So, what did they learn? All about learning differences. More specifically, we explored our own learning preferences and discussed how knowing ourselves allows us to be more patient with our students. I asked my teachers to think of a student who keeps them awake at night (we all have those students) and jot down the reasons that student is such a concern. Then, my teachers visited one of my FAVORITE new websites www.understood.org and completed the simulations (under the "through your child's eye" tab). The simulations helped my teachers gain a better understanding of what it's like to struggle with skills like attention, organization, or reading. Wow! What a great tool to build empathy for students who struggle!
We spent the rest of the day focusing on working memory, motivation, and executive function skills. We watched videos of students who struggle in these areas and gained some perspective on what it feels like to struggle in school. We also watched a teacher discuss specific strategies she used to improve these areas with students and shared ideas that the participants use in the classrooms. To top off our work, my teachers worked together to create great lists of strategies to improve students' skills in the three areas. It was fantastic work!
Strategies for Increasing Motivation
Strategies for Improving Executive Function
Strategies for Improving Working Memory
Takeaways from today:
- The more you know yourself, the more patience you have in others.
- We must meet our students exactly where they are with exactly the brains they have right now.
- I'm fortunate to be in a district/school where teachers value their own learning and seek to better understand their students. Lucky me!!!
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