The fourth and fifth chapters of the book “Teach Like a Champion 2.0” by Lemov (2010) offer insights into the lesson-planning techniques that can be of use for a teacher of mathematics as well as other disciplines. The fourth chapter focuses on planning as such while the fifth one described the structure of a lesson.
From the book, it is apparent that Lemov (2010) promotes the development of goal-oriented lessons that form cohesive units and effectively help to achieve the aim of their unit and course. The primary technique to create such lessons is beginning from the end (technique number sixteen), that is, from the objective and the desired outcome of every unit. Lemov (2010) explicitly states that the effectiveness of a lesson should be the primary criterion for its assessment, and I cannot disagree with this statement.
The author offers the illustration of a reading-related lesson, and it is relatively easy to come up with separate lessons that lack links for the example presented in the book. In mathematics, the planning of the objectives of the lessons and units is essential for the work, and ensuring that the previous topics are well-learned is also of great significance. As a result, the advice to pay attention to the information that was supposed to be mastered before a particular lesson (revising, refining, perfecting) is very suitable for mathematics.
The ideas that are related to the objective (to begin with it, make it measurable and manageable) are of interest, but I consider the suggestion of “posting” it for others to view to be extremely easy but handy in any classroom. Indeed, such an approach is likely to improve the student’s understanding of the aim of the lesson and, if designed appropriately, it might suggest the bigger pictures (unit or the course).
The twenty-first and twenty-second techniques appear to be pursuing the same aim of improving the quality and amount of information that is being provided to the students concerning the objective, topic, and structure of the lesson; apart from that, they are likely to make the aims and the lessons more manageable. The eighteenth technique (double-planning) appears to be a very student-centered approach, which is why it can be regarded with special interest. Also, I have considered the circulation techniques offered by Lemov (2010), and I plan to use them in practice as the advice appears to be most reasonable.
Finally, I recall that my mathematics teacher used to offer us tasks that were similar to a Do Now on a semi-regular basis. In general, I must say that the Do Now technique (number twenty) appears to be very simple in use, especially in a mathematics class as it may take the form of a problem to be solved. Also, as pointed out by Lemov (2010), a Do Now can be devoted to a previously studied topic or topics, which can make it an Exit Ticket (technique number twenty-six) for the lessons, which makes it even more useful for a classroom.
Concerning the way the book is presented, it is noteworthy that the ideas and techniques that are suggested by the author form a comprehensive system of advice, which can be illustrated by the way techniques interact (for instance, the way posting the objective corresponds to defining the steps or a Do Now can become an Exit Ticket). This aspect facilitates the understanding and integration of the techniques into one’s personal view of teaching. In general, I believe that the techniques, ideas, and considerations of Lemov (2010) that I have mentioned can be employed in my teaching practice and are likely to improve it.
Reference
Lemov, D. (2010). Teach like a champion 2.0 (2nd ed.). San Francisco, Calif.: Jossey-Bass.