Show Call:

Interactive Handouts

Be Uncommon. Change History.

Show Call
Objectives:
Analyze the techniques champion teachers use to maximize
accountability, normalize revision, and model exemplar work through
Show Call.
Use planning and practice to improve our implementation of Show Call.
Show Call is a type of Cold Call that involves taking students written work
and displaying it to the class (often using a document camera). Champion
teachers use it to manage the content and quality of students written work
as carefully as they do their verbal work.
EA.ShowCall.GR6.Powell.Show Call.Clip0963
EA.ShowCall.GR.Huber.TopQualityNotes.Clip1940
Compare Paul and Johns Show Calls. What do these Show Calls accomplish?

Three Purposes of Show Call

Accountability for Written Work

Normalize Revision

Model Exemplar Work

Show Call (Contd)

EA.ShowCall.GR8.Johnson.'Steal this.'Clip1992
What does Maggie do during her Show Call that you would want to do every
time? How could she make it even more rigorous and accountable?

Two Keys to an Effective Show Call

1. Follow the Rules of Cold Call

Be Positive
o Tone
o Words
o Body Language

Be Systematic

Be Predictable

2. Emphasize Accountable Revision

Anatomy of a Show Call

Before:
What to take?

When?

How Many?

When in your lesson might you use a Show Call in the different ways outlined
here?

Show Call Lesson Plan Mark Up

Why do you want to implement a Show Call at this point in your lesson?

What kind of work will you focus on and why?

How many pieces of work will you discuss?

Anatomy of a Show Call (Contd)

During: Manage the Take and Reveal
EA.ShowCall.GRM.MultipleTeachers.'Take montage.'Clip2009
What is effective about how these teachers Circulate and Manage the
Take?

Circulate
Resist hands during the first two minutes
Walk the circuit before/during/after
Be seen/heard* tracking
Check work against an answer key or scripted exemplar
Manage the Take
Batch Calling
Heads Up vs. Ask Permission vs. Unnarrated Take
Reflection: Managing the Take
In which situation might you

Give students a Heads Up?

Ask Permission?

Use an Unnarrated Take?

EA.ShowCall.GRM.MultipleTeachers.'Reveal montage.'Clip2008

What is effective about how these teachers Manage the Reveal?

Anatomy of a Show Call (Contd)

During: Manage the Take and Reveal (Contd)
Manage the Reveal

Anonymous Author vs. Name the Author

A Few from the Stack vs. All

Call Your Shots vs. Non-Directive Reveal

Author Reading vs. Teacher Reading

Vertically vs. Horizontally

Reflection: Managing the Reveal

In which situation might you

Anonymous Author vs. Name the Author?

Call Your Shots vs. Non-Directive Reveal?

Vertical vs. Horizontal Analysis?

Anatomy of a Show Call (Contd)

The One-Armed Bandit Practice:
Round 1 Planning:
Scenario: You will Show Call one piece of correct work at the mid-stream
point.
Script what youll say during your take and reveal:

Round 2 Planning:
Scenario: You will Show Call one piece of Erroneous Work at the end point.
Script what youll say during your take and reveal:

Anatomy of a Show Call (Contd)

Editing vs. Revision vs. Commenting

Brainstorm: Script an example of what you would say for each of these
accountability tools in response to the student work.

Editing

Commenting

Revision
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Anatomy of a Show Call (Contd)

After: Engineer the Follow-Up

Establish a Checkpoint: Announce when and how youll check for

revisions; use odd increments of time

Aligned Revision: Show Call after students revise; highlight changes

that align with the point(s) you just made

Ask Whys and Hows: Ask follow-up questions to check whether

students understand how or why a revision did (or didnt) improve a
peers written work

EA.ShowCall.GR8.Lin.'Exemplar Show Call.'Clip1967

ShowCall.GR4.Michels.'Talk to me.'Clip1942
Compare Michelle and Erins Show Calls. Whats different about each
teachers focus? What are the benefits of their approaches?

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Show Call Practice

Planning Space:
Round 1: Correct Work

Round 2: Good to Great Work

Round 3: Post-Revision

Round 4: Dealers Choice

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EA.ShowCall.GR8.Butrie.'Solutions and lines.'Clip2071

What stands out about Kates classroom culture during Show Call? What do
you think she did to get her students to this point?

Appendix Materials
Reflecting on the Purposes
When in your lesson might you Show Call to emphasize each of the three
purposes? Explain your rationale.

