The Teaching and Learning Playbook: Examples of Excellence in Teaching

254 Pages·2022·16.202 MB·English

by  Michael Feely, Ben Karlin

The Teaching and Learning Playbook
The Teaching and Learning Playbook is a book and online resource containing
more than 100 techniques that teachers and school leaders can use to drive
improvements in their schools. Each technique includes a summary of what the
technique is, why it is important, the efect size and a four-step guide to how
it should be performed. The Playbook provides a unique tool for teachers to
identify how they can improve their teaching, and practise with absolute clarity
on what they need to do next. All techniques are accompanied by a video to show
the technique in action and spotlight the four key elements with detailed audio
commentary to make it easier for teachers to replicate. These can all be found on
the website: www.teachingandlearningplaybook.com
Codifying the key skills for every teacher to get better and for every school
leader to drive improvements in their school, the Playbook covers:
● Routines for Learning;
● Questioning and Checking for Understanding;
● Modelling, Explaining and Feeding Back;
● Resilience, Independence and Retrieval;
● Curriculum;
● Beyond the Subject Classroom.
This essential resource provides a clear framework for teachers and school leaders
to improve teaching and learning. Simple to use and easily integrated into CPD
and coaching programmes, the Playbook will take your teaching to the next level.
Michael Feely is an experienced teacher and school leader. He is passionate about
the transformative impact that education can have on children’s lives and those in
their community. Michael is currently Principal of Dixons City Academy in Bradford.
Ben Karlin has worked as a teacher and school leader in disadvantaged
communities since 2010, as well as roles in the business and charity sectors. He is
currently Fellow, Learning Design at Ambition Institute.
“What is expert teaching? How might research help teachers improve their practice? And,
crucially, how can schools ensure that teachers have a clear understanding of what great
teaching looks like? In The Teaching and Learning Playbook, Feely and Karlin provide
persuasive answers to these very tricky questions.
In simple terms, this is a comprehensive, highly-practical manual for excellent teach-
ing. Alongside helpful explanations of each pedagogical technique, the book also provides
compelling and convincing video footage of what this might look like in the cut and thrust
of a real classroom.
With its exemplifcation of key teaching concepts, in one fascinating and cohesive vol-
ume, The Teaching and Learning Playbook is a game-changer for both school leaders and
classroom teachers.”
Mark Roberts, Author, English Teacher, and Director of Research at
Carrickfergus Grammar School
“A superb directory of carefully chosen and categorised classroom techniques that every
classroom teacher will be better for using. Simple to follow steps, along with video expla-
nations makes this a bible of ‘go to’ strategies for every teacher, irrespective of their age or
stage. I only wish I’d had access to this playbook of experience and expertise when I frst
started teaching!”
Jon Tait, Education Author, Leader, and Speaker
“Efective PD thrives when we have clarity and consensus around ‘what good looks like’.
The Playbook is the most comprehensive attempt to codify great teaching in the UK to
date.”
Peps Mccrea, Dean, Ambition Institute
“The Teaching and Learning Playbook is a great guide for those who want to get better, or
who want to help others do the same. It is as useful for teacher educators as it is for class-
room teachers. The seven barriers is a concise summary of the best available evidence on
why getting better is tough, and what we can do about it. The playbook contains a precise,
clear guide for what teachers can productively focus their eforts on, and the right ways to
implement teaching techniques.”
Josh Goodridge, Founder Steplab, Teacher and Educator
“The Teaching and Learning Playbook is essential reading for school leaders looking to
ensure the highest outcomes for their pupils. What we know about most successful
schools in the county is they have a high level of organisational clarity. The Playbook
provides evidence and research based approaches to support school leaders in the imple-
mentation of dozens of proven school improvement strategies. This is all done with a level
of detail that prevents them from transforming into ‘lethal mutations’ or less efective ver-
sions of the strategy. I will recommend the Playbook to my colleagues and use it in all the
leadership coaching and training I undertake.”
