Research-Based Gems

Here are some of the nuggets of evidence-based thinking I've salted away from various teacher trainings recently. Each one can be linked to a Scriptural principle. Each one could be its own blog post, and maybe someday it will be.

*Cultivate a growth mindset, not a fixed mindset
*Cultivate perseverance (or, to use a buzzword, grit)
*Listen to understand
*Foster connections--to the text, to self, to prior knowledge, to the world
*Take time for scaffolding
*View failure as a stepping stone
*Teach precision, especially of terminology and academic vocabulary
*Embrace productive struggle

This list is saved on my phone, so when a PD trainer shares a new gem based on brain research, I can instantly update my toolbox. Hope there's something here for you!

Use What Works

I'm always interested in the latest brain research since it connects immediately with my work in the classroom. As part of a class I'm taking, I recently encountered the magazine Better: Evidence-Based Education. With articles on a broad range of topics in education, the experts at Johns Hopkins and the University of York steer educators toward the latest research and its implications for the classroom. If you are looking for easy-to-digest, this is it. These articles claim to "explain, in plain English, the state of evidence behind informed practice in education." Browse the site for subscription-free samples.