“If I give my students choice, I’m worried they’re going to make bad choices,” I often hear teachers say. “They’re just going to choose the easiest option. Or, they’re going to choose what their friends choose.” There’s no doubt that sometimes students will make poor choices. They
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Social-emotional learning (SEL) is a hot topic in schools right now—as it should be. It’s increasingly clear that social and emotional skills are the keys to the kingdom—it’s the skill set that employers are seeking—the skill set that’s less likely to be outsourced or automated as our economy
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We all know the importance of the first six weeks of school. We build positive relationships with students and a strong sense of community membership within our classes. We establish consistent and predictable routines to help students feel safe and allow them to navigate learning more independently. We also
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Here’s another great post by guest-blogger and teacher, Gillian Andrews. Enjoy! You may have read my previous blog post, Need More Teachers in the Classroom? Clone Yourself!, and thought this looks like a great idea in theory, but who has time? I get it! I’m a teacher.
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Rick Gifford knew that a worksheet where students define words and then use them in a sentence wasn’t the most engaging way for them to learn and practice math vocabulary. He wanted to spruce things up and give his students some choice, but he was struggling to
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It’s the beginning of a new school year, and your energy and optimism are high. You’re looking forward to a wonderful year—full of new growth and learning. As you settle in with colleagues for the first staff meeting, you chat excitedly with people nearby. You’re eager to
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What if the best recipe for creating successful schools was developing relaxed, safe, and joyful ones? What if the key to raising achievement (even as measured by standardized tests) was to have students engage in authentic, student-driven, choice-based, and fun learning? What of this isn’t a pipe-dream
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In survey after survey, business leaders are clear about what they’re looking for in employees. They want creative, dynamic, and independent thinkers. They want people who work well with a variety of people. And, importantly, they don’t want to hire people who need to be motivated and
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