Quit Teaching Basics

We talk about what learning looks like in the classroom for students, about targets and what qualities define successful mastery of a concept. We pour these qualities into our instructional designs and lessons to maximize learning and ensure acceleration, equity and most of all learning is taking place. We know it works. We know students […]

For this week’s thoughts on quitting teaching to start designing learning, bear with the following metaphor with me. Right now, students line up outside of classroom doors in a vertical line, one behind the other. Those in the front are much closer to the classroom door, much closer to the learning about to take place

Just a brief visual overview of what typical teaching and learning look like side-by-side. Write to me for tools and assistance in how to transform your classroom or school.

The featured picture was from a recent tweet that seemed to get a lot of conversations started about what school leadership is about or could be about. In my mind, these two questions take all the things we do as administrators and boil it all down to the two most essential elements of the job.

If I had to choose one of the ten mindframes of Visible Learning that is most often underused or altogether flat out neglected, it is this one. “I use the language of learning with students and staff.” A HUGE amount of tapped potential lies inside of this seemingly simple concept. So, why don’t we make

If you are familiar with the work of John Hattie and Visible Learning, you may know of the 10 Mindsets he identified for educators who wish to transform the classroom and promote learning over teaching. As an instructional coach, I had these posted in my room and used them in my discussions with fellow teachers.

Do you remember the most coveted job there was when you were in elementary school? I do. It was being chosen as the LINE LEADER. What a power rush for a 6 year old! Being chosen to lead the line of your classmates out to recess and back or to some other special place in

I realize my first two reasons for teachers to quit teaching were student-centered in nature. Teaching is passive and it is not engaging. So for this next reason I felt I should give a reason with the classroom educator as the focus by discussing how quitting teaching and designing learning will improve positive student behavior

Before anyone gets offended, let’s reflect on the nature of teaching in the traditional sense. It often involves the delivery of information by a single individual. Only ONE person, whether it’s the teacher or even a chosen student in class to read aloud, work a problem or model a skill, is fully engaged. What is

The most important reason why we need to quit teaching and start designing learning is that teaching, in general and traditionally, is passive. Students come to class, get information or have skills modeled for them, then they complete work. Repeat for next class. Basically, we could replace this same process with Youtube videos and save