Teachers have been imploring students to ask questions for as long as I can remember. In fact, most classes, from preschool to high school, reserve a portion of the grade book for participation. Participation means answering questions, sure, but many teachers reward students with more participation points for insightful questions. As we teach students as […]
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Summer presents an interesting opportunity disguised as a dilemma. Students wrap up final exams, releasing themselves into a vacuum of unstructured time. Freedom in moderation is wonderful, especially after nine grueling months of homework, tests, and projects. However, too much freedom often creates problems. Without the metronomic force of the school routine, many students fall
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Learning vocabulary is a tricky prospect, isn’t it? Endlessly important, yet mysterious to teach, the subject of vocabulary remains a sore spot in most classrooms these days. Vocabulary workbooks are quickly proving anachronistic in the modern English class. Teachers instead opt for the holistic approach to the English language, relinquishing vocab and grammar drills to
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When we think about the physiology of learning, in other words, the physical aspects of how students learn, the eyes are too often overlooked. We think about posture, breathing, nutrition, and a host of other factors while ignoring the single most important learning tool we have: the eyes. In this post, we summarize the latest
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I played soccer growing up, and nothing released pure pandemonium on the practice field like the coach announcing a full-field scrimmage. All we wanted to do was play on the big goals, eleven vs. eleven like the professional did. However, I soon learned how disastrous shifting to the full-size game could be. Once I started
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The transition between high school and college is laden with trapdoors, many of which have nothing to do with academic prowess. There are three main trapdoors when students transition from high school to college. First, let’s talk about excess. High school students learn how to deal with distractions, freedom, social challenges, and self-advocacy issues, but
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Boredom is misunderstood. To most individuals, boredom is something to be avoided at all costs. Boredom is watching paint dry or watching grass grow. It’s lifeless and unstimulating. As the stereotypical teenager would say, “boredom is the worst” (cue eye roll). I disagree. In fact, most neuroscientists, productive performers, and teachers do too. Boredom is
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Students make some inexplicable decisions. With full knowledge of the negative consequences, sometimes they just don’t do the work. They push it down the road, saving themselves from irritation now at the cost of some distant, fictitious tomorrow. It’s quite easy to push something off until tomorrow, but, as the Spanish proverb goes: “tomorrow is
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The burnout phenomenon is often reserved for middle-aged career types, but I think that belief is misguided. Burnout affects all age types, and it is becoming much more common in high school and college students. The danger of always-on, the increasing demands of the fiercely competitive college admission process, and the ironically under-equipped adolescent mind
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I know, I know, another post about habits. We are firm believers in habits and routines for success at school and beyond. Habits form the foundation of any successful person, so naturally, we write about them a lot. While we have posts dedicated to study habits, time management habits, micro habits, and every habit-related subcategory
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