TL;DR Emotional safety is just as critical as physical safety. Creating safe spaces in our classrooms starts with understanding our own safety needs. Build hands-on tasks with students and colleagues to break down complex emotional ideas. Using mood meters provides learners with a language to describe their emotions. Feeling safe is a fundamental need. Learners’ attention in our classes depends … Read More
The Myths of Gifted Children
TL;DR: Many gifted children aren’t challenged at their just-right level. One of the major challenges in giving students the work they need is a misunderstanding of how to help. Gifted children need to be challenged and taught the executive functioning skills needed to succeed. Underchallenged Gifted Children In my previous post, I talked about the underchallenged gifted child. These are … Read More
Teaching Versus Teachering: Extra Duties of Teachers
TL;DR: Teaching involves standards, a curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Students and teachers co-create the learning experience together. As teachers, what do we do beyond teaching? How can you impact greater change? Teaching Versus Teachering: Extra Duties of Teachers Not too long ago, I was listening to one of my favourite podcasts, The Chey and Pav Show. This show features Chey … Read More
Five Leverage Points For Supporting School Improvement
TL;DR: Every year, schools work to establish school improvement goals. Schools may fall into one of three categories: improvement, diminishing returns, or flatlining. There are five leverage points schools should look at for improvement. Each year, school improvement teams identify needs, create goals, and determine how to measure each goal. Staff commits to focusing on school priorities and strategies for … Read More
Persevere Better: Understanding Grit and Resilience
TL;DR: What are the differences between grit and resilience? Grit is an intrinsic quality within a person that drives them to keep going. Resilience allows you to bounce back from hardships. If you already have grit within you, resilience will allow that fire to stay alive. Grit and Resilience I recently engaged with my learning network members about the difference … Read More