“Sometimes all you need for exceptional results is average effort repeated for an above-average amount of time.” James Clear – May 11, 2023 Newsletter Whether I’m walking the halls of my workplace or those of a school across the world, I’ve long accepted an obvious fact: I’m an average teacher. If you were to come […]
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Four Ways Students Forget Things
In the new course I’m rolling out this month (enroll today for access to first-cohort exclusives like great vibes and “Ask Dave Anything” Q&As), I just finished producing a module that has to do with how students remember things. So, let’s look at an inverse of this idea. How do students forget things? Specifically, how do […]
Who’s Got It Better Than Us?
The first principle in my new course (rolling out this month; enroll today for access to first-cohort exclusives like “Ask DSJ Anything” Q&As) is that “Learning is Hard.” According to cognitive science, this isn’t just an ethos or belief or classroom poster (below) or culture. Nope — it’s more than talk. It’s just how the […]
English Matters: An English Teacher Looks Back, Looks Within, Looks Ahead
English: The Big Picture In 1987, sixty leaders in the field of English assembled at the English Coalition Conference (ECC) to discuss what “English” is and what it is, exactly, that English teachers do. While they grappled with these questions, I entered a credential program to become an English teacher, a curious choice for one […]
Is It Possible to Help a Student Who is “Confused About Everything?”
Practically and reliably? No. I have as much likelihood to help a student who says, “I’m confused about everything,” as I have throwing a dart at a dartboard with my eyes closed. Can you get a bullseye on a dartboard with your eyes closed? Yes. Can you get better at getting bullseyes if you practice […]