The Lemov Series : Applied Techniques in ELT "Do It Again"
The “Do It Again” technique is a crucial tool in the ELL classroom. As a second language teacher your ability to communicate with the students can be extremely difficult, especially with young learners. Once a concept is understood the next step is to consistently reinforce it again and again. This builds strong classroom routines, expectations and group accountability. The “Do It Again” technique is a fundamental building block of the ELL classroom.
“Doing it again and doing it right, or better, or perfect is often the best consequence.”
Practice helps students to improve their ability. Practice and execution of the task, big or small, with a high “standard of execution” will positively feedback into the classroom. Once it is established that students know how to “Stand Up” in English then anytime the teacher calls for “Stand Up” all the students should stand up. Anything less than this is a failure to meet classroom expectations and an opportunity for the teacher to correct, and an opportunity for the teacher to reset the standard. Students can be noted for their failure to adhere to classroom expectations – can be corrected – and then the proper expectation can be met, thus students can all stand up.
Lemov breaks the effectiveness of this technique into seven separate reasons:
It Shortens the feedback loop – Having students correct the mistake on the fly ensures a cognitive correlation between the mistake – its consequence – and the corrected action. Not only does this ensure great classroom routines but, in an ELL classroom, is a great way to reinforce vocabulary.
It sets a standard of excellence, not just compliance – It sets the tone of your classroom culture. Allowing students to halfway fulfill the demands of the classroom in one area can bleed over into another area quite easily. If forming a line turns into a misshapen catawampus amalgamation of children with some facing you, others talking to one another, others standing shoulder to shoulder, then how can you expect your students to listen when asked? Setting a culture of “demanded excellence” requires and accepts only the best performance from your students.
There is no administrative follow-up – The consequence is metered out almost as quickly as the infraction was committed. This means no extra “paperwork” on the end of the teacher. While setting a culture of “demanded excellence” can be time consuming and eat into lesson plans; the resulting culture will allow your students to not only achieve but flourish.
There is group accountability – Create a culture in which students strive to be the best group – that students identify the actions of their classmates as actions of themselves. That students seen wanting to learn can inspire those who are less inclined to do so.
It ends with success – You tend to remember experiences in the frame of mind that you last experienced them in. So, if you were sad all throughout the day but late into the evening something wonderful happens to you that makes you happy; you will most likely remember that day as a happy one. Making a habit of success will help ensure your students remember their successes.
There are logical consequences – The behaviors that students’ display us related to the consequences brought down upon them. This connects the “crime with the punishment” for the students. You are not the evil overlord handing out punishment arbitrarily but are the enforcer of simple rules. Your students will come to understand this if you are consistent.
It is reusable – This is straightforward. This technique can (and should be) used as often as necessary. It doesn’t lose its applicability and the connection between infraction and consequence is concrete.
In the ELL classroom “Do It Again” helps to positively reinforce classroom routines. Those can range from following the teachers instructions during a game to the proper way to answer a question. The technique at its core is meant to drive student achievement by giving students the chances to be their best selves. Students who are confident in what they must do, who know how to do it, and who want to do it; will achieve much more of their own potential and become truly effective learners. Lemov remarks that sometimes students “attitudes change from the outside in” in the classroom. When a class fails to execute in a 100% manner than “Do it Again” is a great way to influence attitudes.
The “Lemov” Series is a review Doug Lemov’s 2011 book: Teach like a Champion: 49 Techniques that put students on the path to college. I highly recommend this fantastic work and do not claim any of these techniques as of/or being my original content.
