Buy-In vs Collective Commitments

Steven WeberBlog, Innovation, Leadership, Lesson Planning, Student Engagement

TL;DR: Sometimes school leadership teams wait to get buy-in before completing an action. Waiting for buy-in can cause delays in implementation. Collective commitment means putting the kids first rather than forming an adult-centric school. Waiting for Buy-In When principals or school improvement teams attempt to implement a new program or initiative, it is common to hear the phrase, “We will … Read More

Are You Using All of the Free Tools With Canva?

Betsy SpringerBlog, Differentiation, Innovation, Lesson Planning, Student Engagement

TL;DR: Canva is a free tool for educators and students. It provides templates and other tools to make the classroom more exciting. Canva offers video courses for teachers and students. Are you using all of the FREE tools with Canva? I have to assume many teachers out there are using Canva regularly at this point. The Canva design suite for … Read More

Science Better: Showing Thanks

Teach Better TeamBlog, Classroom Management, Innovation, Leadership, Lesson Planning, Self-Care, Student Engagement

TL;DR: It is important to reflect on who has had a positive impact on your education journey. I want to thank the “giants” who have shaped my views of science and education. Reach out to the people who have helped you become the amazing educator that you are and thank them! Mr. Anthony During the month of November, I tend … Read More

Moving From Self-Care to Collective Care

Teach Better TeamBlog, Classroom Management, Innovation, Leadership, Self-Care, Student Engagement

TL;DR: While self-care is important, it has become a way of shifting the responsibility, whilst putting more work on the shoulders of already overwhelmed educators. Mutual aid is collective coordination to meet each other’s needs. Collective care removes the responsibility from the shoulders of individual teachers and shifts the onus to the school, district, and educators as a collective group. … Read More

Gifted Strategies Are Just Better Teaching

Teach Better TeamBlog, Differentiation, Innovation, Lesson Planning, Mastery Learning, Student Engagement

TL;DR: Using strategies that support gifted students can support all students in your classroom. While at the Teach Better conference, I attended several sessions that would work well for gifted students, including using Depth of Knowledge and the Grid Method as well as finding ways for students to look at math creatively. Gifted Strategies Are Just Good Teaching These are … Read More