Play 3
Habits of attention - SLANT
What is it?
We promote ‘habits of attention’ through the technique SLANT, adapted from Teach Like a Champion (TLAC). At Community Schools Trust, SLANT stands for: sit up straight, listen carefully, ask and answer questions, never interrupt, track the speaker. We use this acronym whenever we want the attention of our students. It is a strategy we use to minimise wasted seconds in learning as well as explicitly teach important prosocial behaviours associated with paying attention and respecting those who are speaking.
Why is it important?
Lemov argues that while teacher relationships are important, they are not as important as the social climate we create in our classrooms. Our students feel more validated, motivated and successful when they receive from their peers, the social cues that suggest their words are important. SLANT helps us instil these prosocial behaviours in our students:
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We teach them to sit up straight – it indicates we are paying attention – not slouched and uninterested.
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We teach them to ask and answer questions and not interrupt – it says, ‘we acknowledge, honour and respect our peer’s contributions’.
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We teach them to track the speaker – it says, ‘I am interested in what you are saying; I care’.
What to do:
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| Call for SLANT When you require 100% attention from your students, stand in Swivel and call for SLANT in a strong voice. Expect 100% compliance. Use a combination of least invasive strategies to achieve this: I’m just waiting for two more people… | Set the conditions Front load your instructions with the expectation that the class remains in SLANT for the next part of your teaching. Whenever appropriate, explain why. Eg. I don’t want you to miss this next crucial bit of information so I need your 100% attention. | Be Seen Looking Do not assume they will remain in SLANT. As you explain the task, be seen looking. Look up frequently to check all are on task. | Correct and reinforce When a student comes out of SLANT, promptly correct and reinforce. That’s a reminder - back into SLANT please - I will give you a chance to write this down in a moment but I need you to listen first. Quickly move on. But continue to be seen looking. | Brighten Lines Make your transitions between activities crisp and clear: when I say go and not before, you will [instruction] ...ready? Go! Adjust your volume and intonation to inject energy into your instruction to brighten lines. When they move in unison, it makes correct behaviours visible to all. |
