Doug Lemov's field notes

Reflections on teaching, literacy, coaching, and practice.

07.26.21 A TLAC 3.0 Excerpt: Joy Factor

Joy Factor is the last, but certainly not the least, technique in Teach Like a Champion. Like everything else in the book, I’ve rewritten it in the latest version and tried to make connections to what research tells us clearer and more direct. Here’s a snippet: We often feel the greatest joy when we feel belonging….


03.20.19 Sarah Wright Shows How Joy and Order Go Together

  I’m so happy to share this video.  We watched it recently at TLAC towers and have already started using it in our workshops. It’s of Sarah Wright, who teaches English at Chattanooga Prep in Chattanooga, TN, and one of the many things it reminds me of is something that is somehow counter-intuitive to many people:…


03.09.15 Joy Factor: Christina Fritz and the ‘Skip Counting Pep Rally’ (Video)

Joy Factor is one of the most popular techniques in Teach Like a Champion.  Who doesn’t want to have fun while they (and their kids) work? Who doesn’t want to have their students feel the joy of learning?  But while it’s popular and positive, Joy Factor can be a surprisingly tricky thing to get just right. …


03.12.13 TLaC Clips: Eric Snider’s Joy Factor (video)

I recently got a request for more examples of Joy Factor at the middle school level. As I was watching some great new footage from our pals over at Achievement First, I noticed this Joy Factor moment from AF Bushwick Middle School’s Eric Snider.         Some thoughts as you watch: We always try to…