Neat Update, Fall 2020: This strategy has been featured at Cult of Pedagogy! You can find it here. When we intentionally track moments of genuine connection with students, starting with the first day of school, a few important things happen: We connect with every kid. Using a clipboard and a single sheet of paper with all 120 or so […]
student motivation
Students Won’t Read? Start with Their Beliefs
For reading in any course to matter as much as it can, the students have to 1) do the reading, and 2) do the reading actively, with care (e.g., asking questions, looking up new terms, taking notes). Many teachers — myself included — encounter a few common situations in which kids don’t naturally do this […]
What to Do When You Need a Credibility Breakthrough: The Student-by-Student Ground Game
Last time, we looked at the CCP of teacher credibility. Now, let’s examine the top trick I know for building it rapidly. This is useful if you’re new at a school or if you feel like you’re credibility is stagnating. What Kevin Hart taught me about teaching I read a story recently about comedian Kevin […]
The CCPR of Teacher Credibility
Starting out at a new school is hard, whether you’ve got no years of experience or ten. You can bring instructional expertise, nuclear passion, and tomes of knowledge, but when you start at a new school, there’s a big thing you lack: credibility. Is this person a good teacher? That’s the question everyone’s asking, whether […]
What is WOOP, and Why Does It Help with Student Motivation?
Is there anything more motivating than setting, striving for, and achieving a meaningful goal? From what I see in the classroom with my students, at home with my children, and in my own pursuits as a person, successful goal-setting is one of the best ways to get me pumped up. When I reach a goal, […]