Being happy both at home and at work means we're not just cheerier, but more clear-eyed and effective at what we do. But happiness takes practice and ongoing contemplation.In this inventive new book-part professional development resource, part personal journal-educator, author, and podcaster Suzanne Dailey contends that small shifts bring big gifts: that is, small positive changes, practiced over time, will help you feel more balanced, content, and aligned. To help you on this path, Dailey provides 40 readings and reflections, aligned to the weeks of the school year and designed to ensure that you glean joy and insight from every moment inside and outside the classroom. In these pages, you'll find Reflection activities for assessing the health of your relationships-not only with coworkers and students, but also with family and friends. Inspiring stories about educators who have sought and found ways to improve their practice by following the tenets of positive psychology. Weekly goals for shifting your thinking and developing more positive habits of mind. "Report cards" for assessing your progress on the book's challenges and goals. Minilessons you can use to share your new learning with students and influence classroom culture and community. Steeped in the teachings of positive psychology and fired up with a passion for teaching, Dailey mines both her own experiences and the insights of psychological thought leaders to provide this indispensable resource for educators at all levels.

The book that inspired millions of educators to refine their approach to teaching returns for an all-new third edition. Built on a more rigorous research base and updated to emphasize student diversity, equity, and inclusion, The New Classroom Instruction That Works offers a streamlined focus on the 14 instructional strategies proven to promote deep, meaningful, and lasting learning: Cognitive interest cues Student goal setting and monitoring Vocabulary instruction Strategy instruction and modeling Visualizations and concrete examples High-level questions and student explanations Guided initial application with formative feedback Peer-assisted consolidation of learning Retrieval practice Spaced and mixed independent practice Targeted support Cognitive writing Guided investigations Structured problem solving These strategies-all of which are effective and complementary-are presented within a framework geared toward instructional planning and aligned with how the brain learns. For each strategy, you'll get the key research findings, the important principles of classroom practice, and recommended approaches for using the strategy with today's learners. Both new and veteran teachers will finish this book with a better understanding of how effective teaching boosts student achievement and a clearer idea of what to do, when to do it, and why.

The latest volume in this influential series brings together topical and authoritative contributions from leading international professionals involved in the use of games and simulations. With contributors offering examples drawn from a wide variety of countries including the US, the UK, the Netherlands, Australia and Russia, the book provides a global perspective on a key topic.

A discussion of the management of learning on short courses and in workshops, which may take place in a wide range of "educational" or training situations. It is particularly important that short courses have a good impact, that is, that they result in an improvement or change in some form of previous practice. Without impact, the value of short courses must be questioned.;This book cuts across the cultures of academic teaching and training and draws on Jenny Moon's experience in both fields. It offers a guide to the theory and practice of improving short courses in a wide range of situations.

How can educators leverage neuroscience research about how the human brain learns? How can we use this information to improve curriculum, instruction, and assessment so our students achieve deep learning and understanding in all subject areas? Upgrade Your Teaching: Understanding by Design Meets Neuroscience answers these questions by merging insights from neuroscience with Understanding by Design (UbD), the framework used by thousands of educators to craft units of instruction and authentic assessments that emphasize understanding rather than recall. Readers will learn: How the brain processes incoming information and determines what is (or is not) retained as long-term memory. How brain science reveals factors that influence student motivation and willingness to put forth effort. How to fully engage all students through relevance and achievable challenge. How key components of UbD, including backward design, essential questions, and transfer tasks, are supported by research in neuroscience. Why specific kinds of teaching and assessment strategies are effective in helping students gain the knowledge, skills, and deep understanding they need to succeed in school and beyond. How to create a brain-friendly classroom climate that supports lasting learning. Authors Jay McTighe and Judy Willis translate research findings into practical information for everyday use in schools, at all grade levels and in all subject areas. With their guidance, educators at all levels can learn how to design and implement units that empower teachers and students alike to capitalize on the brain's tremendous capacity for learning.

