Doug Lemov, author and instructional researcher behind the international bestseller “Teach Like a Champion” and founder of the organization by the same name, headlined this year’s Urban School Conference presented by the Office of Catholic Education. Approximately 375 Catholic school educators gathered at Benedictine High School on Aug. 15 to explore proven classroom processes, systems and routines that drive student engagement and fuel academic growth. The event also included Mass in the chapel at St. Andrew Abbey celebrated by Bishop emeritus Roger Gries, OSB for the feast of the Assumption.
“As educators, we believe in the potential of everyone to improve -- including ourselves. And that is why we’ve invited Teach Like a Champion here,” said Frank O’Linn, superintendent of schools for the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. Today, we’re going to dissect our practice, build our knowledge and skills and strive to perfect our craft.”
The 2023 Keeping the Faith Strategic Plan for Elementary Education lists academic excellence as one of six primary goals for the diocesan schools, specifically “facilitating the use of research-based core instructional practices to support all students’ intellectual engagement and virtues.” The Urban School Conference takes root in this strategic goal to provide educators and schools with the best examples of professional practice that will enhance student learning.
“We are gathered to learn from the nation’s foremost experts about how to hone our craft, return to our schools with it and apply it in our classrooms with our kids,” O’Linn said.
“Teach Like a Champion is formed on the belief that the solutions to education challenges exist in the classrooms of real-life teachers, and that exceptional practitioners of the art of teaching are the true experts.” According to its website, “Our job is to find them, study them and share what they do, so others can copy, practice and adapt it to their own teaching. Our mission is to dramatically improve teaching.”
From start to finish, Lemov, accompanied by his Teach Like a Champion colleague Denarius Frazier, modeled best pedagogical practices and analyzed proven strategies that encourage student engagement.
“Strong student engagement means that students want to participate by speaking, but also by listening and caring a lot about their engagement, so much so that they develop it in writing, and with a sense of enthusiasm and pride,” Frazier explained.
Instructional techniques discussed included Wait Time, Cold Call and Everybody Writes, all teaching methods observed by Teach Like a Champion in high-achieving, student-centered learning environments throughout the United States and abroad. Each practice helps facilitate whole class engagement and individual academic growth.
As Catholic school students return to classrooms throughout the eight counties of the Cleveland Diocese, they will be met by faith-filled, professional Catholic school educators equipped to boost student engagement and nurture achievement.
As Lemov summarized, “The idea is that we want kids to be all in, to believe in what they’re doing, to be enthusiastic and invested, and we want them to be invested in activities that cause them to learn.”
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