Which of the purposes did I emphasize? How did knowing that your writing
might be Show Called influence the content or quality of your work?

Low-Tech Alternatives for Show Call

What are some ways you could use Show Call without a document camera?

Building Growth Mindset with Show Call

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Fixed Mindset: The belief that ones talents and abilities are given or
fixed (e.g., Some people are just good at math and others arent.).
They are more likely to stick with doing things that come easily to
them and avoid things that dont. Success is defined in terms of
outcomes.

Growth Mindset: The belief that ones abilities and talents can be
grown or developed over time through hard work and persistence.
They view challenges and constructive feedback as motivating
opportunities to get better. Success is about stretching themselves
beyond their comfort zones.

Appendix Materials (Contd)

Growth Mindset Brainstorm
In groups of three, brainstorm 3-5 new phrases you could use in your
classroom during Show Call to foster a Growth Mindset. Feel free to adapt the
provided phrases. Be prepared to share with the whole group.

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Appendix Materials (Contd)

Taking Show Call from Good to Great
EA.ShowCall.GR7.Zadd.'Equivalent.'Clip2053
What is effective about Ricks Show Call? Pay particular attention to his
take and reveal.

Imagine that youlike Rickestablished a strong culture around Show Call.

Where could you take Show Call next?

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Four Elements of Feedback

Be Precise: Glows and grows should highlight actions that are

specific, bite-sized, and replicable

Less is More: Give feedback on only one or two important things at a

time

Right is Right: Maintain a high standard for correctness. Avoid

rounding up written work or peer feedback

Lock it In: Before releasing students to write, ensure they are clear on
what they should revise

Show Call Feedback Case Study #1

Directions: Read the prompt, Tias written response, and the teachers
feedback for Tia.
Writing Prompt: Write a four-sentence introduction to your personal
narrative using juicy vocabulary and at least two pieces of figurative
language to help the reader picture the setting.
Teacher to Class: Lets take a look at Tias work. It says:
I opened the door to our new home at 121 Park Street, and my
face lit up. I couldnt believe my eyes. The white walls gleamed
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with fresh paint, and the rooms so spacious. They as wide as the
Mississippi River.
Teachers feedback: Notice how Tia used really strong details. I also
loved her vocabulary. The words gleamed and spacious jumped out
to me! I noticed one mistake in her work that a lot of us made. She
forgot to include some verbs. This is a reminder to all of us that we
should check our verbs when we write. She also included one example
of figurative language with the line as wide as the Mississippi River.
Thats a good start, but Tia just needs to add one more example of
figurative language since the prompt asked for at least two to make it
juicy.

Whats effective about the teachers feedback to Tia?

How could her feedback be improved?

Show Call Feedback Case Study #2

Directions: Read the prompt, Javons written response, and the exchange
that follows.

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Writing Prompt: Write a four-sentence introduction to your personal

narrative using juicy vocabulary and at least two pieces of figurative
language to help the reader picture the setting.
Teacher to Class: Lets take a look at Javons work. It says:
I opened the door to our new home at 121 Park Street, and my
face lit up as bright as the sun. I couldnt believe my eyes. The
white walls gleamed with fresh paint, and the rooms were so
spacious. They seemed as wide as the Mississippi River.
(Teacher pauses)Thoughts?
Student A: I liked it when Javon said, My face lit up as bright as the
sun.
Student Z: Yeah, and I liked how he added the address 121 Park.
Teachers Response to Peers Feedback: Great points! Student A, I
agree that his use of figurative language was strong when he
compared his face to the sun. That also helped me picture his reaction
in my mind. And Student Z, youre exactly right, adding 121 Park was
a great detail because it was really authentic. It sounds like something
I would say if I was describing my new house. Two claps for Javon on
two. One, two!
Whats effective about the teacher's response to Student A and Zs
feedback?

What could be improved?

Rewrite the teachers response to improve it.

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Show Call Rollout Practice

Draft your Rollout

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Additional Videos
EA.ShowCall.GR3.Birch.'Juicy sentence.'Clip1956
How does Natasha Emphasize Accountable Revision? What else makes her
Show Call effective?

EA.ShowCall.GR6.Ocello.'Defend it.'Clip2025
Whats effective about Jennifers Correct Work Show Call? How is it different
from Michelles?

EA.ColdCall.GRK.Chapman.'Remarkable.'1848

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How does Rachel effectively adapt Show Call for her kindergarteners? What
else does she do well?

