Doug Lemov's field notes

Reflections on teaching, literacy, coaching, and practice.

05.15.19 How Does Pacing Work? Ask Ben Esser!

Next year we’re re-working our Engaging Academics workshop to spend more time on the techniques teachers use to manage their Pacing–to make a lesson feel fresh,exciting and new even while it lingers on a key topic for a sustained period of time–to make learning substantive and rigorous but to also ensure sustained attention from students. This…


08.28.13 First Week Advice: Verbal and Non-Verbal Feedback with Do It Again

For many of us it’s the first week of school, a time when we focus on building healthy and positive routines for “how we do things” in school–from coming into the classroom to raising hands to supporting peers positively and respectfully to building off their ideas with classroom comments. One of the tools that’s most useful…


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.       https://vimeo.com/317080339   Some thoughts as you watch: We always try…