Format Matters
Key Idea: It’s not just what students say that matters, but also how they communicate it. To succeed, students must take their knowledge and express it in the language of opportunity.
Why Format Matters
Darryl Williams Clip #0625 “It Gots to Be?” 3 rd Grade
What is effective about Darryl’s use of Grammatical Format? What message does it send to students?
Type #1: Grammatical Format
Correct slang, syntax, usage, and grammar in the classroom.
Two ways to do this:
1.
2.
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Grammatical Format Mini-Practice
Practice Instructions
Round 1 (With Planning):
• Step 1: Review the two answers to the vocabulary question below. Draft a correction to address each student error.
• Step 2: In pairs, practice giving the planned corrections. Get fast feedback. Switch partners and repeat practice.
Context: In this lesson, the teacher has already taught students the definition of solitude .
The question that follows is meant to give students practice applying what they just learned about this word.
Question: Can you find solitude at an amusement park?
Student Error #1: You can’t find no solitude at an amusement park because so many people go there, and they’re always crowded.
My Correction/Prompt:
Student Error #2: You can’t find solitude at an amusement park because so many people go there, and they always crowded.
My Correction/Prompt:
Round 2 (Without Planning):
• Same as Round 1, but this time practice correcting student errors #3 -4 without planning your Format Matters corrections/prompts in advance.
• Get fast feedback. Switch partners and repeat practice
Question: Can you find solitude at an amusement park?
Student Error #3: You can’t find solitude at an amusement park because they got so many people there, and it’s always crowded.
Student Error #4: Nobody can find solitude at an amusement park because they so many people there, and it’s always crowded.
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Format Matters
Heather Bowman Clip #0623 “How Many Coins” 2 nd Grade
What expectation does Heather hold students to? How does she help her students get there?
Type #2: Complete Sentence Format
Strive to give students the maximum amount of practice building complete sentences.
Three ways to do this:
1.
2.
3.
Complete Sentence Format Reflection
Brainstorm situations in which you would want to use approach #1, #2, or #3 over the other two.
1.
Remind students before they start to answer
2.
Provide the first words of a complete sentence
3.
Remind students after with a quick and simple prompt (verbal or nonverbal)
Approach When You Might Use This Approach
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Format Matters
Janelle Austin Clip #0626 “I Need Someone With Voice” 5 th Grade
What is Janelle correcting for throughout this montage? What effect do you think her corrections have on her classroom culture? What would it be like if she didn’t make these corrections?
Type #3: Audible Format
• Underscore that students should be listening to their peers by insisting that their peers make themselves audible.
• Keep transaction costs low by insisting with quick corrections (e.g., “Voice!”)
Type #4: Unit Format
• Replace “naked numbers” (those without units) with ones that are “dressed.”
Unit Format Brainstorm
In pairs, take 3 minutes to brainstorm as many Unit Format prompts as you can. The prompts can be verbal or nonverbal.
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Format Matters
Jason Armstrong Clip #0601 “Volume” 6 th Grade
Beth Verrilli Clip #0713 “Hither” 11 th and 12 th Grade
What can we learn about delivering Format Matters corrections by watching each of these clips individually? What is important to take away from watching them together?
Jason Armstrong’s Clip Beth Verrilli’s Clip
Type #5: Collegiate Format
Students who speak and write at a collegiate level use more:


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Format Matters
From Basic to Collegiate
Original Sentence: “He’s giving them roles like the people in Russia.”
Specific references replace pronouns and vague nouns
“Orwell is giving the pigs roles like the leaders in the Russian Revolution.”
Complex syntax
Details and evidence
Precise academic vocabulary
“Orwell gives the pigs roles like those of the leaders of the Russian Revolution.”
“Orwell gives the pigs roles like those of
Lenin, Trotsky, and other leaders of the
Russian Revolution.”
“Orwell uses pigs to personify Lenin, Trotsky, and other leaders of the Russian
Revolution.”
Collegiate Format Sentence: “Orwell uses pigs to personify Lenin, Trotsky and other leaders of the Russian Revolution.”
