Hey there, colleague! Continuing on with the mini-series we started yesterday, let me make a quick announcement and then we’ll get to today’s simple strategy. Announcement/Request: If you’re planning to register yourself or a group for next week’s all-virtual PD day, can you let me know by this weekend? Enrollment is currently low and I […]
Search Results for: moments of genuine connection
Credibility Booster: MGCing the Whole Class in a Single Class Period
The other day I did something that seems to have blown some fresh air right into my heart and the hearts of my students. Basically, I MGCed the whole class during a 30-minute independent work segment of the lesson. Let me break it down. First of all, 30-minute independent work segments aren’t normal in my […]
“I Can’t Handle Five Key Beliefs Right Now. Gimme Just One.”
Okay — thanks for the honesty. If you’re seeing lots of student apathy (and by “seeing” I mean feeling its weight on your soul), five key beliefs work will help you regain agency and impact. This isn’t silver bullet stuff; it’s just a low-stress, high-yield methodology for thinking and doing something about student motivation obstacles. […]
Finish Like We’d Like to Start: The Return of These 6 Things
Author’s Note: May the 4th be with you. How’d I do on the title? It was between that and These 6 Things Strikes Back. (These 6 Things: A New Hope seemed a little much.) I was talking with my friend Dr. T a couple weeks back, and he said this line that had immediate resonance: […]
How I Handled Misbehaviors on the First Day of Zoom Classroom
On the first day of synchronous learning at my school, I had a pair of students doing something I hadn’t seen before while the class was completing a writing warm-up. They were taking turns flashing their videos on and off, making funny faces each time they’d appear. I could tell they were getting a real […]