Doug Lemov's field notes

Reflections on teaching, literacy, coaching, and practice.

07.13.24 Better Questioning for Athletes Starts with Clear Principles of Play

  I’m prepping this weekend to narrate the audiobook version of The Coach’s Guide to Teaching… which basically means reading my own book. Obviously that means noticing a lot of small things I’d like to change. But also noticing some passages that, as I learn more, I see even more value in. Here’s one, from the…


05.22.24 A Quiet Presence Montage–And How To Find Out More

  “Quiet Presence” is the idea that going lower and slower with your voice is the best way to help students focus optimally, especially in those moments when their attention is just beginning to fray. In some ways that’s the opposite of what you might expect. It’s a common mistake in the early years of teaching…


05.06.24 Matt Lawrey and the Effort to Help Athletes Learn to Watch Better

  A few weeks ago I spent a day at Atlanta United’s Academy with Matt Lawrey, one of my favorite coaches and talent developers. In the afternoon we joined Will Bates, who was coaching the U15s, to experiment with a few ideas we are both interested in. We’ve talked in the past about trying to socialize…


03.06.24 Memo Sifuentes’ Halftime Framework for Young Athletes

  Memo Sifuentes coaches the u14s (and formerly the u12s) at Austin FC’s Youth Academy. I always find him incredibly thoughtful and intentional about the teaching part of his job. We’ve been talking a bit over the past year about game day coaching: what to do to maximize long-term learning at halftime, in pregame talks, during…