Doug Lemov's field notes

Reflections on teaching, literacy, coaching, and practice.

09.24.23 We Loved These Examples of Lesson Preparation from Our Recent Workshop

TLAC team members Teneicesia White and Sadie McCleary recently returned from leading a workshop in Raleigh, NC, where the focus was on Checking for Understanding. While there they gathered some fantastic examples of Lesson Preparation from teachers who joined them!  Sadie was so inspired she shared this analysis: This example of Lesson Preparation from Paige, a…


06.07.23 Turning Understanding into Memory: Steve Kuninsky’s Retrieval Practice

Retrieval Practice is the act of recalling previously encountered information into working memory, or conscious thinking. Brief spurts of Retrieval Practice help students solidify information in their long-term memories, and, importantly, understanding is not learning until it is encoded in long-term memory. We recently had the pleasure of watching Steve Kuninsky conduct some Retrieval Practice with…


01.29.21 Beth Verrilli on Sadie McCleary’s (Online) ‘Culture of Error’

Team TLAC was thrilled to have ace teacher Sadie McCleary of West Guilford HS in Greensboro, NC join us in a video review meeting recently, bringing some footage of her online AP Chemistry classroom for us to watch together. Team member Beth Verrilli shared some observations about one particular thing we loved: We learned so much…


12.19.19 How Sadie McCleary Manages Student Participation (Video)

Happy Holidays, friends. I give you the gift of outstanding video to send you off into your winter break. This clip is of Sadie McCleary’s class. She’s a Chemistry teacher at Western Guilford High School in Greensboro, North Carolina. Generally this clip will inspire you- it’s such a beautiful example of how careful attention to building…