Teach Like a Champion: Right it Right

Returning to Doug Lemov's book, Teach Like a Champion, let's look at his second technique: Right is Right.

Lemov describes the difference between a partially right answer and an all the way right answer. Demanding an all the way right answer makes children pay more attention to the details of the question and shows them your question matters.  Also, as soon as kids hear you say yes or right, they check out of needing to go any further.Great teachers, he says, always expect an all the way right answer. To do this, he says you should

• not round up. Don't add to the student's answer to get the expected details, then attribute the added information to the student.
• hold out for all they way. Don't confuse effort with mastery. Praise effort for what it is. Praise a correct answer for what is is. Don't say "yes, right, except. . . "
• expect students to answer the question you ask. The right answer to a different question is not what you need. 
• expect the right answer at the right time. Don't let kids get ahead of you; if they do, they are likely getting ahead of important ideas and others in the class.
• use (and expect kids to use) technical vocabulary. Push kids for the precise, technical vocabulary that they need for the highest levels of learning.

As Lemov says, always expect the types of answers students give to be ones that push them the extra step, and are the types of answers given by kids in the most top performing schools.