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Ngrrrrrrrr! The bell goes at exactly 10:40am. It is time for tea. Teacher Felistus of Brightburn Academy is standing in front of her class. Suddenly all the children in class stand up. She notices that some children at the back are still writing. She squares up and stands still. Square Up/Stand Still is one of the six principles of Strong Voice in Doug Lemov’s Teach Like a Champion book. Teacher Felistus and her colleagues are now making use of these strategies after they learned about them during our Leadership Training last year.
Below is an excerpt from the book describing the technique:
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Many times when we give a direction, we communicate to listeners that the direction is an afterthought because we appear to be doing something else while we give it. The message: something else is foremost in my mind relative to this direction. If you are passing out papers while you direct students, you suggest that your directions aren’t that important. If you stop moving, you show that there’s nothing more important that the directions you just gave. When you want directions followed, don’t engage in other tasks at the same time. It may even help to strike a formal pose.
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“Hands on top!” she says
The children put their hands on their heads and say, “Everybody stop!”
“Close your book. Put your pencils in your bag. All eyes on me. It’s time for tea. What are our class norms for break?”
“Follow the leader.” the children say clearly.
Like a well-oiled machine, the children close their books and put away their materials quietly. The student nearest to the door begins to form the line. All the children follow systematically until they are all standing in a line. They then walk slowly out of the class, pick their tea and then come back to class in an orderly manner.
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“Wow! How did you do that?” Coach Mercy is impressed and engages Felistus to learn more.
Teacher Felistus is more than ready to enlighten Coach Mercy. “All this came about because of the training we had on maintaining a strong classroom culture and setting high behavioral expectations. I have been working on implementing many of the strategies we learned. In the past, the class was not as organized as it is now. Students would jump out of class at the sound of the bell and I did not have control over their behavior. All that is now in the the past. The pupils are now happier and they like the new procedures and new culture. I am also less stressed, my classes run smoothly, my work is easier and I save a lot of time.
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Teacher Calvince has been listening to our conversation. Like Felistus, he is one of the school leaders in the Stawisha Institute Program. Not to be outdone, he tells us how he is striving to be a champion teacher as well. In the past, he only used questions to check for understanding. He has recently advanced his skills and he uses the formative assessment strategies he learnt in a past training to engage his learners and effectively check for understanding.
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“Instead of using the traditional question and answer methods, I now use group work, peer sharing among other methods. These new methods offer an interesting and fun way to check for understanding especially for Grade Two children. Children own what they have learned, and they also have a chance to learn from each other. I now feel like a real teacher because learning has become more meaningful!”
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Dignitas programs seek to restore the dignity of teachers by ensuring that they have the skills, knowledge and confidence to offer students a quality learning experience. Teacher Felistus and her colleagues are working hard to ensure that the students they serve receive the quality education they deserve.
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Contributors: Julie Ogonya & Mercy Munialo – Leadership Coaches
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