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I think Brain Breaks are a really good engagement resource. It helps students to refocus their energy and attention. I also think it's important to note that a tool like brain breaks can be used with individual and multiple students. Brain breaks are also very helpful when wanting to give your students some kind of energy boost or even to relax them. There are many ways to incorporate Brain Breaks into your classroom, whether it be through Go Noodle, A calming corner, Letting students go for a walk, etc. In order to keep students engaged, you have to allow for their brains to rest and refocus. I recommend all teachers include Brain Breaks in their everyday classroom.

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When it comes to differentiated instruction,I really like how it takes into account that every student learns differently. Some students learn best working in partners, some students learn best working in groups, some students learn best working on their own, some students learn best listening to the teacher talk, etc. As a teacher it is your responsibility to make sure that your classroom allows each student to learn at their best at some point and time during their learning journey. Balance is an important thing to remember in your teaching practice. Using differentiated instruction in your classroom allows for that balance a lot of the times.

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Continuation of Affective Network: Engagement

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Continuation of Affective Network: Engagement

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How important do you think affect is in learning?

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How do you think educators can impact motivation and engagement?
"Caring about students beyond the boundaries of the classroom is the first step of sparking engagement"
~ Beth Morrow

How does understanding the functions of the affective networks help in designing curriculum to meet the needs of all learners?

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In what ways do assumptions about potential, challenge, frustration, autonomy, competence, and coping skills affect how you address learner variability?

I feel like as teachers and even simply as humans we assume that everyone understands, learns and experiences the same way as we do unconsciously. But what we need to understand is everyone is different. EVERYONE'S potential, challenges, frustrations, autonomy, competence and coping skills are all different and unique to each others. I can not assume as an educator that all my students because they've passed grade 3 they're all able to dive right in and learn at a entry grade 4 level. A lot of things come into play in situations like that. I need to take into consideration them as individuals, they're background, they're home life, they're schooling experience up until said point, etc. If we have any sort of assumption about our students it will definitely effect how we address them as individuals and as learners.

I chose the video of Angela Lee's TED Talk to watch because I found the title very captivating. I feel like a lot of people don't truly understand how much power passion and perseverance hold.

In the video Angela discussed building Grit in kids is this idea of 'growth mindset'. "It is the belief that the ability to learn is not fixed, that it can change with effort" I believe instilling this in your students will help to encourage them that what they know is not all that they know, they do have the ability to learn and continue to learn with that idea of 'growth mindset'.

I find the concept of learner variability and Angela's TED Talk to bring about positive emotions within me. It really helps me to accept and understand that when it comes to my students everyone is going to learn differently and at their own pace. It's up to me as their educator to make sure that I am inclusive and I create a learning environment that is engaging and accessible to all. Which I truly believe is apart of the foundation of teaching.

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The Brain and Educational Practice Discussion

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The Brain and Educational Practice Discussion

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What resonated with you about our brains and what are the implications in your teaching practice?

I feel like one of the main things that really resonated with me is John Medina's Brain Rule on Stress. This rule really resonated with me because as University student I feel like stress plays a HUGE role in the university experience.

In the Rule of Stress John mentions that "Stress damages virtually every kind of cognition that exists. It damages memory and executive function. It can hurt your motor skills, etc." I feel like a lot of the times when I am stressed I'm unable to function simply as a human being let alone learn anything. However, when I am level headed and just cool, calm and collected, as well as things in school are going good and things at home are going good, I feel physically, emotionally and mentally great. I learn and I am personally able to function best when I am not stressed out.

As a future teacher, it's going to be important for me to make sure that my students are fully engaged in our classroom and that they're always ready to learn. It will be my responsibility to take note and understand if a student is going through something that may cause them any sort of stress or inhibit them from being able to learn or be engaged in our class.

One of the ways I plan on knowing and understanding what is going on with my students,  is by incorporating a check-in activity/session/period everyday for a significant amount of time. This will give my students an opportunity to share with me directly or anonymously or sometimes even with their peers (to build a strong classroom community) to ease any sort of mental, emotional or physical stress that may be hindering their ability to learn, participate or be engaged in our classroom.

I mentioned this in my last post about the importance of creating a comfortable and welcoming environment for all my students and in doing this and having it be apart of my foundation for my classroom it will also help to ease the stress that my students may be facing in and out of school.

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When we design educational environments to suit ‘the average’ student, what problems do we create?
- Ignore students that may not fit 'the average' criteria
- Assume everyone learns the same (which is not true)
- Don't help or allow students to grow and become better learners

When does focusing on the ‘average’ make sense in education? Does it make sense?
It might makes sense only when the vast majority of your classroom fits that 'average' criteria

What resonates with you from this topic?  (how students are viewed in classrooms, how students feel in classrooms, how we can create better environments for students in classrooms or something else you have gained from these videos and activities)

As a teacher I believe it's extremely important for students to always feel welcome and accepted in my classroom. In order for that to happen I need to create a space that doesn't just suit 'the average' student. Students want to learn when they're comfortable and engaged. I can have a classroom that suits the majority 'average' student. However, I also need to offer alternative ways for my below and or above 'average' students. In doing this my students will always be engaged and comfortable in my classroom.