I try to avoid purely administrative updates on the blog, but there's enough that's developed to make this one necessary. If you'll oblige me, the following updates will let me silence the PD provider part of my head so that the writer/reader/teacher part can resume its captaincy.
Updates to my In-Person Events
In the last six weeks, everything on my April, May, and June docket for in-person PD events has been cancelled or postponed. Trips I was anticipating to Arizona, British Columbia, Florida, North Dakota, Arkansas, Idaho, and Massachusetts — finito la musica.
If you're curious about my in-person work, here's that page. Once such things are possible again, I'll be eager to get back together with groups of educators in person.
Updates to my Online Courses
I normally open the Student Motivation and Time Management Courses at set intervals. Due to requests, I've made the following adjustments.
- Registration open indefinitely. If you navigate to the SMC or TMC registration pages, you'll see that the courses are available now and will be until summer.
- Office hours — now weekly. Due to the confounding combo of uniqueness and similarity in our teaching situations, I've set weekly office hours into my schedule for course participants new and old. This way if you have a specific question about time management or student motivation in the midst of emergency remote teaching/learning, you can ask it and get a quick answer. (Note: As soon as you register for a course you'll see an explanation for how to register and submit questions for these office hours.)
- Financial aid — now available. If you're experiencing financial hardship during this season and your school or district isn't able to fund your enrollment, email support@davestuartjr.com. Let me know what you need. I would love to help.
- Flat rates for large groups. If you're a leader and would like a large number (or all) of your teachers to have access to one or both of these courses during the closures, please email dave@davestuartjr.com to let me know your situation. Please also propose a flat rate that would work with your school or district budget. Again, I would love to help.
And here's why. In the Student Motivation Course, 1,000+ participants have expressed a similar sentiment: “When I encounter a demotivated student now, I'm empowered. I know how to analyze what's going on and what the science says about how to proceed.” In the Time Management Course, hundreds of educators have gone from chaos to coherence through the patient use of the same disciplines I use.
You can learn more or register through the links below:
*Please note that the Classroom Management Course is set to re-open on May 1. If you'd like early access, just email support@davestuartjr.com and I'll get you set up.
New — Virtual Book Clubs for Two Books
This blog is shaped from precious few influences, two of which are the things I read and the colleagues the blog connects me with. During this time period when my in-person PD schedule is reduced to zero and my in-person instructional hours are similarly reduced to zero, I'd like to read the books that I think will most help us conquer Phase 2 — and I'd like to do that with you!
This week, I'm going to start book groups around the two texts I recommended last time for helping us to start thinking about doing well in Phase 2:
- Natalie Wexler's The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System and How to Fix It (print | audio | Kindle), which I find ideal for folks who have a hand in educating kids in grades PK-6 (ages 4-11). The reason I recommend it for parents or educators of younger children is because the highest point of leverage for the book's reporting is at the younger end of the grade span. With that said, as a secondary teacher I found that the book gave me much to think and act on.
- David Didau's Making Kids Cleverer: A Manifesto for Closing the Advantage Gap (print | Kindle), which I find an excellent breakdown of the science and application of learning. I've recommended this book for folks with a hand in educating students in grades 7 and up (ages 12+) because Didau is a former secondary teacher and administrator himself.
Both books have done an excellent job getting me clear on the fundamentals of improving achievement at both the classroom and the school level. If you want to be sure not to miss details on the clubs, sign up here.
Tomorrow I'll write a post answering a common question I receive — “How do you remember so much of what you read?”
Now it's time to check Google Voice to see if I've got any student questions to answer.
Teaching (remotely) right beside you,
Dave
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