Collegiate Format Brainstorm
On your own, take 3 minutes to brainstorm as many Collegiate Format prompts as you can.
The prompts can be verbal or nonverbal.
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Format Matters
Putting it All Together
Champion teachers consistently hold students to
• Audible Format
• Complete Sentence Format
• Grammatical Format
• Unit Format
• Collegiate Format
Daily Principles for Effective Corrections
• Maintain the Pace: Keep the lesson going by delivering corrections quickly and noninvasively; then get back to teaching.
• Emotional Constancy: Remain calm and collected. Showing frustration or disappointment distracts students from understanding and fixing their error(s) and makes the correction “about you.”
• Consistent and Persistent: Give corrections consistently, and hold out until the format is all the way right.
Tools to Build Motivation
• Talk Aspirations: Remind students of who they’re becoming and where they’re headed. (e.g., “Say it like third grade!” or “In A.P. Language…”)
• Purpose Not Power: Remind students that your corrections are intended to help them succeed. (e.g., “I need you to… [correct format] + “so we/you can… [goal]. “I need you to say that with voice so your classmates in the back row can hear you.”)
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Four Rounds of Format Matters Practice
Practice Directions:
• Step One: Draft a correction for one of the Format Matters errors in the table below.
• Step Two: Pair up and practice delivering your correction as the “teacher” to a “student” while focusing on one of the following elements:
• Round 1: Try it Out
• Round 2: Emotional Constancy
• Round 3: Maintain the Pace
• Round 4: No feedback
• Step Three: Give fast feedback. Switch roles and repeat practice for Rounds 2-4.
Question
What is the area of a rectangle that has a length of 4 inches and a width of 3 inches?
What is one product of photosynthesis?
Who was the first
President of the United
States of America?
What is the area of a square with a side of 6 centimeters?
Student Response (Incorrect
Format/ Correct Format)
Incorrect Format: “The area of the rectangle is 12.”
Correct Format: “The area of the rectangle is 12 inches- squared.”
Incorrect Format: “One product of photosynthesis be oxygen.”
Correct Format: “One product of photosynthesis is oxygen.”
Incorrect Format: “The first president of the United States of America was George
Washington (quiet voice).”
Correct Format: The first president of the United States of America was George
Washington (audible format).
Incorrect Format: “The area of a square with a side of 6 centimeters is 36.”
Correct Format: “The area of a square with a side of 6 centimeters is 36 centimeterssquared.”
Your Format Matters Prompt
“Looks like your numbers need some dressing up!”
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Format Matters
Revise the Format Matters corrections you drafted during Step One using one of the tools for building motivation: Talk Aspirations OR Purpose Not Power
Stacey Shells Clip #0380 “Language of Opportunity” 7 th Grade
Watch this video as a “Rollout Speech.” Note two things Stacey does or says that you’d want to change or add.
Roll Out Practice
Step One: Draft your Format Matters Rollout Speech. Communicate purpose, connection to future goals, and your format expectations.
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Format Matters
Step Two: Practice your rollout as if your partner was a student. Accept Fast Feedback* repeat practice, and switch roles.
*Fast Feedback: One “glow” and “grow” delivered in 30 seconds or less using the following sentence starters:
 “It was effective when…”
 “Next time, try…”
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Format Matters Additional Video Question
EA.FormatMatters.GR9.Stoudt.‘Better Answer.'Clip2040
What types of Format Matters expectations does Evan hold students to? What effect does this have on students?
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When giving feedback, it is helpful to focus on:
1.
Common Language: Use technical vocabulary from the technique notes to reinforce your team’s ability to build a common language about teaching.
2.
Get Past Nice: Tell people how they can do better. It’s tempting but useless to say “That was great!” Communicate constructive feedback clearly and directly. If you’re really stuck, try #6 below and describe something new your colleague could have tried.
3.
Limit Yourself: Use the “Priority Points” for each technique to ensure that your feedback focuses on the most essential aspects of the technique. If you don’t observe one of these points then your feedback should focus on these areas.
4.
