Author Archive

Hacking Student Learning Habits: 9 Ways to Foster Resilient Learners and Assess the Process, Not the Outcome by Elizabeth Johnson offers a host of great advice that beginning and veteran teachers can use to help their students form efficient learning habits. If you want to shift student focus from grades to learning with a bigger purpose, start here. Every leader should be sure to add this fine book to their professional development library.

Introduction: Implement Process-based Assessment

• As the subtitle implies, the goal is to focus on the process, not the finished product. The teacher provides feedback (no grades) to all students and tells them it is to help improve their work and not to judge anyone. Students are expected to make mistakes and learn from them. All work requires revision. Students are given ample time to write and revise in class, so late work isn’t an issue. By engaging in expected behaviors and habits, they earn points. Points are never taken away and can be used to generate grades if necessary.
• Do not use grades or rubrics. Rubrics are not used as they stifle creativity, prevent risk-taking, and provide a blueprint for blandness. All it does is expedite grading. It is also necessary to write a lot and to get feedback from the teacher and your peers. In the beginning, students and parents get letters from the teacher and a former student outlining expectations. (See the appendix for these letters.)

1. Create Process-Based Learning Habits: Support Skill-Building

• The goal is for students to form habits that allow them to be their best, develop higher-order thinking, and solve problems. Habits like reading each day, and getting proper sleep, exercise, and nutrition should be on the list. Students need to gather ideas, attempt challenges, collaborate, celebrate small victories, and play. The focus should be on effort rather than results. They should know that they have the power to improve and control their own progress through the habits they form. When possible, students should set goals.
• As a teacher, focus your energy on the things you can control and teach your students to do the same. Look for allies at conferences, on social media, and in your own school. Experiment with better ways to engage students. Share student work online and in school displays. Students should feel like it’s not about getting something done; rather, it’s about the process. Their big goal is to become self-directed learners.

2. Encourage Practice, Not Perfection: Performance with Daily Habits

• The important thing is to convince students of the benefits of accumulated daily practice. Remind them that their favorite sports stars practice every day. You can’t do yesterday’s practice tomorrow. Daily production increases confidence. Assess them on their ability to work through the process of practice. Inspire students to set process-driven goals. They need to identify with your help the behaviors they need to repeat each day. Seeing others be productive can exert powerful pressure.
• They should share their practice and receive feedback from each other, their teachers, and ideally, their parents and other family members. They should view feedback as a collaboration rather than judgment. They should value improvement over outcomes. Be sure not to average grades if you do give them. Efforts should simply add to previous efforts. Have face-to-face meetings with parents whose students struggle and have the students run the meeting that deals with the class problems and forms a plan.

Share this:

Three Tips for Opening a Flourishing Business While Caring for Your Baby by Emily Graham
Welcoming your baby into the world is one of the most exciting and memorable times of your life. However, this amazing yet exhausting time can prove extra stressful when trying to get a company off the ground. If you want to make your business ownership dreams a reality and still bond with your bundle of joy, these tips from Dr. Doug Green’s blog can help.

1. Prep the Night Before
Preparing as much as you can at night for the following day saves you time and helps your professional and personal tasks go much smoother the next day. Make a list of tasks that can be done ahead of time.

Lay out the baby’s outfitbaby’s outfit the night before with a couple of spares in case of accidents. Have clean burp rags handy, and stock diapers and wipes. Make sure bottles are clean and any frozen milk is put in the fridge to defrost. 

Be sure your clothes are also ready for the next day. If you have a coffee maker that runs on a timer, load the coffee and set the timer, so your cup of joe is hot and ready when you awake. Prep as much food as possible so that when it is time to eat, your entree is mostly or completely done. 

2. Redesign Your Office
Whether your office space is an entire room or the corner of your bedroom, update your workspace to accommodate your little one. There are times throughout the day you pull double duty as a parent and entrepreneur, so a few tweaks to your office can make the adjustment much easier.
 
Add a rocker or bouncer to the office, such as a baby swing or bassinet. According to What to Expect, babies sleep 12 to 17 hours every 24 hours, depending on their ages. So chances are, your kiddo is going to take some naps throughout the day. This gives the baby a place to snooze while you are hard at work.

Have a mat and box of toys ready to go should your little one want to play. You may need to add a fence once your tike becomes mobile. Finally, be sure to remove any breakable or dangerous objects from the baby’s play zone. 

If the office is simply not functioning for the two of you, it may be time to list your home and purchase one that meets your needs. If you are going to own a business, you must be able to work comfortably while keeping your child safe. Make a list of the new office requirements for your real estate agent so he or she knows exactly what you need. 

3. Utilize Helpful Services and Tools
Finding help takes a portion of work off your plate. A great example is a formation service that can help you complete and process a limited liability company application. Setting your business up as an LLC has numerous advantages, including less paperwork, limited liability, increased flexibility, and tax advantages.The regulations around forming an LLC vary by state, so know your state’s rules before proceeding. Once you are ready to move forward, hiring a formation service saves you lots of time; plus, you avoid the hefty fees that a law office charges. 

Look for ways to make your business more cost and time efficient. Instead of hiring a graphic designer, you can use a logo design tool to create free online logos. This tool offers thousands of professionally designed logos that you can customize. Or you can use images, icons, and other design elements to enhance your current logo. And a PDF joiner may help to organize the multiple documents you and your team are juggling for a client. Instead of searching through dozens of digital documents, you can merge PDFs into one living document during your team’s process. Then, you can formalize the document and it will be ready for your client.

While this momentous time in your life may have more stress than you would like, you can still have a flourishing career as a business owner and be a dedicated parent. Following these three tips can help you achieve success both in the workforce and at home. And you can visit Dr. Doug Green for additional tips for parents and EDUCATORS.

Emily Graham
Emily is the creator of MightyMoms.Net. She believes being a mom is one of the hardest jobs around and wanted to create a support system for moms from all walks of life. On her site, she offers a wide range of info tailored for busy moms — from how to reduce stress to creative ways to spend time together as a family. You can email her at emilygraham@mightymoms.net. She lives in Arizona.

Share this: