TL;DR: Being curious rather than judgmental leads to better understanding and compassion toward others. Shifting your mindset and helping others can create a positive safe space for all. Bring in the New Year With More Curiosity and Less Judgment Most people have heard of the hit TV series, Ted Lasso, in which an American football coach is exported to the … Read More
Reconnect Happier
TL;DR: We can try many things to reach our struggling students, but have you tried asking them what they need? Provide students with an opportunity to give you feedback, like a Teacher Report Card, so you can better respond to their needs. Being open to receiving feedback and making changes in response leads to improved connection and belonging. Reconnect Happier … Read More
Highlights of 2022: In Case You Missed It
Highlights of 2022: In Case You Missed It This post shares highlights of Teach Better blog posts in 2022. Categories for posts include SEL, Management, Instructional practices, Connections & Collaboration, Development & Improvement, Leadership, Self-Care, Reflection, and monthly series. SEL Carrying Heavy Things: Support Our Students by Matthew J. Bowerman The Secret of Building Resilient Kids by Pamela Hall Random Acts … Read More
Making The Abstract Concrete
TL;DR: Students sometimes struggle with abstract concepts and need concrete examples. Write stories to help teach them these concepts. As educators, we strive to meet the needs of all of our students and build in as much differentiation as possible. While our students dive deeper into the Depth of Knowledge levels and more secondary curricular content, students may need scaffolds … Read More
Leaders, Here’s How To Support Interdisciplinary Unit Planning
TL;DR: Interdisciplinary units deepen students’ learning experiences. Have teachers decide what they want to focus on for an interdisciplinary unit. Hold a planning meeting to talk about the unit and co-plan. Plan on meeting throughout the unit with other teachers to see how it’s going and tweak things. Allow teachers to teach what they’re excited about. Celebrate your successes! Interdisciplinary … Read More