Narrator: Imagine a teacher who saves his students nearly forty full days of instruction over their school careers, just by changing the way they pass out papers. This isn't a hypothetical; it's the real-life practice of Doug McCurry, a founder of the highly successful Achievement First network of schools. On the first day of school, he spends a few minutes teaching his students a specific, practiced routine for distributing materials. He times them with a stopwatch and challenges them to get faster. To an outsider, it might seem trivial, even silly. But that simple, mundane routine saves about twenty minutes a day. Over a school year, that’s thirty-eight hundred minutes of additional learning time—time that can be spent mastering a new concept or reading another chapter. This relentless focus on small, specific, and high-leverage actions is the central argument in Doug Lemov's groundbreaking book, Teach Like a Champion. Lemov posits that great teaching is not an abstract, unknowable art. It is a craft, and like any craft, it can be mastered through the deliberate practice of concrete, actionable techniques.

Narrator: Most educators agree on the importance of having high expectations, but Lemov argues that this phrase is often too vague to be useful. A teacher can’t simply decide to have high expectations; they must demonstrate them through specific actions. One of the most powerful techniques for this is called "No Opt Out." It is a simple rule: a sequence that begins with a student unable or unwilling to answer a question must end with that student giving the correct answer.

Consider a common classroom scenario Lemov describes. A teacher asks a student named Charlie, "What's 3 times 8?" Charlie, hoping to avoid the work, just mutters, "I dunno," and looks away. Many teachers, wanting to move on, would simply ask another student. But a champion teacher using No Opt Out would turn to another student, Devon, who correctly answers "24." The teacher then turns right back to the original student and says, "Now you tell me, Charlie, what's 3 times 8?" Charlie now must give the correct answer. The message is clear to the entire class: "I don't know" is not an escape route. Everyone is expected to do the work and learn the material. This small, consistent action transforms a vague ideal about expectations into a tangible classroom reality where every student is held accountable for learning.

Narrator: In an effort to be encouraging, teachers often make a critical error: they "round up" partially correct answers. Lemov calls this a dangerous habit and introduces a counter-technique: "Right Is Right." This principle insists on a high standard of precision, preparing students for the demands of college and the professional world.

For example, a teacher might ask a class studying Romeo and Juliet how the Capulets and Montagues get along. A student, Kiley, might offer, "They don't like each other." A well-intentioned teacher might respond, "Right, they don't like each other, and in fact, they have been feuding for generations." In doing so, the teacher has done the cognitive work for Kiley, adding the crucial detail herself. The standard for a "right" answer has been lowered.

Lemov contrasts this with the "Stretch It" technique, which should follow a correct answer. The learning doesn't stop when a student gets something right. In a science class described in the book, a teacher named Leah Bromley asks her students to draw a conclusion from data about stream depth and slope. One student correctly states, "The steeper the slope, the deeper the stream is." Instead of just moving on, Bromley stretches their thinking. She asks, "What's the opposite of that?" and then, "Now, can someone take this one step further and use the word 'erosion'?" By pushing for more, she ensures students not only know the answer but understand it deeply and can apply it in different ways.

Narrator: A quiet classroom is not necessarily a learning classroom. True engagement means students are doing the cognitive work. To ensure this, Lemov advocates for techniques that demand universal participation. The most fundamental of these is "Cold Call," where a teacher calls on students regardless of whether they have raised their hands. This is not a "gotcha" tactic to expose students who aren't paying attention. When done correctly, it’s a positive tool to establish the expectation that everyone is responsible for the content of the lesson at all times.

A powerful example comes from Jesse Rector, a math teacher at North Star Academy. He runs a rapid-fire Cold Call session with his seventh graders. He poses a series of challenging questions in quick succession: "I’m a square field with an area of 169 square feet. What’s the length of one of my sides, Janae?" "13 feet." "I’m a square field with a perimeter of 48 feet. What’s my area, Katrina?" "144 square feet." The pace is fast, the questions are rigorous, and the energy is high. The students are not passively waiting to be called on; they are all thinking through every problem, because they know they could be next. This technique systematically checks for understanding and creates a dynamic, accountable learning environment.

Narrator: Returning to the paper-passing routine, Lemov shows that classroom culture is built on a foundation of efficient systems and crystal-clear behavioral expectations. Champion teachers don't leave these things to chance. They explicitly teach, practice, and reinforce them until they become automatic. This is where the "100 Percent" technique is critical. It means there is only one acceptable percentage of students following a direction: one hundred.

To achieve this, teachers must use "What to Do," which means giving directions that are specific, concrete, sequential, and observable. Instead of saying "Stop fooling around," a champion teacher says, "Sit up straight, put your pencils down, and track me with your eyes." This leaves no room for interpretation.

This culture starts the moment students arrive. The "Threshold" technique involves the teacher greeting every student at the classroom door. Dacia Toll of Amistad Academy demonstrates this perfectly. She shakes every student's hand and offers a personal greeting. When one student greets her too informally, she doesn't ignore it. She gently corrects him, sends him to the back of the line to try again, and then welcomes him warmly when he gets it right. This brief interaction establishes a tone of warmth, respect, and high expectations before the lesson even begins.

Narrator: Lemov makes a powerful case that reading is the most essential skill for academic success, and therefore every teacher, regardless of subject, must be a reading teacher. He shares a profound story about a friend whose father pulled him out of school for several months to build a house. They had no prior construction experience. Their only guide was a set of books on building, which they read aloud together every day, from framing and plumbing to wiring and roofing. They built the entire house, proving that with the ability to read and comprehend, one can learn to do almost anything.

To make reading in the classroom more effective, Lemov introduces "Control the Game." When reading a text aloud, the teacher doesn't just let one student read for a long passage. Instead, the teacher acts as a conductor, bouncing unpredictably from one reader to another after just a sentence or two. This keeps every student on their toes, forcing them to follow along in the text so they are ready when their name is called. This simple technique transforms reading from a passive activity for most of the class into an active, accountable process for everyone, dramatically increasing the amount of reading each student does.

Narrator: The single most important takeaway from Teach Like a Champion is that teaching excellence is not a matter of personality or innate talent, but of disciplined craftsmanship. Great teachers are not born; they are made through the relentless study, practice, and refinement of specific, high-leverage techniques. The book demystifies the classroom, breaking down complex interactions into a set of tools that any educator can learn and master.

Its ultimate impact is the empowerment of teachers. By providing a shared vocabulary and a concrete toolkit, Lemov challenges the profession to move beyond vague philosophies and embrace the detailed, rigorous work required to build a truly effective learning environment. The final challenge is for every educator to see themselves as an artisan, constantly honing their craft not for its own sake, but to unlock the potential that lies within every student.