Be Quick: Minimize the time spent talking and maximize the time spent practicing.
Keep your feedback short and direct. Limit yourself to 1 “Glow” (positive feedback) and 1 “Grow”
(constructive feedback).
5.
Power of the Positive: Be specific in telling teachers what they’ve done well so that they can do it again.
6.
Describe the Solution (not the problem): Make your feedback specific and actionable. Use
What to Do (vs. what not to do) to tell teachers how to succeed.
7.
Try Something New: Constructive feedback doesn’t always have to focus on something that teachers did wrong. Consider suggesting something they could do differently .
8.
Lock It In: Be sure that teachers interpret your feedback correctly. If there’s time, ask them to: o Summarize what they heard you say o Identify the next action they’ll take to implement the feedback
9.
Encode Success: You have permission to cut the practice short if teachers aren’t experiencing success. Give them quick, direct feedback for what they need to fix to be successful.
For each of the practice activities, use the following structure for feedback:
 “One thing you did well was…”
 “Next time try…”
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Four Rounds of Format Matters Practice Feedback Cheat Sheet
Priority Points (Focus on the mastery of these points first):
1.
Teacher Maintains the Pace of instruction by giving quick, concise corrections
2.
Teacher exudes Emotional Constancy when giving their correction (e.g., maintains a neutral/positive facial expression and tone of voice)
3.
Correction clearly tells student What to Do to fix their format error
Constructive Feedback
Grammatical Format
Complete Sentence Format
Unit Format
Audible Format
Collegiate Format
Maintain the Pace
Emotional Constancy
Motivational
Language
(“Next time try…”)
 Repeating the error (in an interrogative tone)
 Beginning the correction for the student
 Providing a quick label for the error (i.e. SVA for subject-verbagreement)
 Providing the student with a sentence stem
 Using a low transaction cost reminder (e.g., complete sentence, RTQ for “restate the question,” etc.)
 To use a “sticky” reminder for providing units (i.e. “No naked numbers”)
 A low transaction cost reminder for Audible Format (e.g., “voice!”/
“loud and proud!”)
 Asking students to upgrade their sentences by using: o More precise/academic vocabulary o Fewer pronouns o More evidence o More complex syntax
 Using a non-verbal signal for your correction
 Giving your correction in fewer words (Economy of Language)
 Using a more neutral/positive tone in your correction
 Maintaining a neutral/positive facial expression when giving your correction
 Remind students of who they’re becoming and where they’re headed. (e.g., “Say it like third grade!” or “In A.P. Language…”)
 Remind students that your corrections are intended to help them succeed. (e.g., “I need you to… [correct format] + “so we/you can…
[goal]. “I need you to say that with ‘voice’ so your classmates in the back row can hear you.”)
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Format Matters Rollout Activity
Priority Points (Focus on the mastery of these points first):
1.
Teacher uses Economy of Language when giving their Roll Out speech
2.
Teacher clearly communicates his/her format expectations and the purpose for them
3.
Teacher’s language/demeanor shows that corrections are meant to be positive and not punitive
Positive
Economy of Language
Clarity
Purpose
Presence
Constructive Feedback
(“Next time try…”)
 Talking Aspirations: Remind students of where they’re headed and/or who they’re becoming (e.g., “Say it like you’re on the road to college!”/ “Loud and proud like a 2 nd grader!”)
 Assuming the Best (e.g., “When I give you a correction, I’m giving you a helpful reminder that you need to change how you’re saying something.”)
 Delivering it in a more positive/upbeat/casual tone
 Maintaining a more positive/neutral facial expression
 Giving your Roll Out in fewer words
 Eliminating the following words/phrases….
 More clearly explaining your format expectations by providing additional examples/non-examples, modeling what you want, etc.
 Describing and/or modeling example corrections
 Providing a rationale for your format expectations and corrections (e.g., to help them succeed in your class, school, college, life, etc.)
 Teacher maintains eye contact with students as he/she delivers his/her Roll Out
 Teacher “owns the room” by Breaking the Plane and
Circulating while giving his/her speech
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