Personalized, Rigorous Instruction

How can a teacher prepare for the rigor of the Common Core?

When teachers become the masters of the standards, they are able to utilize the publisher as a resource instead of a manual. They can tailor the resources to meet the exact needs of their students and ensure that the rigor is always meeting that of the Common Core. Completing an intellectual preparation process for each standard teachers will ensure the teachers truly are the content experts. They can then use their heavy lifting techniques to ensure students are in a constant state of productive struggle.

Intellectual Preparation


Unpacking Standards Unpacking standards empowers the teacher, not the publisher, to become the experts.	Assessment Exemplars Don't teach to the test, but know how mastery will be expected to be demonstrated.	Predict Misconceptions Understanding the common errors will help you plan to address misconceptions explicitly.

Designing Targeted Questions Design lessons that have more questions than explanations to put the lift on the students.	Using Rigorous Lessons Vet teacher and publisher created resources for the most engaging and rigorous lessons.	Designing CFUs Add CFUs throughout the lesson to ensure you are able to adjust in the moment. Designing CFU Checkpoints One Pager

Heavy Lifting


Showing Work in ELA Using RACE Students tackle questions by restating, answering, citing evidence and explaining. Showing Work in ELA Using RACE One Pager	Showing Work in math Using CASE Attack questions by chunking work problems, annotating models, solving & explaining CASE Workshop CASE One Pager	Habits of Discussion Students prepare for college level discussions through SLANT, RACE and hand gestures. Habits of Discussion Workshop Habits of Discussion One Pager

Targeted Questions (Teach Like a Champion) Asking targeted questions throughout the lesson keeps the lift on the students. Targeted Questioning One Pager	Wait Time (Teach Like a Champion) Give students time to think instead of calling on the first responders. Wait Time One Pager	No Opt Out (Teach Like a Champion) Return to incorrect responses to allow the student the opportunity to revise their answer. No Opt Out One Pager

Guide from the Side Hand over the reins and allow students to lead their own discussions. Guide From the Side Workshop Guide From the Side One Pager	Batch Process (Teach Like a Champion) Minimize teacher interjections and allow students to discuss and debate. Batch Process Workshop Batch Process One Pager	Format Matters (Teach Like a Champion) Expect student responses to be in collegiate form including academic vocabulary. Format Matters One Pager

Show Call (Teach Like a Champion) Showcase & revise student work to promote discussion and understanding. Show Call Workshop Show Call One Pager	Front the Writing (Teach Like a Champion) All students do the heavy lift when you allow time to write before discussion.	Everybody Writes (Teach Like a Champion) Writing is rigorous, so have students write frequently and for sustained periods of time. Everybody Writes One Pager

At Bats (Teach Like a Champion) Giving students multiple opportunities helps them achieve mastery of rigorous concepts. At Bats One Pager