The Heart of Education: Taking Risks

Jennifer WaldvogelBlog, Classroom Management, Differentiation, Innovation, Lesson Planning, Personalized Learning, Reflect Better, Student Engagement, 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

The Uncomfortable Truth About School

Teach Better TeamBlog, Grading & Assessment, Innovation, Lesson Planning, Mastery Learning, Reflect Better, Student Engagement

TL;DR: Students forget most of what they “learn” in school. Acknowledging this gives us the freedom to focus on powerful learning experiences. Wrestling with the impermanence of some school “learning” challenges our core values as educators. What is Learning, Really? Educational thought leader Will Richardson loves to invite teachers to share their definitions of learning. His observation: most of us … Read More

Increasing your IMPACT with Strategic Partnerships

Chad OstrowskiBlog, Innovation, Leadership

TL;DR: There are federal and state funds that schools and districts have access to. When you have a vision to make a change, don’t do it alone. Find a strategic partner like Teach Better that can help you find funding, apply for funding, and get funding. They can also help execute the plan to grow and reach your goals and … Read More

Dare Mighty Things

Teach Better TeamBlog, Innovation, Leadership, Reflect Better

TL;DR: Learning and growth happen when you get out of your comfort zone. Scientists and engineers have to accept the possibility of failure. Teachers and students should be encouraged to Dare Mighty Things. Do you Dare Mighty Things? Take a moment and reflect: Are you playing it safe, staying in your comfort zone, and surrounded by the familiar? Or are … Read More

5 Design Strategies to Come Back Better

Teach Better TeamBlog, Innovation, Leadership

TL;DR: Qualities of a design thinking mindset. Five strategies to Come Back Better this fall, including engaging with empathy, defining needs, challenging the process, innovating, and being flexible. Seven years ago, a group of high school students participated in a design competition, building a robot to perform various jobs.  Each week, they sent programming code to a company design firm for … Read More