Technique #5: Without Apology

Teachers should not apologize for granting students knowledge, yet many times we apologize for teaching content we think students will find boring.  Students might groan and we play into it saying “I know, but it is something you have to learn.”  We should never make excuses, or impose our own lack of interest on students, which is why champion teachers educate without apology.  The premise of Technique #5 Without Apology (pp.51-55) is that teachers should not acknowledge a concept may be dull, but simply teaching it as if it is the most exciting thing in the world.  This also relates to not saying to the students something such as, “You’re going to be tested on it, so you have to learn it.” Lemov says, “Our job is to find ways to make what we teach engaging and never assume that students can’t appreciate what’s not instantly familiar to them or what does not egregiously pander to them” (p.52). You can admit to students that material will be difficult, and it may take them time to understand it, so long as you follow it up with a positive message such as, “I know you can do this,” or “We will get through this together if we put our minds to it.”

Technique # 5: Without Apology in Action

Prior to reading Teach Like a Champion, I was guilty of apologizing to my students for math lessons, which established the basic skills they needed, rather than a fun skill building game.  Through research on this technique I found ways to avoid this and adapt the dialogue to fit my kindergarteners.  I tell my students at the beginning of a lesson, “We are going to learn something today that you will use the whole rest of your lives!  It will also help you play a fun game I have for us tomorrow. You wouldn’t try playing a game without learning the rules first right?”  I end my lessons with,  “It’s ok if you didn’t understand everything today.  We are going to keep working on it, and before you know it, you’ll be an expert.”   When I receive a groan from the class, I tell them, “Even though you might not think you will like this, we will work together to make it fun while we learn.”  I might also say, “Just think about how much smarter you will be after you learn this!”