Why Time is a Teacher’s Greatest Commodity…and What to Do When You Don’t Have Enough of It

by: Guest Post
Posted on: March 23, 2022

Today’s guest post is by Jim Heal, Director of New Initiatives, and Rebekah Berlin, Senior Program Director at Deans for Impact. Long-time readers know how much I respect the work that Deans for Impact does. Their Resources — clear, brief,

Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, Grades K-12 by Peter Liljedahl

Erik Jahner, PhD
by: Erik Jahner, PhD
Posted on: March 21, 2022

Initially, I looked at this title and thought “not another best practice book” the bookstores already have too many poor books on how to teach content effectively. However, I begrudgingly opened Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, Grades K-12: 14 Teaching

A Little Help, Please…

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: March 14, 2022

I’ve got a problem, and I’m hoping you can help me. Here’s the situation… I work as a high school English teacher. And I’m also a consultant – presenting psychology and neuroscience research for teachers and students and parents. In

Does Higher Engagement Promote Learning?

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: March 2, 2022

Long-time readers know: I thoroughly enjoy research that challenges my beliefs. After all, I (probably) have lots to learn when a study makes me think anew. In this case — even better! — I’ve found a study that (I suspect)

The Downsides of Desirable Difficulties

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: February 24, 2022

For several years now, we’ve been talking about the benefits of “desirable difficulties.” For instance, we know that spreading practice out over time helps students learn more than does doing all the practice at once. Why? Because that schedule creates

Rationality by Steven Pinker

Erik Jahner, PhD
by: Erik Jahner, PhD
Posted on: February 22, 2022

Over the last couple of years, we have often felt like the world is losing its collective mind. The news is profuse with interviews and shocking examples of apparent declines in rational thinking, and we are faced with regular internet

Too Good to be True: When Research and Values Collide

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: February 15, 2022

Let’s start with some quick opinions: Flipped classrooms… … can transform education and foster students’ independence, or … are often a waste of time, and at best just rename stuff we already do. A growth mindset… … allows students to

New Research: Unrestricted Movement Promotes (Some Kinds of) Creativity

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: February 8, 2022

Teachers like creativity. We want our students to learn what has come before, certainly. And, we want them to do and think and imagine new things with that prior knowledge. We want them, in ways big and small, to create.

The First Three Steps

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: January 31, 2022

Early in January, The Times (of London) quoted author Kate Silverton (on Twitter: @KateSilverton) saying: It’s the schools that have the strictest discipline that have the highest mental health problems. Helpfully, they include a video recording of her saying it.

A “Noisy” Problem: What If Research Contradicts Students’ Beliefs?

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: January 23, 2022

The invaluable Peps Mccrea recently wrote about a vexing problem in education: the “noisy relationship between teaching and learning.” In other words: I can’t really discern EXACTLY what parts of my teaching helped my students learn. Was it my content