Doug Lemov's field notes

Reflections on teaching, literacy, coaching, and practice.

07.17.13 Postcards from North Star’s Vailsburg Elementary

It’s summer.  Once, a generation ago, that meant people sent you postcards.  Remember them? Anyway, here are some bright beautiful post cards from the life you lead the other 11 months of the year … your school life.  These are beautiful moments and beautiful ideas from North Star’s Vailsburg Elementary.  Enjoy.  Write back soon. Yes, homerooms named for…


04.23.13 Little Tiny Parenting Insights

  Since I’m a parent people often ask me how writing Teach Like a Champion has affected my parenting.  The answer is: immensely.  I’m incredibly grateful to have had the chance to watch master teachers and motivators and inspirers at work for hours and hours and hours so I could try to copy and adapt at…


03.19.13 Annals of Coaching: Chris Condron’s Desert Island Drill

Well, soccer fans and coaching geeks, it’s time for the latest installment of Desert Island Drills, in which I ask a coach to describe the one drill they’d take with them to a desert island–assuming, I suppose, that they also had a team there that they were trying to prepare for long-term success.  Previous posts here and here.  This…