Dr James Lane, Executive Headteacher and Leadership Coach
The Teaching and Learning Playbook
Examples of Excellence in Teaching
Michael Feely and Ben Karlin
Cover image: © Getty Images
First published 2023
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2023 Michael Feely and Ben Karlin
The right of Michael Feely and Ben Karlin to be identifed as authors of this work has
been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in
any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered
trademarks, and are used only for identifcation and explanation without intent to
infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Feely, Michael, author. | Karlin, Ben, author.
Title: The teaching and learning playbook : examples of excellence in
teaching / Michael Feely and Ben Karlin.
Description: First Edition. | New York : Routledge, 2023. | Includes
bibliographical references.
Identifers: LCCN 2022023369 | ISBN 9781032187075 (Hardback) |
ISBN 9781032187099 (Paperback) | ISBN 9781003255840 (eBook)
Subjects: LCSH: School improvement programs. | Educational change. |
Education—Aims and objectives. | Teachers—Training of.
Classifcation: LCC LB2822.8 .F44 2023 | DDC 371.2/07—dc23/eng/20220729
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022023369
ISBN: 978-1-032-18707-5 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-18709-9 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-25584-0 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003255840
Typeset in Celeste and Optima
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
Access the website: www.teachingandlearningplaybook.com
Contents
Acknowledgements ix
Introduction: The Teaching and Learning Playbook 1
What is the Teaching and Learning Playbook? 2
How can the Playbook help you as a teacher? 3
How can the Playbook help you as a school leader? 4
Why don’t teachers get better? How the Playbook can help you
overcome the seven main barriers to teacher development 8
1. No model of excellence 10
2. Our working memory is limited 13
3. The curse of knowledge – we presume that others know what we
are thinking 16
4. We are all biased . . . and so is our feedback 23
5. A lack of trust 29
6. I’d like to get better . . . I just don’t have the time 34
7. No deliberate practice – it just feels awkward 39
1 Routines for Learning 53
1.1 Set the Tone 54
1.2 Do Now 55
1.3 100% on Task 100% of the Time 56
1.4 Say It to See It 57
1.5 Basics First 59
1.6 Three, Two, One for Focus 61
1.7 Silent Independent 62
1.8 Purposeful Pairs 63
1.9 Collaborative Groups 64
1.10 Whole Class Respectful 65
v
Contents
1.11 Clear Instructions 67
1.12 Track the Speaker 68
1.13 Make It Obvious 70
1.14 Responsive Reading 72
1.15 Forensic Monitoring 73
1.16 Periscope 74
1.17 Stand Still, Be Clear 75
1.18 Hold Steady 76
1.19 Powerful Praise 77
1.20 Practice Makes Permanent 78
1.21 Least Intrusive Form of Correction 79
1.22 Tough Love 80
1.23 Issuing a Sanction 82
1.24 Make It Fun 83
1.25 Tight Routines 84
2 Questioning and Checking for Understanding 86
2.1 Directed Questioning 87
2.2 Stick With It 89
2.3 Push for Perfection 91
2.4 Hinge Questions – Planning 93
2.5 Hinge Questions – Execution 95
2.6 Metacognitive Questions 97
2.7 Call and Response 99
2.8 Break It Down 101
2.9 Exit Tickets 103
2.10 Foresee Failure 105
2.11 Fail Early, Fail Often 107
2.12 Find Failure 109
2.13 Think, Write, Speak 111
2.14 Grapple Questions 113
2.15 Encouraging Oracy 115
2.16 Review Now 117
2.17 Mini Whiteboards 118
2.18 Planner Sheets 119
2.19 Monitoring for Understanding 120
2.20 On the Spot 121
3 Modelling, Explaining and Feeding Back 123
