Kids Do Better When They Play!

Bobbie FrenchBlog, Connect Better, Engage Better, Teach Happier

TL;DR: Play fosters creativity, social development, physical growth, language skills, and independent thinking, crucial in early education. Play supports creative thinking, social interaction, and decision-making, offering opportunities to enhance skills that aid in academic and personal life. Educators play a vital role in promoting play-based learning, focusing on creativity, problem-solving, physical development, language skills, and independence in young children. Play … Read More

Teaching Kids to Record What Is Important

Sharlene McHolmBlog, Connect Better, Differentiate Better, Engage Better, Lesson Plan Better

TL;DR: Students’ easy access to information doesn’t guarantee quality work. Teaching note-taking skills enhances critical thinking and learning. Personalized notes empower students. Evaluate student understanding of new concepts with 1:1 conferences.  Teaching Kids to Record What Is Important Students today have easy access to every kind of information, almost instantaneously. But does that lead to more knowledgeable kids?  Are they … Read More

Cognitive Student Engagement in 2023

Suzanne RogersBlog, Connect Better, Engage Better, Lesson Plan Better, Manage Better, Teach Happier

TL;DR: Explore the evolution of student engagement in the post-COVID-19 educational landscape. Do this with a focus on aligning education with student needs and passions. Gain insights from John Dewey’s philosophy and John Hattie’s research on empowering students in their learning. Learn strategies to enhance student engagement, including building personal connections, setting high expectations, differentiating grading, and giving students control … Read More

The Heart of Education: Taking Risks

Jennifer WaldvogelBlog, Differentiate Better, Engage Better, Innovate Better, Lesson Plan Better, Manage Better, Personalize Student Learning Better, Reflect Better, Teach Further, Teach Happier

TL;DR: Taking risks makes teaching more exciting and fulfilling. Start small with change to accomplish more in the long run. Risk-taking is easier for students when we build them a safety net. Failure is natural. Show students it’s okay to fail as long as we try again. Growing up, we’re taught to be careful: to wear helmets and knee pads … Read More