Teachers and Students Need "Focus"

After my FIRST formal observation review with my principal (which was not as terrifying as I expected), he gifted me with a copy of Mike Schmoker's text Focus: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning. Thankfully, he told me that I didn't need to read it immediately, but to save it for my summer reading. Woo...it's like he saw the terror on my face of "How will I have time to read this?"

I found a lot of points that I agree with throughout this text. Granted, I also use a lot of these strategies. Below you will find summaries of Schmoker's main points that hung with me and how they have (and haven't) worked for me in my classroom.

Lesson Planning:

Schmoker argues that there are four important aspects of a quality lesson: clear learning objectives, teaching/modeling/demonstrating, guided practice, and checks for understanding/formative assessment (53-4).

During new teacher orientation, my principal sent out an example lesson plan format. I didn't know it until I began reading this book, but it's the format suggested by Schmoker. Theoretically, I love this format! I think it makes logical sense and provides consistency through lesson plans. 

If you like it, make a copy!

Link to Lesson Template  


This is the form that I try to use for all of my lessons, but sometimes it doesn't tie up in a nice bow for me. For example, some lessons take multiple days so I don't spend a significant amount of time demonstrating EVERY class period. However, I have found that it helps me better organize time in my classroom.


Formative Assessments:

Please allow me to summarize Schmoker's points on good habits of teachers using formative assessments:

1. circulate around the room2. randomly call on students3. have students indicate level of understanding through hand motions4. have students use dry erase boards to respond to questions (54).

When reading this, a swell of pride appeared in my chest. I do all of these! Sometimes I wonder why I even have a comfy chair, but then a Friday rolls around where my feet are sore and I like to scoot my chair around the room. 

One of my tips for number two, randomly calling on students, is to use index cards. During the first week of class, I ask students to make an index card with their name written on it with a drawing that represents their personality (later this is a reference for symbol). On the back, I ask the students to write three facts about themselves that they would like me to know about them. I keep this in a pouch and use them to randomly draw student names to answer questions. They also work wonderfully for quickly creating work groups in class based on who is present.

My students are also very familiar with the thumbs up, thumbs down, or thumbs sideway prompt during lessons, especially when demonstrating or lecturing. This is simple and doesn't require me to replace slips of red, yellow, and green paper on desks when they've "mysteriously" disappeared. 

Schmoker also advocates for "interactive" lectures (68). To me, this basically means that during lectures, or note-taking--if you prefer, you take a few minutes after presenting a block of information to have students revisit the information through writing, pair sharing, or question and response. This sounds great! It'll keep the students from falling asleep for too

Personal annotations

long periods of time.

Terrifying Expectation:

Despite the many great things that I found in this book, there was this major concept that I could not help but balk at. Please read the quote below:

In general, for every English course, I would recommend that teams establish standards that approximate the following, for all students:

• About 15-20 books and plays, depending on length and lexical density
• Multiple poems and short stories (perhaps 5-10 each) 
• 20-40 newspaper/magazine/online articles

These should be divided sensibly among the following categories:

•  Fiction (imaginative literature and poetry--about 40-60 percent).
• Nonfiction/literary nonfiction (biographies, memoirs, true stories--about 40-50 percent, of which 25-40 percent can be self-selected).  (Schmoker 116)

My jaw dropped to the floor, and I'm almost certain I read this three times. At first I wrote a note to myself in the margins: "As a grade level team they read this much throughout all courses, right?" Now that I've reread this, yet again, I realize, alas, no.

This summer I've been developing my own curriculum maps. (Once I feel that they are successful by a 2nd year status, I may share my process for this.) Designing year long curriculum is intimidating! I look at my computer screen and wonder, "How will I get through this much?" 

I don't know about you, but the shortest time I spent on a single novel was three weeks. The rest took longer. If I could get through a book length every three weeks, we would still only read twelve books. How on earth do we have TIME to read this much and still incorporate a minimum of two discussions and two to three writings per week? Don't forget the one to two presentations per semester. Yikes!

Schmoker explains that most of this reading should be done in class (123). That would be awesome! However, when class periods are forty-eight minutes, my students can typically only read fifteen pages each class period. This is equivalent to twenty-five minutes of reading time. That leaves twenty minutes for bellwork, instruction, and writing/discussion. Again...Yikes!

Questions I still have:

1. How long should a lesson be?
In math, it's easy to break equations and problems down to multiple steps or level of difficulty so that a lesson (hopefully) lasts a single class period. Why is it that I have difficulty getting English lessons to do so? I consider it a GREAT day when seventh graders have a single paragraph written in twenty minutes (hopefully with a topic sentence and quality supporting details; a great transition is bonus!). Is it still considered good practice to have lessons last multiple days? I try to refresh students with mini-lessons or a review to get them started.

2. Regarding calling on random students, what should teachers do about students who refuse to answer or show signs of anxiety?
Personally, I stole a trick from one of my college professors, good ole British Lit. Professor Hamrick, and give my students one pass. They have to use it wisely. However, I still have some students who don't want to share so they'll quietly answer or refuse to answer at all. The perfect answer is to have a classroom climate where the students all feel as if they can share their thoughts without fear of criticism from me and their classmates.

To read more about Mike Schmoker's work, visit his website here. 

Note: This text also discusses authentic literacy, writing, and discussion.

How a Music Minor Helps Me Teach

As I continue to read Mike Schmoker's curriculum book Focus, I reflect on my own practices in the classroom and what makes a good teacher. According to Schmoker, a good teacher repeatedly uses an organized lesson plan format that allows for large group instruction that uses student progress before moving on to guided practice and finally, independent practice. 

I agree that strong instruction does make a good teacher, but there are also many other attributes that an effective teacher possesses. Part of this includes being able to connect with students and create relationships. Relationships require the teacher to often be patient and understanding from where their coming from and where they want to go. Teachers have to be patient when they are asking for formative assessments and realize that their students aren't ready to move on.

I admit, school came easily to me, so when students have difficulty understanding, I could easily get frustrated. This especially came through when I helped my high school classmates with their math homework. How did I learn to become patient? 

My mother invested in music lessons for my siblings and I at a young age. I was obsessed with learning how to play guitar. The unfortunate reality is that music does not come easily to me. I watched student after student progress faster and farther than I could. All those times that I become frustrated with my friends for not understanding math and now I can relate.

Being able to relate to my students has allowed me to be more patient. When my students can't help but vocalize, "I don't get! This is too confusing," I've learned not to take it personally and not to rush through the confusing. So what does a teacher do in this situation?

1. Calm the the students down. I tell them that it's okay to be confused, explain how confusion can lead to greater understanding, and that I understand their confusion.

2. Slow down. Don't rush through the confusion. Instead, take your time. Use the confusion as an opportunity to complete teacher-think-aloud. Walk students through the confusion, and don't be afraid of being confused yourself.  Show students how to struggle through difficult assignments or topics. 

3. Be patient. Think back on a time when you were frustrated and confused. That's how our students may be feeling.

4. Last, but not least: Congratulate your students for persevering through a difficult assignment. Acknowledge that they've worked hard.