I’m standing in my classroom as a new teacher, looking out at the empty room, very anxious. I know that I want to meet every student at their level and help them to learn at their own pace. However, there are Common Core Standards, State Standards, State Testing, data to deliver, and many other requirements that put pressure on teachers […]
As educators, we all know that the parents of the students we teach can be a wildcard. One of the wonderful things about our students is that they come from many diverse backgrounds and upbringings. This diversity in our classroom can be a wonderful asset to the students’ experience. Along with this benefit to our students, this also means that […]
Hey Teacher Friends! When I was a new teacher, one of the biggest mysteries of teaching was how to differentiate well. I learned that I should differentiate and each student should have a personalized learning curriculum. The professors said that it’s best practice to differentiate. I was told that all students have different learning styles and different paces at which […]
Imagine for a moment that you are a K12 student who has not been taught to value grades and schoolwork. Since your family doesn’t want truancy issues, you find yourself at your 7 hour prison sentence each day at 8:00-3:00. You float from class to class, messing around with your friends and trying not to get in trouble. Under these […]
Hey Teacher Guides! Have you ever wondered if you are actually reaching your students? Are you ever worried that you sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher just droning on and on? We know that both adults and students need to have interest in a concept to actually do well. If teachers are completely irrelevant to students and there is no motivation […]
Hey Teacher-Guides, welcome to part 2 of Quest Builders! – How to Create Your First Mastery Gamified Unit in Your Classroom. If you haven’t read last week’s blog, be sure to read that one first and come back and read this one next as the two parts are sequential. Last blog we dove right into creating your story outline for […]
Imagine, as a teacher, you walk into a colleague’s classroom, looking for the teacher to ask about some paperwork that is due soon. You know it’s test day so it should be easy to pop in quickly while the students are silently sitting doing their tests. When you walk in and are surprised to see the class working in pairs […]
In a recent blog, we delved into the scientific foundation that supports Mastery Gamification, particularly focusing on how to teach grit in the classroom. If I were to summarize all the science and research behind Mastery Gamification on academic performance, engagement in the classroom, making good decisions, grit, growth mindset, counteracting learned helplessness, and self-efficacy, there is a common thread […]
Many teachers say that student apathy is at an all-time high in schools. It is hard to motivate students to complete school tasks or even convey the importance of doing school work. In facing this challenge, understanding how to overcome student apathy in the classroom is crucial, and this includes addressing how to overcome learned helplessness in the classroom. Many […]
Students have changed. Education has changed. Standards are long and attention spans are short. Apathy is up and grit is down. Student-centered learning advantages are often overlooked. Problems are numerous and trainings are few. The one thing that hasn’t changed is the teacher’s desire to do their best for their students. But that’s where the problem lies, isn’t it? Teachers […]
What impact do grades have on motivation? What impact does motivation have on grades? In last week’s blog post, we discussed the correlation between grades and self-esteem. How grades can become an integral part of a student’s self-esteem for good or bad (but it more for bad than good). Let’s see if we can find a reason to keep grades […]
When you were in school, were you an A student? Maybe you were a C student? Did you struggle in a certain subject? Were you valedictorian? Or maybe you were mad when you ranked #2 in your graduating class. How did those experiences make you feel? What feedback did that give you about who you were as a person? Identity […]
What’s the best way to motivate students to be high achievers in school? Is it bribery? Maybe that works in the short term but doesn’t increase motivation for future tasks. Is it stamping a grade on a test, determining their knowledge level on a subject, and then moving on to the next unit? That might work for some students but […]
There is a mindset that successful students have that schools don’t know how to teach. Some call it grit. Many call it a growth mindset. Some call it the lion mentality. I call it the hero mindset. This mindset is the main factor in deciding whether a person succeeds or fails. While some students give up when obstacles block their […]
Teachers, have you ever taught an apathetic student? Have you ever succumbed to apathy yourself? Personally, apathy in students is my biggest pet peeve. I see apathetic students and it just feels like I’m watching them shoot themselves in the foot. The dictionary defines apathy as a lack of concern or interest. Having no concern or interest in school means […]
Hello, Teacher-Guides! It’s been a crazy beginning of the school year for me. I’m sure you can say the same! There’s something about the beginning of the school year that prompts us to find inspiration. The beginning of the school year is nearly as big a deal as January 1! Students get new school supplies, teachers prepare their classrooms to […]
What day do schools start? One way to answer this is to look at a school calendar but what if this question asks more than that? What day do schools start for teachers? For teachers, it starts as soon as they start planning for the school year (likely in June or earlier). What day do schools start for students? This […]
The hero. The victim. The spectator. These are the primary student roles in the classroom. If you’re here looking for a blog on classroom jobs for students, move along, this isn’t that post. However, if you are looking for a way to use students’ natural tendencies to tell themselves a story about their lives to engage them in learning, this […]
New technology, online learning, AI support, tablets, phones, and screens. New programs, new curriculums, behavior plans, behavior incentives, discipline questions, and truancy officers. What do all these things have in common? Yes, you guessed it, these are some of the elements that are constantly changing in education. Despite these constant changes, there is one thing that has not changed in […]
Do you know how a pearl is made? When a bit of “grit” (an irritant such as sand) makes its way inside the shell of an oyster, the oyster protects itself by wrapping layers of calcium carbonate around the grit. This process results in the beautiful gem that we celebrate and wear in jewelry. The oyster does not enjoy grit. […]
“Ugh, I hate science class. It’s so boring! The teacher just rambles on about sciency stuff all day,” – student. We live in an interesting time in education. In the United States, we are privileged enough to have an established, solid, public school system. All minors must attend school until a certain age because each citizen with basic academic knowledge […]
Have you ever tried to listen to your subconscious? Not the words that you consciously think but rather the impression and reactions to the world and your place in it. Generally, these subconscious thoughts are in the form of a short story. For example, a teacher taking a walk down the sidewalk of their hometown may think: “Familiar faces, warm […]
I love summer break. Summer break for educators is a time to relax, de-stress, and recharge for next year. All educators have their own approach to summer break. Some educators take summer jobs, some take vacations, some focus on family and fun, some reflect on how the past year went, and some plan their strategy for the next school year. […]
Maybe you’re thinking about switching your classroom system to mastery based. You’ve heard great things about the method and how it raises expectations for students and you want to give it a try. But then, you get pulled to the side after a staff meeting and have the following conversation with a fellow teacher. “Psst. I see that you have […]
Bullies in kindergarten? How is that even possible? In other grades too, bullying can be a big problem. Bullies in kindergarten and really all grades are simply taking on roles that the teacher has some influence over. In last week’s blog post, we compared the teacher-student relationship in the classroom to a guide-hero relationship in a video game and the […]
Ok, first blog jitters. Is that even a thing? Apparently, it is. I have wanted to do this for so long and it’s finally happening. Hello, World! I am Stephanie Segroves – a current classroom teacher, a teacher coach, and now, a blogger! Summer vacation is here in Michigan and the sun on my face is making me reflect on […]
