What exactly is explicit instruction?

When students are new to the learning, or struggling with the learning, they likely need explicit instruction, but some might consider this approach as "drill and kill?" Dr. Anita Archer invites us to see explicit instruction as a key component to learning, to think less in categories and more in continuums.

Making Differentiation Doable

In this short video, renown educator, author, and ELL expert Larry Ferlazzo simplifies differentiation. He also leaves us with something to think about regarding what is most important in making differentiation doable.

It's a marathon.

Hello teachers. Whether you are new or seasoned, being a teacher is a marathon. The first few weeks of September can seem overwhelming when the finish line is horizons away. If you're feeling that way, remember Terry Fox. He was only 22 years old.

A Compassionate Stance

Is compassion a matter of reacting to situations or is it about how intentional you are? This short video may make you rethink your definition of compassion and how to apply it to your life, or teach it to your students.

What's similar about bowling & inclusive ed?

Classroom composition and diversity is a given. But how do we reach more students? Shelly Moore, from the University of British Columbia, has a clever idea.

What exactly do teachers do?

Educational researcher Dr. David Sousa answers this question succinctly: we teachers are "brain changers." 

Learning more about the brain can boost your teaching productivity and efficiency, plus it can be inspiring. Edutopia has a 5 minute film festival page on a variety of subjects that pertain to teachers, including learning about the brain, like this one, How Youth Learn: 

Happy "boring" summer?

Recently, due to the ubiquitous use of technology and its distracting nature, scientists are debating the importance of boredom. Some neuroscientists, including Susan Greenfield, argue that so-called boredom provides time for students, all of us really, to figure out who we are and what we believe. That seems pretty important, doesn't it? Teachers especially need some of this personal down time. Therefore, we hope you and yours enjoy a little bored time this summer. We think cartoonist Grant Snider would agree.

A happy summer to all!

Write to be Right?

We teachers may not realize it but for students, their school writing is typically scrutinized. Summative writing tasks are more high-stakes, focused on learning to write. So students tend to write to be right.

Yet creating product is only one purpose for writing. Students also need time to write to explore, to think, to test and try ideas. Writing to learn is valuable too because it helps students activate their own thinking, generate their own ideas, and reflect on their own learning. Not only does it provide much-needed time to practice writing without heavy scrutiny, the generated content can be used for other writing purposes and for small and whole group discussions. So where might low-stakes writing fit into your lessons, and how might it improve student engagement toward writing?

How to Find your Voice

As Grand Snider's most excellent cartoon reveals, finding your voice requires many attempts, some successful, some not so much. Like the cartoon suggests, we educators find our voices in the voices of others: great thinkers, administrators, colleagues, favourite authors, scientists, engineers, mathematicians, our own favourite teachers and so on, but we must always remember that it is by listening to our students that we will find many of the answers we're seeking to empower ourselves.

Child's Play?

Many of us heard this when we were children: "Well, you certainly have a good imagination!" Such a great compliment! But imagination is definitely not so-called child's play. It's a strength we teachers can empower in any and every student at any age. Why? Science says it literally builds the brain. Watch the video for the latest research and consider using visualization techniques in your classes to enhance that brain-building. Plus, it's just fun.

Eat the frog?

It may be a cliché, but it's true: we teachers all have lots on our plates. Especially in September! In fact, there's so much on our plates, it's hard to know what to eat first, isn't it? 

So how do we manage it all? According to University of Alberta educated author Brian Tracy, start with the frog on your plate; it may not look appetizing but instead of avoiding it, just go ahead and eat it. Check out the video to learn how this strategy might help simplify your busy, busy life. 

What IS confidence?

Who doesn't need a confidence boost every now and again? Sometimes risks lack the expected rewards. Sometimes we can't help but compare ourselves to others seemingly more successful. Sometimes we experience a string of failures. No one can be confident all the time. But we teachers are very skilled at solving problems. Like this short video suggests, to boost our confidence we should start with this question: what exactly is confidence?

Nice?

photo source

"Just be nice."

How many times have we heard this? How many times have we used this word to encourage peace among others? And yet, the word is so vague. It's also a missed opportunity. 

In her Grande Prairie Ted Talk, Christine Ayling describes the Virtues Project and the profound effect it has had on her career and her life and most importantly, on the people she counsels and supports through trauma and struggle. Ayling recommends eliminating the word nice from your vocabulary. Why? When we eliminate the word "nice," suddenly we use more specific, more apt words. These better words describe the qualities we see in others, qualities we want to foster and develop and affirm: virtues.

