Dear colleague, I was encouraged by this Study.com article recently that shared the results of a 100-student survey about what students want. Though the sample size isn’t large, the results are both unsurprising and encouraging as I continue to apprentice myself to the Five Key Beliefs way of teaching. So, let’s look at how what […]
Settling Back Into the Saddle
Dear colleague, During the summer months, I spent most of my days NOT writing or thinking about school. I instead pointed my soul toward things like outings with the children, home improvement projects, volunteering at a camp in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, taking dips into as many bodies of water as possible, and even riding horses […]
The Evidence Behind The Will to Learn
Dear colleague, Recently, our fellow educator Ryan Hubbard in California wrote in to DSJ headquarters with the following comments and question: You say [in this article] that “student motivation multiplies a given lesson’s impact like nothing else.” I completely agree and know that your philosophies are always supported by thorough research. Do you have any […]
Transparency Statements That Diffuse Distrust During Moments of Genuine Connection (MGCs)
Dear colleagues, This school year, our students will be motivated by the degree to which their hearts hold Five Key Beliefs. This is the fundamental argument of The Will to Learn. And at the core of a solid Five Key Beliefs approach in any setting is a simple, systematic approach to relationship building that I […]
Tomorrow Can Worry About Itself
Dear colleague, One of my children is highly conscientious and can become overwhelmed by the things she has to get done in a given week of school or life. It hits her most heavily during bedtime when I’m tucking her in; she’ll get into this spiral of listing all the things she has to do […]