3.1 Explaining New Content 124
3.2 Embedding New Vocabulary 126
vi
Contents
3.3 Concrete to Concept 128
3.4 Example/Non-example 130
3.5 “Why” First 132
3.6 I Do/We Do/You Do 134
3.7 Scafolded Modelling 136
3.8 Live Modelling 138
3.9 Using the Visualiser 139
3.10 Hunting 141
3.11 Spotlighting 143
3.12 Feedback for Action 145
3.13 Messy Marking 147
3.14 Literacy Marking 149
3.15 Live Marking 151
3.16 Verbal Feedback 152
3.17 Written Feedback 153
3.18 Concurrent Feedback 155
3.19 Terminal Feedback 157
3.20 Peer Feedback 159
4 Resilience, Independence and Retrieval 161
4.1 Intrinsic Motivation 162
4.2 Growth Mindset 164
4.3 Building Resilience 166
4.4 Desirable Difculty 168
4.5 Sequential Incremental Challenge 170
4.6 Checklist 172
4.7 Note-Taking 174
4.8 Metacognition and Self-Refection 176
4.9 Individual Needs 178
4.10 Quizzing 180
4.11 Using 100% Books 182
4.12 Study Prep 184
4.13 Pastoral Check 186
4.14 Dual Coding 188
4.15 Rehearsal and Performance 190
4.16 Teaching Revision: Look Cover Write Check 192
4.17 Teaching Revision: Cornell Notes 194
4.18 Teaching Revision: Mnemonics 196
4.19 Teaching Revision: Self-Quizzing 198
4.20 Teaching Revision: Brain Dump 200
4.21 Teaching Revision: Elaborative Interrogation 202
vii
Contents
5 Curriculum 204
5.1 Curriculum Intent 205
5.2 Curriculum Implementation 207
5.3 Curriculum Impact 209
5.4 Curriculum Overview 211
5.5 Sequential Lesson Planning 213
5.6 Explicit Resources 215
5.7 100% Books 217
5.8 Individual Lesson Planning 219
5.9 Core and Hinterland 221
6 Beyond the Subject Classroom 223
6.1 Robust Reading 224
6.2 Instructional Reading 226
6.3 Morning Meeting 228
6.4 Analysing Student Data 230
6.5 Running Efective Meetings 232
6.6 Managing Up 234
6.7 Hold Fast, Stay True Conversations 236
6.8 Communicating with Families 238
6.9 Staf CPD 240
6.10 Collaborative Coaching 242
viii
Acknowledgements
We are indebted to Hattie and Yates,1 Lemov2 and Sherrington and Caviglioli,3
plus many others, for sharing their expertise and highlighting examples of evi-
dence-based teaching techniques that make teachers better and improve student
learning. The Playbook aims to “stand on the shoulders of giants”4 and we under-
stand that the most efective way to improve teaching is by implementing suc-
cessful research-informed techniques.
However, we also recognise that there is excellent practice within each school
and we are indebted to colleagues within our school, Dixons City Academy, who
have worked hard to share and codify models of excellence in the “Big Moves
Playbook Group”.5 We also appreciate the eforts of colleagues across Dixons
Academies Trust, not least Andy Cairns for all of his advice and wisdom.
The ideas in this book have been infuenced by great thinking from far and
wide, from the US Navy SEALs to Kim Scott’s ideas on Radical Candour,6 from
Carol Dweck’s7 Growth Mindset to Robert and Elizabeth Bjork’s8 Desirable Dif-
culty. We hope that this book will be benefcial to all teachers and those interested
in education.
We would like to say a special thank you to Phil Dickinson who has supported
this project from the start and has provided many suggestions and ideas that
have improved this book and accompanying videos. Phil you are amazing, and
continue to be our hero!
We would also like to thank Annamarie and Molly, our editor and editorial
assistant at Routledge, for believing in us. You have both been a constant source
of support and encouragement.
Our fnal note of thanks goes to our families and, in particular, our ever-sup-
portive wives, Chloe and Bethan, without whose patience and support this book
would never have been published.
ix