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.

Lesson Planning: Go with Your Gut

This summer I set goals of what I'd like to accomplish, both personally and professionally. One of these includes developing Essential Learning Outcomes (ELO's) and curriculum maps for my junior high classes.

You might be asking, why didn't the department have these development for a first year? I teach in a small school. Our department is made up of three teachers; when one retired, the school board and administration decided to create a junior high wing to the school. Three different teachers taught the three courses that I now teach. Yikes. 

All these teachers are great at what they do with very different styles. They also had four or more courses to prep for themselves, so they weren't able to leave the paper trails of their year long courses that they may have liked.

I felt...ecstatic. I loved this challenge! As a first year it was overwhelming, but the department gave me the freedom to develop my own curriculum for ALL of my courses. I wasn't completely thrown to the wolves. We held weekly PLC meetings where I could share what my plans were and align them with their courses.

After this first year, I have a greater understanding of my students, their background, and the curriculum expectations of the district, and now I am prepared to formally write out ELO's and curriculum maps for my second year. (And they'll probably need to be rewritten next summer.)

I have only one year under my belt, but I would still like to share my advice on lesson planning and how to survive if you have multiple preps.

1. Go with Your Gut:
In a few weeks, you will come to know your students and their background knowledge of your content area better than anyone else. If you have a feeling that they aren't sure when to use commas, add a mini lesson! I have overspent (not wasted, because it was still useful) many minutes, if not hours, pouring over papers and counting how many missed commas students have to decide if it needed to be taught. A mini lesson doesn't take long and never hurts!

If you realize they're interested in video games with strong antagonists, use these as examples and references in class. Once you realize this, don't spend too much time analyzing whether or not if the topic is academic enough. Going with your gut, you will hopefully find topics that engage them, and engagement leads to critical thinking.


2. Beg, Borrow, and Steal:
This advice was given to me by my own high school English teacher when talking about going into the field. Planning lessons for multiple preps in the day takes a lot of time, and even more when you create original materials for all of your lessons. It's more than okay to ask your coworkers and teachers from other districts for lesson materials. I learned this year that there are teachers EVERYWHERE who are willing to share and help you. Don't be afraid to ask. 


3. Be Over Prepared:
Some lessons will take less time than you expect and others will take longer than you expect. Be prepared for this. When lessons are short, have academic games ready to be pulled out. I have played Character Twenty Questions to review characters from our novel. For this year, I am preparing large Daily Oral Language sheets with packets of noodles to act as punctuation.

If lessons go longer than expected, remind yourself that you are teaching depth, not breadth. Then reflect on the lesson as to why it took too long. Was the material too complex or too many steps? Were students distracted by an extensive project that didn't demonstrate true understanding?


4. Repetition is Good:
Some may think students get bored with repetition, but many students need repetition to keep them organized and to reinforce knowledge, skills, and habits. If possible, keep your lessons organized in a similar manner, such as: Whole Group Instruction, Guided Practice, and Independent Practice. The time spent on each of these may vary from lesson to lesson, but it helps organize both you and your students. You should also present the same material in several ways. Perhaps you had students watch a video, then take notes, and have a discussion on the same topic. It's good for them to visit this topic three times! Don't worry about them being bored. Another example of repetition: Every Wednesday was vocabulary day. Students knew they needed to find a word with a specific prefix and define it at the beginning of the hour. 


5. Ask Your Students:
I don't recommend asking them what you should teach them (many would say, "Nothing."), but ask them about their interests. Can you use those topics for engagement? Does it relate to the content in anyway?

Also ask them if the material is confusing or clear. Ask them to give you a thumbs up or down based on understanding throughout the lesson. DO NOT MOVE ON IF THERE ARE SEVERAL DOWN. If there's some down thumbs, either continue with guided instruction or work with students one-on-one.

Use Exit Slips as formative assessments to student understanding. Their responses will guide you in whether repetition is needed or not. 

Lastly, ask your students what type of instruction or activities helped them understand the material the best. This helps you to know what strategies to continue using and increases student reflection of personal learning and learning styles.


I have learned that ELO's and curriculum continuously develope based on our students and their needs. These will never be finished. These will continue to adapt and grow. I am currently reading Mike Schmoker's Focus: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning to help me develop my work this summer. Perhaps a review of "Simplicity," "What We Teach," and "How We Teach" will be in my future.

I hope this advice is helpful to many new teachers out there. Don't be overwhelmed. Keep your excitement and passion on your sleeve.