EA.ShowCall.GR10.Kohn.Step by step.Clip2150
Whats different about the kind of feedback Peter gives during this Show
Call? What does he do after the Show Call to reinforce it?

Feedback Cheat Sheets for Practice

Activities
Show Call

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Be Uncommon. Change History.

21

Feedback Cheat Sheets for Show Call Practice

Activities
When giving feedback, it is helpful to focus on:
1. Common Language: Use technical vocabulary from the technique notes to
reinforce your teams ability to build a common language about teaching.
2. Get Past Nice: Tell people how they can do better. Its tempting but useless
to say That was great! Communicate constructive feedback clearly and
directly. If youre really stuck, try #6 below and describe something new your
colleague could have tried.
3. Limit Yourself: Use the Priority Points for each technique to ensure that
your feedback focuses on the most essential aspects of the technique. If you
dont observe one of these points then your feedback should focus on these
areas.
4. Be Quick: Minimize the time spent talking and maximize the time spent
practicing. Keep your feedback short and direct. Limit yourself to 1 Glow
(positive feedback) and 1 Grow (constructive feedback).
5. Power of the Positive: Be specific in telling teachers what theyve done
well so that they can do it again.
6. Describe the Solution (not the problem): Make your feedback specific
and actionable. Use What to Do (vs. what not to do) to tell teachers how to
succeed.
7. Try Something New: Constructive feedback doesnt always have to focus
on something that teachers did wrong. Consider suggesting something they
could do differently.
8. Lock
time,
o
o

It In: Be sure that teachers interpret your feedback correctly. If theres

ask them to:
Summarize what they heard you say
Identify the next action theyll take to implement the feedback

9. Encode Success: You have permission to cut the practice short if teachers
arent experiencing success. Give them quick, direct feedback for what they
need to fix to be successful.
For each of the practice activities, use the following structure for
feedback:
One thing you did well was
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Next time try

One-Armed Bandit Show Call Practice Feedback Cheat Sheet

Priority Points (Focus on the mastery of these points first):

1. Teacher takes and reveals work in a way that makes Show Call feel systematic and
predictable.
2. Teacher Positively Frames the Show Call to get students excited about having their
work displayed.

Constructive Feedback
(Next time try)

Circulate

Walking the circuit rather than a beeline to the

student whose work you want to Show Call
Being seen/heard tracking by narrating the on-task
behavior you see (note: avoid over-narrating; just a
bit is fine)
Monitoring and reinforcing on-task behavior by
circulating and narrating it back

A Different
Kind of Take

Asking permission
Giving a heads up
Delivering a non-narrated take

A Different
Kind of
Reveal

Anonymous Author vs. Name the Author

Call Your Shots vs. Non-Directive Reveal
Author Reading vs. Teacher Reading
Vertically vs. Horizontally

Positively Framing the Show Call to get students

excited about having their work displayed (e.g.,
Were going to take a look at some good work and
talk about how we can make it even better or I

Positive
Framing

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cant wait to see whose work Im going to Show Call

next)
Connecting the writing task and/or revision
instructions with a goal students are working toward
(e.g., Tell 6th graders theyre building up stamina to
write a 7th grade-style essay/ Tell them theyll use
their jotted notes during an upcoming Socratic
Seminar, etc.)

Four Rounds of Show Call Practice Feedback Cheat Sheet

Priority Points (Focus on the mastery of these points first):

1
2

Teacher takes and reveals work in a way that makes Show Call feel systematic and
predictable.
Teacher gives/solicits clear, actionable feedback that makes students writing better.
Teacher Positively Frames the Show Call to get students excited about having their
work displayed.

Constructive Feedback
(Next time try)
A Different
Kind of Take

Asking permission
Giving a heads up
Taking without narration

A Different
Kind of
Reveal

Anonymous Author vs. Name the Author

Call Your Shots vs. Non-Directive Reveal
Author Reading vs. Teacher Reading
Vertically vs. Horizontally

Positively Framing the Show Call to get students

excited about having their work displayed
Connecting the writing task and/or revision
instructions with a goal students are working
toward

Positive
Framing

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Circulate

Monitoring and reinforcing on-task behavior by

circulating and narrating it back

Manage the
Feedback

Making Glows and/or Grows even more precise,

replicable, and actionable
Giving feedback on fewer things
Checking to make sure students are clear on what
youd like them to change before releasing them to
revise
Highlighting revisions that align with the point(s)
you just made
Asking follow-up questions to check whether
students understand how or why a revision did (or
didnt) improve a peers written work