While qualitative research has become increasingly popular in music education over the last decade, there is no source that explains the terms, approaches and issues associated with this method. In The Oxford Handbook of Qualitative Research in American Music Education, editor Colleen Conway and the contributing music educators will provide that clarification, as well as models of qualitative studies within various music education disciplines. The handbook outlines the history of qualitative research in music education and explores the contemporary use of qualitative approaches in examining issues related to music teaching and learning. It includes 32 chapters and is divided into five parts. Part I defines qualitative research and examines historical, philosophical and ethical issues associated with its use in music education. Part II discusses ways of approaching qualitative research including: case study, ethnography, phenomenology, narrative inquiry, practitioner inquiry, and mixed methods. Ways of collecting and analyzing data are examined in the third part of the text (observations, interviews, document analysis, music as data and technology). Part IV examines various music teaching and learning contexts that have been studied using qualitative approaches including: early childhood, general, instrumental-band, instrumental-string, choral, preservice and inservice teacher education, adult and community settings, student with exceptionalities, underserved populations, and world music. The final section of the book tackles permission to conduct research, teacher qualitative research, publishing qualitative research and direction for the future. An ambitious and much-needed volume, this handbook will stand as a key resource for drawing meaning from the experiences of students and teachers in music classrooms and communities.

Participation in a short sensory motor circuit prepares children to engage effectively with the day ahead. Behavioural clues such as fidgeting, poor concentration, excessive physical contact or overall lethargy can indicate that a child is finding it difficult to connect with the learning process. "Sensory Circuits" are a great way to energise or settle children into the school day.

Although much has changed in schools in recent years, the power of differentiated instruction remains the same-and the need for it has only increased. Today's classroom is more diverse, more inclusive, and more plugged into technology than ever before. And it's led by teachers under enormous pressure to help decidedly unstandardized students meet an expanding set of rigorous, standardized learning targets. In this updated second edition of her best-selling classic work, Carol Ann Tomlinson offers these teachers a powerful and practical way to meet a challenge that is both very modern and completely timeless: how to divide their time, resources, and efforts to effectively instruct so many students of various backgrounds, readiness and skill levels, and interests. With a perspective informed by advances in research and deepened by more than 15 years of implementation feedback in all types of schools, Tomlinson explains the theoretical basis of differentiated instruction, explores the variables of curriculum and learning environment, shares dozens of instructional strategies, and then goes inside elementary and secondary classrooms in nearly all subject areas to illustrate how real teachers are applying differentiation principles and strategies to respond to the needs of all learners. This book's insightful guidance on what to differentiate, how to differentiate, and why lays the groundwork for bringing differentiated instruction into your own classroom or refining the work you already do to help each of your wonderfully unique learners move toward greater knowledge, more advanced skills, and expanded understanding. Today more than ever, The Differentiated Classroom is a must-have staple for every teacher's shelf and every school's professional development collection.

It's time to make your mental bandwidth work for you. Being an educator is more stressful than ever, and teachers and administrators must constantly shift gears to stay on top of the newest initiatives and students' ever-changing needs. Educator Bandwidth: How to Reclaim Your Energy, Passion, and Time provides the tools and strategies to reduce stress, avoid burnout, and regain the time that gets lost to interruptions, temptations, competing demands, and task-switching. The first step is to understand how much stress is weighing on your own mental bandwidth. Professional development experts Jane A. G. Kise and Ann Holm have developed the Brain Energy and Bandwidth Survey to help you self-assess the six key factors that contribute to bandwidth: Balance between priorities Filtering through possibilities Mental habits that improve focus Physical habits that fuel the brain Connection with others Workload and time management Kise and Holm combine the latest neuroscience research with their own extensive experience working with educators to bring the most effective strategies and habits that help you manage your mental bandwidth and prioritize drains on mental energy. When you can establish good habits, focus on what's possible within your locus of control, and balance priorities, you can improve your educator bandwidth and feel more engaged, centered, and effective in your work.

Old habits die hard, particularly when they are part of the unexamined norms of schooling. In Why Are We Still Doing That?, the best-selling authors of Total Participation Techniques lead a teacher-positive, empathetic inquiry into 16 common educational practices that can undermine student learning: * Round robin reading * Teaching to learning styles * Homework as the default * Using interim assessments as "formative assessments" * Asking, "Does everybody understand?" * Traditional Q&A * Data-driven everything * Publicly displayed data walls * Content breadth over depth * Adhering to rigid pacing guides * Teaching to test samplers * An analysis-only approach to reading * Elevating English language arts and mathematics over all other subjects * Ignoring curriculum experts * Using behavior charts * Withholding recessPErsida Himmele and William Himmele provide straightforward, research-informed accounts of what makes each of these practices problematic. And they share easy-to-implement instructional, assessment, and classroom management strategies you can use to meet the goals those problematic practices are intended to achieve . . . without the downsides or the damage. This book is for K-12 teachers at all stages of their career, including preservice teachers who will be educating the next generation of students. Read it and reflect on it with colleagues. Use it to focus your own inquiry into what is and is not working for your students and to replace ineffective and potentially harmful habits with more positive and effective ones.

