Running head: ASSIGNMENT 5 1

Assignment 5

Cayenne Gabaylo

Chaminade University Education Division

EDUC 632: Learning Environments

Dr. Brina Ganigan

February 11, 2023

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After reading chapter 6 of Teach Like a Champion 2.0: 62 Techniques That Put Students

on the Path to College by Doug Lemov, I learned various techniques and strategies that

showcase and enhance the idea of pacing. These strategies focused on several ideas like the use

of all five major muscle groups, hand raising, and time productivity to ensure that every minute

matters in the classroom. However, the overall idea was to understand a sense of pacing when it

comes to classroom organization and lesson planning. Lesson pacing means knowing when to

change the speed of material so that learning and lesson progress are well-paced and maximize

student engagement. The book mentions changing the pace, “which is the ability to shift between

“fast” or “slow” moments in a lesson by changing activity types” (Lemov, 2015.) Further

discussed, pacing takes place in two distinct groups, first when varying the types of activities

students engage in and managing the transitions between these activities to establish a distinct

shift in the lesson. Keeping a good balance of pacing between activities and lessons makes it

easy to see how well a carefully calculated lesson would play out rather than one with long

periods of lecture or full activities with no pause in between.

Technique 27 in the text mentions the “Five Major Muscle Groups” which stands for 5 different

types of activities that students can engage with differently. The first of the five is knowledge

assimilation, followed by guided practice, independent practice, reflection/idea generation, and

lastly discussion (Lemov, 2015.) Knowledge assimilation focuses on the intake of new

information while guided practice includes the application of knowledge through a

back-and-forth with the educator. Independent practice focuses on autonomous execution while

reflection and idea generation serves the purpose of brainstorming and contemplation of ideas.

Lastly, a discussion develops students’ ability to articulate any comments or ideas on taught
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content. The inclusion of several or all types of major muscle groups is majorly beneficial for

student learning due to the level of engagement and higher-order thinking involved with each of

the five types.

Technique 29 asks to develop the most efficient method of hand raising with engagement. It’s

discussed that while hands are up, perception is cut off, meaning engagement is lost. The book

uses the example of having the rest of the class lower their hands while a chosen student is

answering as one way students can remain fully engaged with both the teacher and the student

answering the question. Technique 30 “Work the Clock” suggests the use of a fully visible clock,

specific increments of time, and goal setting for the classroom. All three develop a sense of

necessity regarding activity time management, ensuring student involvement within the

classroom. The last technique (technique 31) called “Every Minute Matters” reiterates the

importance of using time in between to transition students to activities or to review key terms

and concepts with the rest of the class.

All of the techniques shared here allowed for a new perspective on pacing class and managing

students’ attention spans and burnout. Managing the pace of the class is essential in the level of

learning for each individual student. Some might tire out more than others, some may be more

patient, and others less interactive, however, all of these strategies seemed inclusive to all

students, focusing on teaching strategies and methods to keep students on their toes. Overall I

enjoyed the ideas that this chapter shared, I definitely will use the concepts shared in techniques

31 and 27 as I see them as the most beneficial and most accessible in the classroom.
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References

Lemov, D., & Atkins, N. (2015). Teach like a Champion 2.0: 62 techniques that put

students on the path to college. Jossey-Bass, a Wiley brand.