Engineer the
Follow-Up
(Round 3 Only)

Show Call Rollout Activity

Priority Points (Focus on the mastery of these points first):

1. Teacher uses Economy of Language when giving their Roll Out speech
2. Teacher clearly communicates what happens during a Show Call and the purpose for
it
3. Teachers language/demeanor shows that Show Call is meant to be positive and not
punitive

Constructive Feedback
(Next time try)

Talking Aspirations: Remind students of

where theyre headed and/or who theyre
becoming (When we review written work, well
strive to hold each other to the same
expectations that well be accountable to in
college and in the workplace.)

Assuming the Best (e.g., Studying each

others work helps us all become better
writers/mathematicians, etc.)

Positive

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Delivering it in a more positive/upbeat/casual

tone

Maintaining a more positive/neutral facial

expression

Economy of
Language

Giving your Roll Out in fewer words

Eliminating the following words/phrases.

Clarity

More clearly describing what a Show Call is

and/or your expectations for it

Purpose

Providing a clear rationale for Show Call

Presence

Teacher maintains eye contact with students as

he/she delivers his/her Roll Out

Teacher owns the room by Breaking the Plane

and circulating while giving his/her speech

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Lesson Plan Scripts

Show Call

Be Uncommon. Change History.

27

Math Lesson Plan

Objective: SWBAT classify quadrilaterals based on their characteristics and use
geometry to justify their reasoning.
Directions: Classify these shapes using as many of the following classifications as
you can: Parallelogram, Rhombus, Trapezoid, Rectangle, or Square.
Shape
Parallelogram

Practice Key*
Definition
Shape
A quadrilateral with
Rectangle
two pairs of parallel
sides

Rhombus

A quadrilateral whose
four sides all have the
same length.

Trapezoid

A quadrilateral with
exactly one pair of
parallel sides.

Square

Definition
A quadrilateral
with four right
angles.
A quadrilateral
with four right
angles and four
equal sides.

Show Call Question: In one well-written sentence, explain how its possible for a
shape to be classified as other shapes (e.g., a square is also a rectangle and
parallelogram).
Sample Student Response for Correct Work Show Call:

Sample Student Response for Good to Great Show Call:

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History Lesson Plan

Objective: SWBAT analyze a primary source document from the American
Revolutionary War to better understand the motivations and arguments of key
figures during that time period.
I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided; and that is the lamp of
experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And
judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the
British ministry for the last ten years. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed
with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports
with these war-like preparations, which cover our waters and darken our land.
Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we
shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled, that force must be called in to
win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements
of war and subjugation.

Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace but there is no peace. The war is actually
begun!...Why stand we here idle?...Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be
purchased at the price of chains and slavery?...I know not what course others
may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death! (Patrick Henry,
Show Call Question: In one beautiful sentence, summarize the argument Patrick
Henry makes to his fellow colonists.
Sample Student Response for Correct Work Show Call:

Sample Student Response for Good to Great Show Call:

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ELA Lesson Plan

Objective: SWBAT analyze the imagery and use of figurative language in Langston
Hughess A Dream Deferred.
A Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore-And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over-like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?

Show Call Question: What is the mood of this poem? What evidence tells you
that?
Sample Student Response for Correct Work Show Call:

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Sample Student Response for Good to Great Show Call:

Science Lesson Plan

Objective: SWBAT use their knowledge of natural selection to evaluate the
reproductive success and evolutionary fitness of different organisms.
Key Terms to Know*
Fitness: The ability to survive and produce offspring who can also survive
and reproduce.
Reproductive Success: The number of offspring an individual produces.
*Note: Assume these were already covered earlier in the lesson
Name
Age at death
Top Speed (running)
# cubs fathered
# cubs surviving to
adulthood
Size

George
13 years
37 mph
21
15

Sam
16 years
26 mph
25
14

Spot
12 years
28 mph
18
13

Max
10 years
32 mph
20
19

8 feet

8.5 feet

10 feet

9 feet

Show Call Question: Imagine a student named Amy said: I think that Sam is the
fittest animal of the four lions. In one well-written sentence, explain why Amys
definition of fitness is incorrect.

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Sample Student Response for Correct Work Show Call:

Sample Student Response for Good to Great Show Call:

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