Topic 2 Routines and Procedures: Do It Again

Study the Technique

Week 5

The Essentials of Do It Again

Here is what is essential to succeed with Do It Again – and how you saw Narlene implement these critical elements to set the standard for Habits of Attention in her classroom.

With a warm smile and a non-verbal signal, Narlene asks for her students to sound out the word on the card in front of them. The moment she hears that the students’ voices are not unified, she pauses them. “Let’s do that again, together,” she says. By having them respond in unison, Narlene can monitor their practice for quality and accuracy. When she asks them to Do It Again, “together,” the purpose behind her request is apparent and the students immediately improve, sounding out the word in one choral voice. Narlene’s Emotional Constancy is important here - her smile and even tone convey that she knows that mistakes are going to happen all the time in the classroom, and that the best way to address those mistakes is to just Do It Again, better than the first time.

Emotional Constancy

Manage your tone and body language to keep the Do It Again neutral or positive. A smile reassures your class: mistakes are part of learning, and you are fulfilling your commitment to always help all students be their best selves.

Economy of Language

Uploaded Image Use as few words as possible to lead the class through the Do It Again so their focus stays on the content and your Do It Again doesn’t turn into a lecture. The entire Do It Again should take fewer than 30 seconds.

Cut It Short

Pause students as close as possible to the moment when you see the class make a mistake. All people, regardless of age, learn best when they get feedback as close to the point of error as possible. Cut It Short helps students better internalize the Do It Again feedback and saves time for instruction. It also enables you to keep kids invested in wanting to achieve a standard of excellence rather than feeling like Do It Again is a drawn-out consequence.

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Summary

How to Implement Routines and Procedures: Do It Again

Stop the class immediately at the point of breakdown of the procedure or routine (referred to as a whole class reset)
Give a quick reset using a What to Do direction
Repractice procedure/routine from the point of error
Reinforce Do It Again using Precise Praise
Remind students of key self-regulation strategies to “Do It Again” (eg calm body, quiet voice, safe hands)