Instead of describing someone or something as nice, why not seize the teachable moment and offer some insight to our students and colleagues, some feedback that can truly impact their greatest strengths, their virtues. Why not identify, recognize and affirm

• gentleness?
• discernment?
• tolerance?
• cheerfulness?
• humility?
• respect?
• honour?
• courage?
• cooperation?
• endurance?
• patience?
• confidence?
• tact?
• mercy?
• optimism?
• faith?
• perceptiveness?
• flexibility?
• empathy?
• truthfulness?
• wonder?

Indeed, why not? Have a nice virtuous day friends.

Time to think?

Renowned speaker Zig Ziglar said, "lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem; we all have 24 hour days." We've all heard people say, I don't even have time to think! Yet it's true--we all get the same 24 hours. Perhaps that thinking time is what's truly missing?

What if we stopped managing time and made time? Be makers people, be makers.

Here's to wishing you some much needed think-time!

How do we create life-long learners?

Teaching curiosity is key to creating life-long learners. The links between curiosity and creativity and critical thinking are undeniable. This short video poses some interesting ideas and strategies for teaching all three. What will you inspire your students to be curious about this year? And how will they inspire you?

Creating Learners

Recently, we coaches spent a day with all the Junior High teachers in our school division. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk to them about building a collaborative culture and we feel immense gratitude for their insights and ideas. They have such an important job!

One of our activities was to define the ideal skills and attributes of a student. Using a bit of backwards design, we hoped to encourage teachers to visualize the type of learner they, through their influence, want to create. The wordle says it all.

What kind of students do you want to create?

Chicken or Egg? Egg or Chicken?

John Antonetti's Engagement Cube

We've all been asked which came first: the chicken or the egg? One of the reasons this question engages us is because it provokes debate. It challenges and exposes our thinking about a variety of things, and everyone seems to have a different theory. 

Speaking of engagement, Dr. Douglas Willms asks a great chicken-egg type question for us educators. In the great debate about how to best engage our disengaged youth, he poses this: does engagement increase achievement OR does achievement increase engagement? 

Dr. Willms' research reveals that "achievement begets engagement." What do you think? 

After 34 years, what is teaching?

What do you love about teaching?

Recently we coaches spent a day with our new staff (a wonderful combination of both beginning teachers and teachers new to our school division) at our orientation call-back day. We asked them: what do you love about teaching? We think what they said is good inspiration for all teachers. 

• I love the dynamic atmosphere of the classroom, things aren’t the same from one class to another or even one day to another in the same class.
• The student process from “I have no idea what I am doing” to “I got it!”
• Building relationships with students.
• I learn a lot in the process of teaching.
• I love meeting new people.
• I love creating relationships and seeing the light in a student’s eyes when they come to an understanding!  (epiphany)
• Seeing “the lightbulb” come on for students.  This moment is WHY I teach.
• The moment when everything clicks!
• I love smiling faces you encounter every day :)
• I love being creative - I get paid to be creative!
• AHA moment, I get it, Yes!
• I love interacting with the students; being able to hear and respond to what gets the students questioning.
• I love seeing the students learn and apply what they have learned outside the class.
• I love meeting students years later and they have a “remember when we…” story.
• The contact with the students.
• Having an impact on children’s lives and having connections with students.
• I love the schedule, always doing something new, working indoors during winter, the amount of resources for professional development.
• The enthusiasm some kids have for the material.
• Being able to share my faith everyday and celebrating our “God moments” together as a class.
• Being with children.
• I love going to work each day and finding I learn something new.

But first, seek strengths.

Surviving the Polar Bear Plunge

As teachers, we all experience students who challenge us: our patience, our thinking, our beliefs, our routines. Buttons DO get pushed.

These sorts of experiences can be very difficult yet also incredibly formative and no matter the outcome, they help prepare us for future challenges. It may seem impossible at the time but sometimes these sorts of conflicts can even result in surprising outcomes where students return one day and say, "Thanks for not giving up on me."

But in the middle of it when it seems like there's simply no patience left, how do we foster positive change? There's a saying: "You don't drown by falling in the water, you drown by staying there." Challenges require action for change to occur especially when we feel overwhelmed. So what next?

Don't face this alone. Seek support. Then seek strategies. But first, seek strengths.

Strengths? Really? In his book Hanging In, veteran educator Jeffrey Benson recommends beginning with a total shift in thinking: identify the student's every possible strength.

Think about that.

It's easy to see what a student can't do but what can a student do? Start there. Start there with any student. When we begin with strengths we can create a relationship and with a relationship we can have influence.