What does it mean to teach with empathy?Whether it's planning and delivering instruction or just interacting with others throughout the day, every action you take is an opportunity to demonstrate empathy toward your students, your colleagues, and yourself. "I'm already empathetic to my students and their stories," you may be thinking. But a teacher's actions, even unintentional and especially uninformed, can be implicitly shaming, compounding any disconnect students may already feel and undermining your efforts to create a safe and positive classroom environment. Rather than try to identify who needs empathy, start with the premise that all learners deserve empathy because it is a prerequisite for learning and growth. In Teaching with Empathy, Lisa Westman explores three types of empathy-affective, cognitive, and behavioral-and clarifies how they intertwine with curriculum, learning environment, equity practices, instruction and assessment, and grading and reporting. Through her own experience as an instructional coach, Westman shares tips and tools, real-world classroom examples, powerful stories, and even a bit of herself as she guides you to a better understanding of yourself and others. Ultimately, you'll learn what's possible when you let compassion and acceptance inform all aspects of your daily practice.

Tamera Musiowsky-Borneman and C. Y. Arnold have developed a way to bring a minimalist mindset to the classroom and shed the burden of too many initiatives, strategies, and "things" in general. Their Triple P process helps teachers declutter in three steps: identify something's purpose, prioritize what is important, and pare down to essentials. Because the Triple P process emphasizes structured and candid self-reflection to determine what is essential, meaningful, and useful-and then discard what is extraneous-The Minimalist Teacher can be adapted to the physical classroom environment, curriculum, instruction, assessment, and more. Each chapter provides sample reflection questions and brainstorming activities to help teachers * Reduce mental and physical waste. * Manage burnout and stress. * Advocate for minimalism in the school. * Prioritize resources that best support student learning.Teachers face countless decisions every day, few of which are easy, but they don't have to be overwhelming. No matter the classroom, you can take control of your daily decisions in a way that reduces educator stress and builds a better learning environment for students.

Feeling overwhelmed-constantly, on a daily basis-has unfortunately become the status quo among educators. But it doesn't have to be. Schools need to stop adding more programs, strategies, activities, resources, projects, assessments, and meetings. Though they are often implemented with the best intentions, these things ultimately end up as clutter-that which inhibits our ability to help students learn. Instead, teachers need more clarity, which emerges when we prioritize our efforts to do less with greater focus. This isn't simply a matter of teachers doing less. Rather, teachers need to be intentional and prioritize their efforts to develop deeper understanding among students. In Teaching with Clarity, Tony Frontier focuses on three fundamental questions to help reduce curricular and organizational clutter in the interest of clarity and focus: * What does it mean to understand? * What is most important to understand? * How do we prioritize our strategic effort to help students understand what is most important? By prioritizing clear success criteria, intentional design, meaningful feedback, and a shared purpose, teachers can begin to clear away the curricular clutter that overwhelms the profession-and embrace the clarity that emerges.

The secret to every positive learning environment? Belonging. When students feel that they belong in their school and classroom, commitment to learning goes up and behavioral disruptions subside. And when teachers embrace an SEL-infused approach to classroom management that helps every student feel valued, safe, and competent, belonging soars. We Belong offers 50 targeted strategies to increase students' sense of belonging and reinforce the habits that support classroom harmony and learning success. Authors and award-winning educators Laurie Barron and Patti Kinney explore the dynamic partnership of belonging and classroom management and share specific ways to * Build authentic, positive relationships with students and among students * Create spaces that feel physically and emotionally safe for all * Teach and foster social-emotional competence * Increase student engagement and motivation * Foster a sustaining sense of communityCovering a range of key topics-from behavioral expectations to conflict resolution to more effective collaboration-this practical guide for elementary and secondary teachers includes downloadable forms and templates to support strategy implementation. Use it to revisit your priorities and reshape your practices so that all students in your classroom can say of themselves and their peers, "We belong.

