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Meta consultants are constantly learning and sharing. When we are not working in the field, we read about cutting edge practices and curricula as well as opportunities and challenges faced by educational organizations.
Our blog is designed to share both what we are learning and what we are doing.
We meet regularly to share readings and ideas, challenge the status quo and provide tips from our consultants in action.
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The Two Most Powerful Words: “Say more”
That’s it. Two simple words that can unlock deeper thinking and richer discussion than any direct question. This statement has the power to encourage students to elaborate on their thoughts and empower them as emerging mathematicians. Let’s revisit a scenario we examined in last month’s blog post to see the difference this shift can make.
Let Them Talk!
The Algebra 2 students wrestled with the concept of e in their very first lesson that included this irrational number. After an exploration that led students to notice that e is a constant (rather than a variable), the teacher asked the students why they thought e was represented as a letter rather than the number 2.7 (its approximate value). One student replied,“Because it’s irrational.” The teacher probed further: “What does irrational mean?” The student responded, “It’s not a real number.”
The Power of Trust.
About half the students had their phones out, despite the school’s no-phone policy. Three girls chatted loudly from their seats near the front of the room. Another girl and boy bantered loudly across two other students. A boy came in and out of the classroom, making a show of his entrance each time. A handful of students sat quietly but were too distracted by the others to possibly follow the attempted lesson.
Be Ready to Pivot.
About half the students had their phones out, despite the school’s no-phone policy. Three girls chatted loudly from their seats near the front of the room. Another girl and boy bantered loudly across two other students. A boy came in and out of the classroom, making a show of his entrance each time. A handful of students sat quietly but were too distracted by the others to possibly follow the attempted lesson.
Effective Effort Drives the Development of Capabilities
The originator of “Smart Is Something You Can Get,” Jeff Howard, claims effective effort is the key to improvement. Effort, in this case, doesn’t just apply to students. The administrators, educators, caregivers, and students must strive to achieve proficiency.
WATCH: Why Group and Team Leaders Need to Embrace Group Skills and Create Psychological Safety Among Educators
"How do you make it safe to talk about the stuff you're not supposed to talk about?" asks Bruce Wellman, a founding partner of the publishing, training, and consulting firm, MiraVia LLC. Group skills are critical to building strong teams and leading effectively....
Looking for Ways to Improve Students’ Test-Taking Skills? We Have Some Ideas
Lowering test anxiety is critical to achieving better exam scores. Here are some ways to prepare your pupils for success this test-taking season. 1. Share Effective and Non-Effective Study Methods Remind students that carefully and calmly reading test questions...
Should Principals and other School Administrators Teach? By Hayley Hardison
This week, we are discussing an Education Week op-ed that made a case for why school principals and other school administrators should join educators and teach.
A great way for students to work collaboratively and show their thinking is by having them make a poster. This can be hard to manage sometimes, but I have a few tips to help.
I recently coined the phrase High Status/Low Risk share as an effective way to interrupt the status quo in the classroom in terms of which voices are considered “smart”. This move works well during turn and talk or small group work when I can listen in to the students at work.
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