What Doug Lemov Says About Student Engagement in Teach Like a Champion

Turn and Talk

No Opt Out

Culture of Error

Right is Right

Habits of Discussion

Doug Lemov addresses the importance of collaborative conversations in Teach Like a Champion by emphasizing structured, purposeful talk as a vital component of rigorous instruction. While the book primarily focuses on teacher-driven techniques to ensure high academic expectations and student engagement, it also includes several strategies that support meaningful student-to-student interaction. Here are a few key ways Lemov touches on collaborative conversations:

1. Technique 45: Turn and Talk (Pg. 355 in TLAC 3.0)

Lemov encourages using “Turn and Talk” to get all students actively engaged in processing content. He emphasizes that this technique must be tightly structured: students should know what to discuss, how long they have, and what quality of conversation is expected. This ensures that the conversations are academically productive rather than casual or off-task.

2. Technique 34: Cold Call (Pg. 282 in TLAC 3.0)

Though not a collaborative technique in itself, Cold Call sets the tone for shared accountability. When students know they may be called on after a partner discussion, they’re more likely to fully engage and prepare during that conversation.

3. Technique 15: No Opt Out (Pg. 139 in TLAC 3.0)

This supports collaboration by reinforcing the idea that every student is responsible for learning. In group or partner talk, students can help each other arrive at correct answers, and teachers can follow up to ensure everyone participates meaningfully.

4. Rigorous Talk & Academic Language

In later editions (especially Teach Like a Champion 2.0 and 3.0), Lemov places more emphasis on getting students to use complete sentences, evidence-based reasoning, and domain-specific vocabulary in their discussions. These expectations elevate the quality of collaborative conversations and ensure they’re aligned with instructional goals.

5. Technique 12: Culture of Error (Pg. 111 in TLAC 3.0) & Technique 16: Right is Right (Pg. 153 in TLAC 3.0)

These techniques help foster a classroom culture where students feel safe to share and refine ideas in conversations, which is essential for effective peer interaction.

5. Technique 44: Habits of Discussion (Pg. 368 in TLAC 3.0)

Habits of Discussion aims to make high-quality classroom conversation systematic and habitual, not occasional. It encourages teachers to build a culture where students:

Respond to one another directly
Use each other's names
Refer to and build on previous ideas
Justify or respectfully disagree with reasoning

Principle #4: Motivation is Social (Pg. 23 in TLAC 3.0)

In Teach Like a Champion 3.0, Doug Lemov's Principle #4: Motivation is Social emphasizes that students are strongly influenced by their peers when it comes to engagement and effort in the classroom. When applied to collaborative conversations, this principle suggests that:

Students are more likely to participate and invest effort when they see their classmates doing the same. Motivation can be contagious.
Positive peer pressure can be harnessed to elevate the quality of discussions—when students see others offering thoughtful contributions, they’re more likely to rise to that level themselves.
Classroom culture matters—teachers should intentionally build a culture where respectful, rigorous discourse is the norm. This helps students feel safe and expected to participate.
Teachers can reinforce this by publicly praising strong contributions, strategically grouping students, and framing discussion as a team effort where everyone’s thinking helps the group grow.

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