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…


04.09.21 ‘Phrasing Fundamentals’ for Questioning: A TLAC 3.0 Excerpt

I’m on the home stretch, I think- I’m wrapping up the manuscript of TLAC 3.0 this week which means it’ll be out in late summer. Meanwhile I’m going to start sharing some excerpts here on the blog. A couple of them are going to be major as the kids say, but I actually thought I’d start…


02.27.20 For Coaches: The Importance of Perception-Based Questions

Thanks to all the supportive folks who’ve been asking “Hey, how’s that coaching book coming?” The answer is: slowly. But it’s coming. I was chatting with a friend about how to ask better questions of athletes and it reminded me of a section on the importance of using questions to train athlete’s eyes. As Todd Beane…