A Culture of Learning: Shifting From Teaching to Empowerment

Steven WeberBlog, Connect Better, Differentiate Better, Engage Better, Grade Better, Lead Better, Manage Better, Reflect Better

TL;DR: Schools were designed for both teaching and learning. The top skills kids need to know are analytical thinking and innovation, active learning and learning strategies, complex problem-solving, critical thinking and analysis, creativity, originality, and initiative. The difference between teaching and empowerment is when a teacher becomes so focused on the destination that students are not allowed to drive the … Read More

The 3 C’s of Curriculum Leadership

Steven WeberBlog, Differentiate Better, Engage Better, Grade Better, Lead Better, Lesson Plan Better, Reflect Better

TL;DR: Our world is changing and we need to stay relevant. Curriculum leaders help us narrow our focus. School leaders should be able to curate resources to help with various situations. Allow student choice. Make sure to have common formative assessments. Our Changing World The world is changing and the rapid pace of change is impacting teaching and learning. A … Read More

The Uncomfortable Truth About School

Teach Better TeamBlog, Engage Better, Grade Better, Innovate Better, Lesson Plan Better, Mastery Done Better, Reflect Better

TL;DR: Students forget most of what they “learn” in school. Acknowledging this gives us the freedom to focus on powerful learning experiences. Wrestling with the impermanence of some school “learning” challenges our core values as educators. What is Learning, Really? Educational thought leader Will Richardson loves to invite teachers to share their definitions of learning. His observation: most of us … Read More

Ambassador Love

Rebecca HuffBlog, Connect Better, Engage Better, Grade Better

TL;DR: Rebecca shares her journey about becoming a Teach Better Ambassador and what it means to her to belong to a family of educators who have become friends. She shares things she has learned that have changed her teaching. Ambassador Love My Teach Better journey started with my mentor, Colissa Jordan. She knew that Ambassadors would be the group for … Read More

Science Better: Using Models

Teach Better TeamBlog, Differentiate Better, Engage Better, Grade Better, Innovate Better, Lesson Plan Better, Personalize Student Learning Better, Teach Further

TL;DR: Models are a great way to determine student understanding of content. Use exemplars to inspire students to do great things. Encourage students to let their passions fuel their creativity, and give them lots of loose parts to experiment with. Provide expectations, but let students determine how they rise to those expectations. Student Designed Models I am big on student … Read More