One of the best ways to learn how to be a better teacher is by watching, listening to, and experimenting with the practices of great teachers, including those in your own school.The PD Curator is about how professional learning experiences can become more inclusive, participatory, cohesive, and effective-and about the role teachers and leaders can play in creating those experiences. That role isn't so much administrative as it is curatorial. Just as art curators can legitimize artists by including their work in a gallery or exhibit, PD curators have the power to legitimize the work of an array of teachers. They help create immersive intellectual, emotional, and social experiences-all while caring for the professionals and the profession. In this book, Lauren Porosoff explains how PD curators * Structure teachers' schedules to make time for in-house professional learning. * Select content and create a process for how people interact with it. * Fit the often disparate pieces together into a meaningful whole. * Discover whether the event has been successful. The practical tools and protocols in each chapter will help you plan professional learning that taps into the expertise and interests of a diverse staff. Canned sessions that don't connect with teachers' actual needs will be a thing of the past. Instead, you'll discover ways to support teachers in sharing ideas and trying out new practices that advance student learning. In doing so, you'll empower teachers and students alike.

The moment is right for critical reflection on what has been assumed to be a core part of schooling. In Ungrading, fifteen educators write about their diverse experiences going gradeless. Some contributors are new to the practice and some have been engaging in it for decades. Some are in humanities and social sciences, some in STEM fields. Some are in higher education, but some are the K-12 pioneers who led the way. Based on rigorous and replicated research, this is the first book to show why and how faculty who wish to focus on learning, rather than sorting or judging, might proceed. It includes honest reflection on what makes ungrading challenging, and testimonials about what makes it transformative.

Today's teachers face a daunting challenge: how to ensure a positive school experience for their students, many of whom carry the burden of adverse childhood experiences, such as abuse, poverty, divorce, abandonment, and numerous other serious social issues. Spurred by her personal experience and extensive exploration of brain-based learning, author Marilee Sprenger explains how brain science-what we know about how the brain works-can be applied to social-emotional learning. Specifically, she addresses how to: Build strong, caring relationships with students to give them a sense of belonging. Teach and model empathy, so students feel understood and can better understand others. Awaken students' self-awareness, including the ability to name their own emotions, have accurate self-perceptions, and display self-confidence and self-efficacy. Help students manage their behavior through impulse control, stress management, and other positive skills. Improve students' social awareness and interaction with others. Teach students how to handle relationships, including with people whose backgrounds differ from their own. Guide students in making responsible decisions. Offering clear, easy-to-understand explanations of brain activity and dozens of specific strategies for all grade levels, Social-Emotional Learning and the Brain is an essential guide to creating supportive classroom environments and improving outcomes for all our students.nd dozens of specific strategies for all grade levels, Social-Emotional Learning and the Brain is an essential guide to creating supportive classroom environments and improving outcomes for all our students.

Challenging behavior is one of the most significant issues educators face. Though it may seem radical to use words like love, compassion, and heart when we talk about behavior and discipline, the compassionate and heartfelt words, actions, and strategies teachers employ in the classroom directly shape who students are-and who they will become. But how can teaching from the heart translate into effective supports and practices for students who exhibit challenging behavior? In From Behaving to Belonging, Julie Causton and Kate MacLeod detail how teachers can shift from a ""behavior management"" mindset (that punishes students for ""bad"" behavior or rewards students for ""good"" or ""compliant"" behavior) to an approach that supports all students-even the most challenging ones-with kindness, creativity, acceptance, and love. Causton and MacLeod's approach: Focuses on students' strengths, gifts, and talents. Ignites students' creativity and sense of self-worth. Ensures that students' social, emotional, and academic needs are met. Prompts teachers to rethink challenging behavior and how they support their students. Helps teachers identify barriers to student success in the cultural, social, and environmental landscape. Inspires teachers to reconnect with their core values and beliefs about students and teaching. We need to transform our classrooms into places of love. To that end, this book represents a paradigm shift from a punitive mindset to a strengths-based, loving approach and encourages the radical act of creating more inclusive and caring schools.