I can still picture driving through the woods of Maine a few years back and writing a blog post in my head called “Why ‘the Best?’ Will Good do Instead?“ I still stand by the sentiments of that article. Trying to be the best teacher — in your school, state, country — is, in my […]
Blog
Should School Librarians Track Attempted MGCs?
Short answer: yeah! It’s a simple way to improve your impact and your quality of life. But, for folks like librarians: Print a list of all students in the school, alphabetical by last name. Put the list someplace where you’ll see it and be likely to use it (e.g., a binder, a clipboard, a set […]
How Do I Get There? vs. You Must Go
Longtime blogger Seth Godin once wrote the following: “It’s more productive to offer directions to someone who has already decided to go on the journey. It’s this idea — which Godin calls “enrollment” — that I’m after when I write constantly about the Five Key Beliefs about student motivation. What you’re seeking is the creation […]
We Lack Clarity, Not Strategies
Practically everywhere I visit, I like to ask teachers, “What have you seen work well at helping students grow in their care about the work of learning?” In other words: What works for student motivation? What have you seen work in your practice as an educator? This prompt draws all kinds of ideas, and […]
Booker T. Washington on the Efficacy Belief
A bit ago, I found myself reflecting on a pair of lines from the American hero Booker T. Washington in his book Up from Slavery: Here’s a hunch I have: his second line is where his impatience in the first comes from. How you or I or our students define success is perhaps the most […]