills will be different than science and different still than english, but similar to maybe band or home ec.