October+Meeting+Agenda+and+Handouts

Introduction and Setting High Expectations This book is about the tools of the teaching craft. More specifically… [it’s] primarily [for] those [teachers] in the inner city, that serve students born into poverty and, too often, to a rapidly closing window of opportunity. In these schools, the price of failure is high and the challenges immense. Teachers there work in a crucible where, most often, our society’s failures are paramount, self-evident, and overwhelming, //but also the kind of alchemy that changes lives can and does occur// (my emphasis) (2). Strategy vs. Technique: -A Strategy is -A Technique is
 * Defining our Terms and Getting our Focus:**

On Developing People: “It’s easy to slip into a ‘fixing what’s wrong mindset,’… but an alternative is to focus not on what’s wrong but on maximizing and leveraging strengths” (5).

Thus far, what are your strengths?

And in what specific ways do you need to improve?

We always talk about high expectations, but what are we talking about? And just how high are they? We had some important conversations this summer about this, I think, but now we have classrooms full of students who desperately need us to keep reaching higher and higher. And not, I repeat, not, lower, or waver, them. But keep raising them. So what exactly are your high expectations? Academically, and Behaviorally? And what are you doing to teach these expectations and //help// students get to them? (I use help as opposed to the usual “hold students accountable,” – think of the connotation. We should be more accountable, I think).
 * Framing Thoughts and Questions**:

The Techniques **1.** **No Opt Out** **Definition:** A sequence that begins with a student unable to answer a question should end with the student answering that question as often as possible. **Key Ideas:** Come back and repeat Formats: you provide the answer, student provides answer, you provide cue, student provides cue Useful cues: place where answer can be found, step in process, another name for term This should make it clear that not trying, or giving up, isn’t an option. **2.** **Right is Right** **Definition:** set and defend a high standard of correctness in your classroom **Key Ideas:** Hold out for all of it Answer the question Right answer, right time Use technical vocabulary **3.** **Stretch It** **Definition:** sequence of learning does not end with the right answer – push further **Key Ideas:** Ask why or how, for another way to answer, for a better word, for evidence, to integrate a new skill, to apply the same skill in a new setting **4.** **Format Matters** **Definition:** know the specific format you want for answers, in a complete sentence, grammatically, with labels, and demand it. It’s not just what students say, but how they say it. Use language of opportunity. **Key Ideas:** Complete sentences, grammatically, audible (voice), unit (naked). **5.** **Without Apology** **Definition:** Don’t apologize for anything you will teach, ever. Be excited and passionate. **Key Ideas:** Assuming something will be boring, blaming it, making it accessible


 * Discussion**: please look at number 6 on p. 56. Or we can do another if anyone has a specific one to go through


 * Reflection:** Please reflect in writing on what you found useful, and what you might start doing tomorrow in your classroom.