Doug Lemov's field notes

Reflections on teaching, literacy, coaching, and practice.

07.12.23 How Katie Jukes Builds Contagious Enthusiasm for Learning

    Last week I posted a really lovely video of Beth Peakman’s Cold Call and Wait Time at Rivers Primary Academy in Walsall, England.  Today I get to share another video from the same school. This one is of Katie Jukes’ year two maths lesson. It shows how Katie builds contagious enthusiasm for learning.   Katie…


06.27.23 Details of the Turn and Task with Denarius Frazier

  You’re probably familiar with Turn and Talk… it’s one of the most popular techniques in Teach Like a Champion and you can delve into some of the details here, here and here. This is a video of a variation on that idea: Turn and Task. Instead of discussing a relevant question students complete a task-say…


03.13.23 Community on the Carpet: Engagement and Belonging in Mandie Avila’s Classroom

TLAC team-member Beth Verrilli recently watched footage of Mandie Avila’s first grade lesson at MOSAICS Public School in Caldwell, Idaho and shared these notes: One thing that struck me about Mandie’s lesson was how effectively she engages all of her learners, and authentically creates a sense of belonging in her classroom. You can watch some highlights…


09.16.21 The First Turn&Talk of the Year in Hannah Cook’s Classroom

Turn and Talk is a powerful tool in the classroom. Done well it can cause the room to crackle with energy and give students the opportunity to rehearse and develop ideas in a smaller setting before sharing them with the whole group. Watch, for example, how the energy in these three Turn&Talks (that’s Denarius Frazier, BreOnna…