Studies have shown LGBTQ students are more likely to be bullied at school, which can lead to missed classes and a higher risk of suicide. For those kids, a teacher who knows how to be inclusive can make a big difference, but many teachers aren’t sure how to do that. Over the years, gender and sexual identity have evolved, and not everyone has kept up. A Queer Endeavor helps teachers navigate questions like how to…
The use of multiple choice questions has been derided by educators for decades as incapable of truly measuring understanding. While performance on such exams can be noticeably improved simply by learning a few tricks, the multiple choice question may have a larger, less obvious flaw that disrupts the tone of learning itself. This is a tone that is becoming increasingly important in the 21st century as access to information increases, as the updating of information…
When classroom tasks get a little too difficult, it’s common for teachers to hear “I can’t do this” from their students. Most at-risk kids have some self-defeating behaviors, including those that result in personal failure, and even students who don’t face extra challenges in the classroom get frustrated. Helping students push past their self-perceived limitations results in the beginnings of success. This leads into a success building upon success behavioral cycle. In order to get…
A four-year-old asks about 400 questions per day, and an adult hardly asks any. Our school system is structured around rewards for regurgitating the right answer, and not asking smart questions, and as we grow older, we stop asking questions. Yet asking smart questions is essential to find and develop solutions, and an important skill in innovation, strategy, and leadership. So why do we stop asking questions – and more importantly, why don’t we train…
Teaching is one of the most important jobs in our society. Teachers prepare the future generation of students for the world beyond the classroom. While it is often an underappreciated profession, teachers showcase their passion for their work. I have been working with children for six years, and love teaching. But why do teachers love teaching? Teaching is not like any other job. Other jobs can be uneventful; clock in, clock out. Teaching is a…
Starting a new school year can be daunting. With all the changes to your student’s academic life, beginning a new year with a new teacher can be stressful. What do they expect of students? How will they run their classroom? Will their teaching style fit with students’ learning styles? Studies show that children do better in school when parents and teachers communicate often. Here are some tips for communication with your child’s teacher: Introduce yourself.…
In our last blog post, we talked about 10 different types of learning journals that can help students think. Today we will extend that list by providing 10 more examples of learning journals. To read part one of this post, please click here. 11. Five W’s Journal. This journal is framed through the iconic five W’s questions: who, what, when, where, and why. Students simply start with a concept, then ask and answer five questions,…
A learning journal is an ongoing collection of writing dedicated to learning–that is, writing done for the purpose of learning rather than the purpose of demonstrating learning. Learning journals are often named for a specific purpose and/or format, such as a creative writing journal. Even a personal blog can be a kind of journal if the blogging is done in order to promote, deepen, or extend learning of some kind. There are as many types…
Questions are extraordinary learning tools. A good question can open minds, shift paradigms, and force the uncomfortable but transformational cognitive dissonance that can help create the world’s greatest thinkers. In education, we tend to value a student’s ability to answer questions, but what might be more important is her ability to ask her own great questions–and more critically, her willingness to do so. Here are 5 strategies for getting students to ask meaningful questions in…
Creativity is an incredibly valuable skill. All too often, we outgrow our imagination with age due to an encroaching sense of self doubt, an ingrained belief that it’s an impractical pursuit, or firm guidance from more experienced grown-ups advising engineering over art school. Although almost everyone would agree that creativity is important, budget cuts to areas of education like art and music programs demonstrate differently. Creativity should be encouraged along with technical knowledge, since the…
