Format Matters

FORMAT MATTERS

Lemov, in Teach Like a Champion, says  ”In school, the medium is the message: to succeed, students must take their knowledge and express it in a variety of clear and effective formats to fit the demands of the situation and of society.“ 

Correct format in communicating with others at the appropriate time and place is an important skill that we have to teach our students.  

Students need to know when it is okay to use slang, texting and informal communication skills and when they need to use the more formal skills that are necessary to be successful in school, work or other situations where they will be judged (fairly or not) on how they communicate with others in oral, written or symbolic presentations.

As teachers, we must set the standard of what is accepted format and communication in our classrooms.  Students must learn how to vary sentence structure, rules of capitalization and punctuation, and the mechanics of writing.  

I can remember the dreaded "Do Over" written in red on the top of a draft...that is not what I am suggesting.

I am suggesting feedback and support to help a student achieve the standard we have set...in all classes and at all grade levels.