TL;DR: Generational poverty and general helplessness are very real. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE), poverty, mental health, and learned helplessness all connect. Educators should embed hope in their lesson plans and schools should make it a part of the culture. Educators know that to truly overhaul our educational system, we must overhaul our focus: psychology is greater than pedagogy. Psychology Is … Read More
5 Game Changers in Education
TL;DR: Each day, when we enter schools, we have the opportunity to create a game-changing moment for students. 5 game changers in education include formative assessments, learning targets, personalized learning, writing, and student-led questions. When school staff focus on these five game changers, they will begin to see self-directed learners, contributors, and problem solvers. Have you ever witnessed a game-changing … Read More
Differentiating Project Based Learning!
TL;DR: Project based learning can engage students with the research process. It also keeps student voice at the center of how we teach. Project based learning can help engage students with their community and see how their actions can make a difference. Why Project Based Learning? As an educator, I believe we can engage students with learning with the research … Read More
Supporting New Teachers
TL;DR: Supporting new teachers is essential during this time when everyone feels like a new teacher. Some of the best support new teachers can get is from other teachers or team members. When I Was a New Teacher I have been teaching for 11 years. During my first year of teaching, I wanted to do everything perfectly. In fact, I … Read More
Telling vs. Teaching
TL;DR: Telling is the feeding of information without any real background of what students are doing or why. Teaching is giving context, explaining the “why” and “how” of what you want students to know. More learning happens through the process of teaching. An example of telling vs. teaching is explained. In a recent conversation with one of my teachers, I … Read More