Action Step of the Week: Do It Again
Action Step of the Week: Do It Again
Use this simple technique, which may also be a mindset...
Action Step of the Week
Every time you transition students and more than 2 students do not follow the directions, have students do it again:
Give your MVP direction for the transition, narrate immediately, and watch students complete it
Interrupt and reset:
(First time) Interrupt at the point of error with your signal word (i.e. “pause…” “hands and eyes…”)
(Second time) Do not say anything until the procedure is complete.
Return students to the starting position
Give group feedback in an emotionally constant and constructive tone (i.e. “A few friends were talking when this transition was silent”)
Repeat no more than 2 times or until you see 100%
Why?
Coined by Teach Like a Champion, "Do it again" is a classroom management technique where the teacher requires students to immediately repeat a task or procedure that was not completed according to the teacher's standards or expectations. Teachers should use this technique for the following reasons:12
It shortens the time between the undesired action and the corrective response, making the consequence more logical and effective in shaping behavior.
Repetition helps reinforce the correct procedure in students' memory and muscle memory.
It motivates students to strive for excellence rather than settling for mediocrity or failure.
It holds the entire class accountable for meeting expectations, encouraging peer accountability.
It allows the teacher to address issues within the classroom without involving administration or families.
It is a versatile technique that can be applied to various classroom procedures and tasks.
The key to using "do it again" effectively is:
Scaffolding support for students:
First-time: Interrupt at the point of error.
Second time: Wait until students have completed the incorrect procedure and are seated before addressing it.
Calmly stating they did it incorrectly without rehashing mistakes.
Giving a clear instruction to repeat the procedure properly.
Remaining dispassionate while observing the repeated procedure.
Providing positive feedback if done correctly, or repeating the process if not.
The technique should be used consistently every time expectations are not met, without negative commentary or friction. This allows teachers to hold students accountable while maintaining a positive classroom environment.
Potential Evidence
Transitions are chaotic and unsafe.
The classroom is overly negative; the teacher redirects frequently.
Transitions take a long time.
Questions to Ask Yourself
How many students meet the expectations?
What is the ratio of positive comments to redirections?
How long does it take for students to transition?
How many questions are there about the directions?
Does the teacher have 100% attention when they ask for it? Do they even ask for it?
Why aren’t students following directions? What is the underlying factor?
How many times does the teacher redirect students for their behavior?
How are behaviors reinforced during transitions?
How does the teacher monitor students during transitions?
How “effective” is the transition? Are they safe and controlled in their movements?
Glossary of Terms
Do It Again: A classroom management technique where students are asked to repeat a task or behavior until it meets the desired standard of excellence.
MVP Direction: A term coined by CT3 and the No-Nonsense Nurturer approach, this direction includes what the students should be doing with their bodies (movement), mouths (voice), and brains (participation). For example, “Welcome, silently, go to your seat and start your ‘do now.’”
Precision: The quality of being exact and accurate. "Do It Again emphasizes the need for precise task and behavior execution.
Feedback: Information about students' performance is provided. "Do It Again" involves giving immediate feedback to help students understand what needs improvement.
Scaffolding: Providing support and gradually removing it as students become more competent. "Do It Again" can be part of scaffolding, allowing students to practice with support before achieving independence.
Coaching Conversation Template
How to use it:
Find any bracketed text.
Fill this in BEFORE you meet with the teacher. You will look silly and I would feel sad. Only use ONE of the evidence examples.
Be you! You can do it. The best coaches are planned coaches.
Praise/Follow Up on Previous Action Steps
I appreciate the opportunity to sit down with you to discuss my observation.
First, I want to follow up on <previous action step or feedback>. Tell me more about how this is going for you. What impact has this had on you and your students?
Today, I saw <positive evidence of specific teacher action>.
What impact does this move have on you and your students?
Evidence
I want to hone in on classroom management, specifically.
<transitions are chaotic or unsafe> (i.e. I’m sure you feel it. Kids are having a hard time transitioning, so I will give you a technique that will add to your skillset in managing those transitions.)
<overly negative> (i.e. I was able to observe your transition from the desks to the line. In the 3 minutes and 20 seconds it took, you addressed the students 35 times trying to get them to meet your expectations. I bet that’s frustrating. Tell me about that.)
<long transitions> (i.e. Today, I saw you transition from the carpet to the line. This took you 5 minutes and 40 seconds. I want to give you a technique to help you shorten this time.)
Action Step
Great, so here is your action step: Every time you transition students and more than 2 students do not follow the directions, have students do it again:
Give your MVP direction for the transition, narrate immediately, and watch students complete it
Interrupt and reset:
(First time) Interrupt at the point of error with your signal word (i.e. “pause…” “hands and eyes…”)
(Second time) Do not say anything until the procedure is complete.
Return students to the starting position
3. Give group feedback in an emotionally constant and constructive tone (i.e. “A few friends were talking when this transition was silent”)
4. Repeat no more than 2 times or until you see 100%
What impact will this have on you and your classroom?
Go ahead and write down the action step.
Plan/Practice
Let me show you what this looks like with the lesson that I observed.
MODEL
You gave the direction <direction from low-inference notes>. I’m going to revise that direction slightly to make sure it has all aspects of MVP - movement, voice, and participation. (get into role-play mode) “Voices off and eyes on me in 3…2…1… <example transition direction>”
(Model watching) “Sara is silently moving towards the door. Oh…class pause… go back to where you started and silently look at me. Thank you, class. I see all eyes on me. We are going to try that again. I sent you back to your starting place because I had a few who were talking. We know that this transition is 100% silent. Let’s try this again. <example transition direction> (model watching) “Better class. I am hearing no one… we are moving silently… that’s what it looks like. Ok. I think we can do that even better because I still heard some chatter and I think you can do it even faster. Go back to your spots with your eyes on me. Get ready to do it the best yet! Ok.. <example transition direction> Watching for people who are <narration>. Best yet! Much better class. This transition is ALWAYS silent.”
What did you see in my model that is present in the action step?
PLAN
Let’s practice this for tomorrow. Go ahead and write down an MVP direction that you will use during a transition. Then, we will get ready to role-play it.
Before we role-play, let’s think through all of the things that you are looking for in this transition so it’s easy to spot your point of error. What are the common challenges during this transition?
PRACTICE
Now, let’s practice execution. I’ll play the students. Go ahead and start with your direction for the transition. We will try it with two rounds of doing it again.
Look for:
Formal register; tone is firm, language is formal
Directions are clear, concise and includes all parts of MVP
Body is still during the direction, moving during monitoring and narration
Interrupts at the point of error
Gives feedback in a neutral or positive tone
Protects the dignity of all students at all times
What impact will this technique on you and your students? How will it solve the problem we identified?
Closing/Follow-Up Up
Thanks for playing along. Practice can be awkward, but it is a great way to ensure we can work out all the kinks.
Let’s review the action step.
I would love to see this in action as a follow-up. These directions can be hard to master but are so important for your student’s success in the classroom. I look forward to seeing you in action <date>.
Lemov, D. (2015). Teach like a Champion 2.0: 62 techniques that put students on the path to college. Jossey-Bass.
Linsin, M. (2020, November 27). A classroom management strategy every teacher should use smart classroom management. Smart Classroom Management. https://smartclassroommanagement.com/2009/10/17/a-classroom-management-strategy-every-teacher-should-use/