Saturday, May 31, 2014

10 shifts for educators to make in the upcoming school year

1). Stop saying 'teaching' and start saying 'learning.' This simple diction choice makes a ton of difference when it comes to how we think about student success.

2). Stop viewing technology as 'one more thing' you have to do in your classroom. Utilize technology to enhance, broaden, and create opportunities for learning that were never before possible.

3). Stop settling for what has been at the cost of what could be. The world has never before had more opportunity and more possibility to make education both relevant and practical.

4). Stop thinking it's your school or district's responsibility to provide professional development learning opportunities. We all expect our kids to be self-autonomous learners who take some ownership of their learning; educators should be no different considering all the avenues and paths that exist.

5). Stop limiting the audience with whom your students can interact and communicate. We live in a globally connected world so there is no excuse for students to be doing work that is just for one teacher's eyes.

6). Stop trying to teach 'responsibility and accountability' by not accepting late work and not allowing redos on assignments and assessments.

7). Stop viewing education as something that is done to students and rather instead, as something that is done with and alongside students.

8). Stop doing what has always been done just because it's always been done. If it can't be justified with good cause, then yesterday was a perfect time to stop and start something new.

9). Stop fearing the unknown and use it as an opportunity to learn alongside your students. This not only sends a powerful message to your students, it also allows you to learn and grow as a teacher/student learning team.

10). Stop waiting for someone else to make a difference or make the change. You are the difference... you are the change.