Saturdays are my time to reflect on what I read, heard, and discussed throughout the week. It is my “exit ticket” for the last seven days. So here are three ideas that made me think this week. (They are not in any particular order.)
1 – This is an older article from ASCD, but I still found it very interesting. It is titled Eight Things Skilled Teachers Think, Say, and Do. It discusses, as the title suggests, eight tools good teachers have in their toolbox of strategies. They’re all interesting, but one in particular caught my attention: apologize. Teachers are human, and they make mistakes. Why not apologize when this happens? It will show students that you care for and respect them. This will go a long way towards building a positive learning culture in the classroom.
2 – It is very common for students to be reluctant to take academic risks. They’re often afraid of being wrong. One CEO encourages her employees to make mistakes in emails to prove mistakes are not the end of the world. I wonder what that would look like in a classroom. How might this change the way our students think and approach challenges?
3 – The third spot each week has become a place for something lighthearted or uplifting. This week I present to you a dog who is living his best life.