The iTeach Blog

Hey Coach, I have noticed a trend in my classroom - my students shy away from challenging tasks that require them to step out of their comfort zone! I want to create an environment where students feel comfortable taking risks and are willing to persevere through difficulties. What can I do to foster these skills in my students right from the start of the school year? Sincerely, Ready for Risk-Taking Dear Ready for Risk-Taking, Way to go! I like that you are thinking about how you can support your students as they build these important executive functioning skills! As you know, covering content and standards is just part of the equation. Building executive functioning skills like perseverance and risk-taking are a critical piece of academic success. Research shows that grit, or the ability to persevere when faced with obstacles, is one of the key principles that influence student learning and predict student success ( Duckworth & Peterson, 2007 ). Design cha...

It’s no secret that the #MakerMovement has taken U.S. K-12 by storm. I think that more than any other ‘trend’ in my 12 years in education, embracing what it is to be a #Maker has had the most profound impact on culture, but not just for students…for TEACHERS! Here are MY 3 reasons why #MakerEd will save teaching. #3 -  Permission to make a mess and not clean it up is LIBERATING! I can’t even begin to tell you how many of my afternoons have been lost to the deadly ‘I’ll just pick up a bit before I leave’ curse. The expectation that classrooms should look pristine and Pinterest-ready every morning is just too much pressure, and its such a time-suck. Instead, honoring the fact that when the bell rings doesn’t impact when kids are done with what they are working on, gives teachers the appropriate permission to skip the Clorox Wipe and recycling bin barrage at the end of the day…giving them back some of the TIME they are in such desperate need of. (Disclaimer: This d...