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

Show 141: STRIVE for Happiness

Ken EhrmannBlog

Robert Dunlop is a quality educator, speaker, and author. He has had such a diverse experience in education that offers our audience a quality listen. Our conversation rolls from pedagogy to classroom management to feedback, the focus of his book, striving for happiness. The expectations we have for students can impact our approach to instruction. More importantly, when we have … Read More

Meaningful Lessons: Scientific Wisdom vs. Scientific Facts

Tim StephensonBlog, Lesson Planning, Reflect Better, Student Engagement

TL;DR: There is a need for more relevant science education in the 21st century. This post emphasizes the importance of teaching wisdom and context alongside facts. Teachers should engage students by making lessons meaningful and applicable. Ok, let’s hit the reset button on my podcast, Science360, for a moment.  Let’s talk about why I bring the type of episodes that … Read More