Wednesday, April 26, 2017
The Amazing Power of "Yet"
So how do we nurture intrinsic motivation and a growth mindset in ourselves and our students? I just reread an Edutopia article from 2014 that reminded me of the power of our words and how they impact our own thinking and the motivation of our students. Although this article focuses on high school writing, the author stresses the power of the teacher, value of the kind of feedback we give, and the payoff of engagement and ownership.
Here is a glimpse of the content in the article that I found powerful:
"Carol Dweck’s Mindset also made me question the feedback I was giving. Dweck found that praising students for intelligence actually made kids less likely to take academic risks because, on some level, they feared losing the label of "smart" if they did poorly. And since avoiding academic risks means avoiding learning, praising students' intelligence eventually impaired their success in school (and life happiness as well, since they felt intelligence was out of their own control). Students praised for working through difficult material wanted to show they could do so again, with the cumulative effects of long-term academic success, confidence in trying situations, and happier outlooks. Dweck called these mindsets fixed and growth, and started a movement to instill growth mindset in students. She has also talked about the amazing power of yet. She argues that we do a disservice to students by giving them only positive feedback on their writing. Although we don't want to crush their dreams, they can handle -- and even need -- room for growth and mastery. Hence the power of yet: "Your sentence structure does not yet match the tone you are trying to achieve." Yet allows negative feedback while also transmitting trust that they will get there."
The power of "yet" has implications for how feedback is provided to students in all subjects as well as the way we think about professional growth! Our students may not be achieving where we want them to be...."yet"! But we will get there with the right mindset, attitude, motivation, and support!
Check out the article for additional suggestions on providing feedback that promotes ownership and engagement!
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/intrinsic-motivation-growth-mindset-writing-amy-conley?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialflow
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
The Final Countdown, The Last Inning, the 4th Quarter!
Check out the link to his blog for additional details, suggestions, and strategies. Maybe you can even provide your principals and/or leadership teams with a few hints of what might make a difference in at your campus.
http://matthewarend.com/2017/
Be sure to check out the other articles within the blog written by other principals and teachers. Paige Givens blog titled "7 More Weeks" resonated as she explains examples of different mindsets that occur within same hallway. I think we can all connect to the examples in one way or another.
I'm liking the idea of the 7th inning stretch, it is baseball season of course! Focusing on reflection and actions that will help me accomplish desired goals for the 2016-17 school year!
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Engagement From the Viewpoint of a Student
If you are not familiar with Edutopia, check it out! The resources, blogs, newsletters, tweets-all focused on the educational topics of today will keep you current, inspired and motivated. A definite need this time of the year!
I just read a blog written by a 17 year old student from Nashville, Tennessee. He shares his story about the opportunities offered in his high school that have led to his success and presents four tips teachers can adopt to engage students. Love the way he presents his message and how his description of engagement was accomplished through cognitively complex tasks! I connected right away to our district mission "Every Student, Every Day, A Success" and the direction we are headed with Islander Prep Academies!
This time of the year presents a prime opportunity to reflect on relationships with students and how more choices, displaying student work, and adding humor can be incorporated into your lessons. For more details and resources, check out his entire blog and the Edutopia website.
I just read a blog written by a 17 year old student from Nashville, Tennessee. He shares his story about the opportunities offered in his high school that have led to his success and presents four tips teachers can adopt to engage students. Love the way he presents his message and how his description of engagement was accomplished through cognitively complex tasks! I connected right away to our district mission "Every Student, Every Day, A Success" and the direction we are headed with Islander Prep Academies!
This time of the year presents a prime opportunity to reflect on relationships with students and how more choices, displaying student work, and adding humor can be incorporated into your lessons. For more details and resources, check out his entire blog and the Edutopia website.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Leadership-Difined by a 5th Grader
An elementary principal recently shared the insights to leadership from the lens of a 5th-grade student. This was the outcome of a writing...
-
This Thursday Dr. Amy Mancini, our Director of Assessment and Accountability will be receiving the Nebraska Distinguished Educator of Lite...
-
Greetings GIPS Staff: It is with mixed emotions I am announcing the resignation of Mrs. Shanna Gannon, our Executive Director of Cur...
-
Happy "I Love Public Schools" Day!! Why do I love public schools? There are so many reasons! Every Student Matters!...