Audience Awareness: Shaping Student Writing Beyond the Classroom

Catherine DorianBlog, Innovation, Leadership, Lesson Planning

TL;DR: Students primarily write for teachers in academic settings, but they also engage in real-world writing. Teaching audience awareness helps students understand their readers and write more effectively. Using a reader profile fosters a shift from self-centered writing to audience-oriented writing in various genres. Audience Awareness: Teaching your students to think about the reader behind their writing. When it comes … Read More

Show 142: Students Thrive when we Teach Intentionally

Ken EhrmannBlog

Renee Jones is the 2023 Nebraska Teacher of the Year, a high school English teacher who provides incredible experiences for her students.  She is focused on their development as individuals and in the curriculum content.  She focuses on creating key success criteria to help them flourish and grow. Classroom cell phone policies in the school and the classroom. Renee shares … Read More

Want a Better Classroom? Get to Know Your Students

Dan ThomasBlog, Student Engagement

TL;DR: Educators face growing challenges engaging a generation with abundant distractions and information. Building meaningful connections with students is essential for their success. Strategies for connecting with students include greeting them warmly, establishing classroom expectations, looking for shared interests, incorporating playfulness, communicating with parents, and attending extracurricular events. Prioritize kindness, respect, and building connections over strict curriculum adherence to foster … Read More

The Power of Home Visits

Suzanne RogersBlog, Leadership

TL;DR: Home visits benefit students by improving behavior, academic performance, and test scores while fostering trust and respect. Parents benefit from home visits through reassurance, trust-building, and consistent communication about their child’s progress. Teachers experience positive changes in student attitudes, increased confidence, and personal fulfillment, leading to stronger relationships with both students and parents. At LISA Academy, we believe that … Read More

Rush Hour Reactions

Suzanne DaileyBlog, Reflect Better, Teach Happier

TL;DR: Feeling rushed and hurried can lead to our worst versions, affecting our decisions and behavior negatively. Princeton University’s experiment shows that having more time allows for more rational and kind decisions, while rushing narrows our cognitive map. We can train our brain to notice when we’re rushed and take a 2-degree shift in thought to slow down, focus on … Read More