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work-life balance self-regulation empathy shadow a student exemplary work student examples adhd critical thinking online pd references
shared by Jill Bergeron on 26 Feb 16
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In this Education Week article, Connecticut educator Christopher Doyle worries that many educators are not taking very good care of themselves – not balancing the intense challenges of work with family, friends, love, sleep, vacations, exercise, good nutrition, emotional health, and civic engagement. “Like American society at large,” says Doyle, “ many of us are overworked, stretched thin financially, and torn between roles as spouses, parents, and employees… Not unlike other professionals devoted to nurture, such as doctors, teachers are measured – and measure themselves – against an idealized image of excellence that involves incessant work.”
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Teachers occupy the middle to lower tiers of the American middle class – whose wages have been stagnant for some time.
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Stressed, workaholic educators are not in the best position to help students achieve some kind of balance in their overscheduled lives.
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Prioritize balance in the school schedule. This means building in time for teachers to prepare, think, meet with their colleagues, eat lunch, and pay an occasional visit to the bathroom. It’s also important not to burden teachers with unnecessary meetings.
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We should show our students, through the examples of our own lives, that they can lead healthy, multifaceted existences and not be slaves to their careers.”
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The more screen time teens have (up to 6.5 hours a day), the worse they perform academically.
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It sends a powerful message to students that someone in authority is taking the time to observe and notice with a view to making improvements in the school for their benefit.
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Give students a minute at the beginning of class to check phones. - Then have them silence their devices, put them face down on desks, and pay attention. - Every 15 minutes, allow students to check their phones for a minute. - Gradually increase the interval to 20, then 25, then 30 minutes. - If students violate the protocol, they forfeit the next phone break. - Naturally there are times when phones can be used legitimately as part of a learning experience.
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it’s unproductive to confiscate students’ phones; this can cause great anxiety and needless conflict.
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the time-honored practice of displaying samples of exemplary student work may be a turn-off for many students.
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when students are exposed to truly exceptional work, they use it as a reference point and realize they are not capable of such exceptional quality. It can lead to decreased motivation and eventually quitting if you believe the exceptional work is actually typical.”
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noticing another student multitasking electronically harms the learning of the viewer.
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Many teachers need PD on framing good critical thinking questions, modeling high-level thinking themselves, and revising their lesson tasks and assessments so they spur critical thinking.
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“Critical thinking should not be limited to one group or one age level of students.”
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Teachers need to integrate a variety of thinking questions throughout the curriculum (analyze scenarios, interpret graphics, evaluate quotes) and make sure students are seeing test questions for the first time.
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If students can produce a quick verbal answer when a question is fired at them in class, it’s probably a lower-level question. Better to let students ponder good questions and discuss them with a classmate before being asked to respond.
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it appears that study techniques that have recently emerged from cognitive science are helpful to a broad range of students with special needs. Here’s a fuller list of those approaches: - Breaking up study time into chunks; - Studying material from more than one subject in the same session; - Varying study environments; - Retrieving material from memory by testing oneself and restudying what wasn’t recalled (this is especially helpful when the material is beginning to fade, resulting in a productive struggle to recall it).
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When is online professional learning a better choice for teachers than in-person experiences?
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To study a topic that’s not offered within the district in a particular year.
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• A particular expert is not available in the school or district.
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• Singleton teachers can reach out to similarly isolated teachers in other locations.
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• Online resources can fill immediate needs, facilitating higher-quality in-person work.
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• Online PD can be significantly less expensive and more feasible than in-person PD.
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“Learning of any kind is best done collaboratively with supportive colleagues and facilitators who can push thinking, provide accountability structures, and ensure a quality learning experience. Relying on online professional development becomes dangerous when the learning is too independent and isolated.”
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when teachers go online for resources, they often gravitate to those that are immediately useful rather than looking at material that challenges them and helps them grow professionally. “School-based collaboration is still necessary,” conclude the authors, “maybe even more necessary, in an environment where teachers are participating in independent online learning activities.”
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“Use online learning to meet your personal needs, but find ways to take that learning back to your school.”
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five maxims in reference calls: • Agree with the candidate on a comprehensive and relevant list of references to call. This should include former bosses, peers, and subordinates in previous jobs. Narrow the list by thinking about the specific characteristics of the job you’re trying to fill.
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“[I]t’s easier to solicit the whole truth when you can hear hesitation or emotion in a person’s voice or see it on their face.” And emphasize that all comments will be completely confidential.
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Help the reference avoid common biases. If you start by asking an overly general question (“What can you tell me about Carol?”), Carol’s employer will usually trot out her best characteristics – and will then feel the need to be consistent with those positive comments when answering subsequent questions.
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Ask about the candidate’s social and emotional competence.
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Check values and cultural fit. Will this candidate fit in and succeed in your organization and work collaboratively with you and your colleagues?
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Probe for downstream qualities. Will the candidate keep learning, adapting, and growing?
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“Ask for examples of situations in which the person has shown the hallmarks of potential: curiosity, insight, engagement, and determination,” says Fernández-Aráoz.
