More or Less

Something for Instructional Leaders to consider...

Learner Led

As an administrator, my learners happen to be both teachers and students. In order for the classrooms to be student centered, I need to model by allowing my school to be more teacher led. I'm always on the hunt for resources that will help me better facilitate this. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Paul Solarz' blog - A classroom currently using a student centered approach
• Nureva Article - Activities you can use to make your classroom more student centered
• Edutopia Article - Teacher mindset shifts needed to foster student centered classrooms

Try This

Emerson said, "It's not about the destination, it's about the journey". His quote emphasizes the importance of trying your best, no matter the endeavor. Combine this with a never-give-up attitude, and there is nothing a student can't accomplish. It all starts with that first step. JUST TRY! Give it your best shot and see what happens. The results may be surprising. Everyone remembers this scene from Facing the Giants.

I Wonder

A Traditional Arapaho saying is "if we wonder, the gift of knowledge will come". Sometimes, I feel like we put the cart before the horse in education. We become so focused on meeting priority standards that we lose sight of what makes us want to learn in the first place. How often as children did we learn something just because we were curious? Here is some information that sheds light on the subject.

• Connections Academy Article - Strategies to inspire student curiosity.
• Science Daily Article - Research on the impact of curiosity on student learning.
• Center for Teaching Quality Article - What can admin do to promote teacher curiosity.

Let me know if implementing any of the above leads to a decrease in the following:

Sit and Get

This relic from our educational past is still far to prevalent in classrooms today. I know it is the easiest way to teach, but oh that affect size...

One Size Fits All

The EdWeek Blog posts sums it up correctly. It is a challenge to design instruction that reaches your learners where they are in the moment, but it can be done. Students and adults alike should be offered choices that work best for their learning styles.

• EdWeek Blog - Yes, differentiation is hard. So, let's get it right.
• Paula Kluth's Differentiation Daily - Classroom examples of differentiation.
• IXL Blog - How to facilitate differentiated teacher P/D

I Think You Need This

We want all students to be successful in school. Our hope is to steer our students away from mistakes and toward breakthroughs as often as possible. With limited time available, we carefully design instruction that will efficiently and effectively lead our classes to content mastery, but this can be a slippery slope. If we aren't careful, soon the teacher is the one doing the majority of the heavy lifting. Here are some thoughts on how to avoid this trap:

• George Couros' Post - Understanding the teacher role.
• Edutopia Article - Tips on teaching problem solving, from a student.
• The Creativity Post - Quality content on creaitivy, innovation, and imagination.

We all know the parable of the wolves. The one that wins is the one you feed. What do you want in your school? More or Less?