Practice Perfect

Doug Lemov is the author of the bestselling book, Teach Like a Champion. He was a managing director at Uncommon Schools and now directs their project on effective teaching practices.Erica Woolway is the chief academic officer for the Taxonomy of Effective Teaching Practices at Uncommon Schools.Katie Yezzi is the founding principal of Troy Prep Elementary School in New York.

• Foreword by Dan Heath xiPreface: Why Practice? Why Now? xvIntroduction: The Power of Practice 1Rethinking Practice 21Rule 1 Encode Success 25Rule 2 Practice the 20 29Rule 3 Let the Mind Follow the Body 32Rule 4 Unlock Creativity with Repetition 36Rule 5 Replace Your Purpose (with an Objective) 40Rule 6 Practice “Bright Spots” 44Rule 7 Differentiate Drill from Scrimmage 48Rule 8 Correct Instead of Critique 52How to Practice 55Rule 9 Analyze the Game 58Rule 10 Isolate the Skill 62Rule 11 Name It 66Rule 12 Integrate the Skills 68Rule 13 Make a Plan 72Rule 14 Make Each Minute Matter 76Using Modeling 83Rule 15 Model and Describe 86Rule 16 Call Your Shots 87Rule 17 Make Models Believable 92Rule 18 Try Supermodeling 95Rule 19 Insist They “Walk This Way” 96Rule 20 Model Skinny Parts 99Rule 21 Model the Path 101Rule 22 Get Ready for Your Close-up 104Feedback 107Rule 23 Practice Using Feedback (Not Just Getting It) 109Rule 24 Apply First, Then Reflect 114Rule 25 Shorten the Feedback Loop 117Rule 26 Use the Power of Positive 121Rule 27 Limit Yourself 126Rule 28 Make It an Everyday Thing 128Rule 29 Describe the Solution (Not the Problem) 130Rule 30 Lock It In 133Culture of Practice 139Rule 31 Normalize Error 143Rule 32 Break Down the Barriers to Practice 148Rule 33 Make It Fun to Practice 154Rule 34 Everybody Does It 159Rule 35 Leverage Peer-to-Peer Accountability 162Rule 36 Hire for Practice 165Rule 37 Praise the Work 169Post-practice: Making New Skills Stick 173Rule 38 Look for the Right Things 176Rule 39 Coach During the Game (Don’t Teach) 180Rule 40 Keep Talking 183Rule 41 Walk the Line (Between Support and Demand) 185Rule 42 Measure Success 188Conclusion: the Monday Morning Test 193Appendix A: Teaching Techniques from Teach Like a Champion 205Appendix B: Sample Practice Activities 229Notes 241Acknowledgments 245About the Authors 249Summary of Rules 251Index 255

"Learning to practice, this book vividly illustrates, takes time and effort, trial and error. It won't happen tomorrow. But even a small movement in the direction of more practice will reap benefits...." (The Washington Post's 'Class Struggle' blog, October 2012)"Practice Perfect is a valuable read for everyone who wants to help their employees grow and excel through practice." (Examiner.com, October 2012)