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This is a great way how SEL can be beneficial to everyone. This wheel shows where SEL can be used. In the middle is my favorite on how SEL helps learners develop their skills. It helps them be self and social aware, and able to make responsible decision making skills. Promoting SEL is important for our community.

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Since I teach middle school I wanted to include this video. The Youtuber goes on to talk about how by middle school students start to feel like they can't achieve the things they once wished they could be. This is where the self doubt kicks in.

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Growth Mindset (Part 1 of 3) | In Control Middle School SEL

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This is a great article by Dr. Fred Jones. He goes on to talk about reducing the risk on change. The article talks about the principals role as well in this article. This was something I was interested in reading, since I eventually would like to become admin.

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This was a great way to describe ways teachers can be innovative in the classroom. The article focuses on flexible seating, mindfulness, and how times are changing.

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A growth mindset is not only important for students, it is important for teachers too!When I first started teaching, my vision of being a teacher involved me being the center of the classroom. The children would look to me to provide them with the lessons they needed to succeed and move forward to the next grade. There was always time to get to know the students but what was more important then, was that they make friends; I had curriculum to teach. I had all the information and I would share that with my students in very organized and efficient lessons to ensure maximum understanding. I knew that to keep their attention, I had to add some element of "drama" or curiosity to the lesson. I was in charge of that and my classroom management depended on it. I had high expectations of my students and they always rose to the challenge. That's a good thing, right?

Then things in the classroom started to change. Kids started changing. Behaviour problems increased. It wasn't just one student in the classroom, it was now multiple students. How could my efficiently run, happy classroom full of kids be changing this much? What was I doing wrong? Did I suddenly lose all my creativity in preparing great lessons, effective classroom management skills and routines? I discovered what was happening but it was a process of powerful discovery for me and I needed a growth mindset.

So what exactly WAS happening?

One thing that was happening was technology. Lots of technology. Not in the classroom necessarily but in our students' worlds. School was trying to catch up. I was trying to catch up. I love technology and so I was cycling through my new phones and playing on the newest computers when I could. I had to make sure I was up on the latest so that I could then teach my students all about technology. That's a good thing, right? But there were so many new things happening all at once. There was a new app out every day. Which ones should I learn and teach to my students? How on earth was I going to do this when the internet in my classroom was not strong or the teacher next door had the computers signed out when I needed them? I felt a bit overwhelmed so I slowed it down and took a step back from technology...until later.

A teacher's growth mindset has to involve understanding that change is okay. I noticed that kids were getting so darn wiggly. How was I supposed to teach them about technology or anything else when they can't sit still? My classroom management was being put to the test. Luckily I was good at it. I had great training, I was now a Mom and that sometimes helps (especially to understand the struggles of parenting and the triggers for misbehaviour). But all those tricks of the trade did not seem to have the same effectiveness as they used to. Hmmmm. My instant urge was to tighten up my management and get more strict. Instead, I moved schools for a change of scenery. Surely my magic teaching skills will reappear at the next school.

I moved schools a couple of times over the next few years due to enrolment etc. That really helped. It gave me new colleagues to collaborate with and fresh new surroundings. It was nice to be able to try a few new things. I really grew as a teacher and highly recommend that teachers step out of their comfort zone and move to a new school every once in a while. Things though, have their way of staying the same. These new kids were very similar to all of the students in my previous school. Why? It was because times were changing. So, my students were still learning well but I was working harder than I had ever worked. I was tired.

Then I began to notice. Noticing doesn't take any particular skill, it just requires you to step back from what you are doing and watch, pay attention and reflect. It's very difficult to do that when you are busy at the front of the room teaching.

So, after about 10 years into teaching, I began to evolve in my thinking and my teaching. I always sat my students in groups, I always did student led conferences with them. I had a very "student centered" classroom. But that student centeredness was constructed, designed and managed by me. Of course it was, you say. YOU are the teacher!I may be the teacher but that doesn't mean I know every little idiosyncrasy of my students and how each one learns best. Only they can really know but it may not be something that they can express. Learning, socializing and growing in self, requires deep reflection. It requires an environment which encourages safe and developmental learning. Using the curriculum content as a vehicle, I started planning units of learning WITH my students.

I also started to think about all those things we as teachers do because "that's the way it always has been done" or this is what is coming so you better jump on the wagon.

For example:

Learning is always done with a pencil and paper.

Evidence of learning must be captured with a test.

We go to the gym to get exercise. In a big school, we get gym once a week for 30 minutes.

Learning should be done at a desk.

Recess is when you have a snack.

If the class is quiet, learning is happening.

Technology is here to stay and we should be replacing our activities with technological versions.

I started changing my own learning and learning more about how students learn; especially in these new times.

The gradual release of responsibility model worked nicely to help scaffold my students' learning in a facilitation model without directing them too much if they didn't need it. Now I taught less teacher directed lessons, and provided students with more mini lessons in a coaching model and then set them off to construct their own learning and understanding of the concepts. This freed me up to check in on them more often and do a bit of formative assessment so I knew where I was going next. I didn't need a test to tell me that.

I changed my seating around to accommodate all kinds of learners. My students always wanted to go out into the hallway to sit and work. When I would go and see their learning (half expecting them to be fooling around) I would see collaboration and lots of comfort in learning. Being able to sit in the hallways was a "treat" for responsible learners. So I started bringing that seating into the classroom. I always had a small love seat and some bean bag chairs but I started using tables rather than desks and allowed more freedom in where they chose to sit as long as they were engaged. I realized that dynamic teaching is great but it is not necessary to be "on stage" for a great length of time in order for students to be learning. Much of their learning is done with shorter lessons, interesting topics and lots of choice.

My students talked a lot. "What a chatty bunch." "My class talks so much." are things I often hear and certainly would describe many of my classes. Yes, I surely had THOSE classes and it's tough. I started to utilize their need to talk by teaching communication skills and collaborative and cooperative learning. This really helped my students to have a focus for their discussions.

As I began to change things, I noticed that my wiggly students were getting a little less wiggly. I knew that having gym only once or twice a week was not enough so I began taking breaks in class and going outside for some exercise more regularly. What a difference! Luckily in my school district, daily physical education was implemented so it became a requirement. Luckily, also, #gonoodle was also created giving teachers and students a nice outlet within the classroom for those "in" days. (It was one way to use technology too.) I noticed that with the new, more open ended seating that I had created, I didn't need to offer up those "wiggle" cushions that I used to provide. I liked that students were learning to make good decisions in their seating choices based on what they knew about themselves. They didn't need me to tell them and they didn't need some THING to help them. They needed to be able to move where they felt comfortable.

After a while I noticed that kids were being silly or losing interest in their work very early in the morning. Part of developing a growth mindset is to start noticing more without judgement. I started paying attention to students and whether they might be hungry. Some students, sadly, were arriving to school without eating breakfast. While you might think that left them with no energy, often it did the opposite AND they were grumpy! You know that saying about being "hangry"? So what started out as me and sometimes the school providing snacks for a few students turned into me asking myself - maybe more children would like to have a snack while they work? Why is it that students are "not allowed" to eat until recess? I'm sure many of you have students wanting to eat their sandwiches at recess time. Why was I as their teacher, restricting them from eating a snack if they were hungry?

I think part of it was that was how it has always been done, and part of it was that I wasn't sure if they could eat and work at the same time. I decided to try it out and in conjunction with a unit on nutrition, I introduced the healthy snack morning. After being in school for an hour or so, I tell students they can have a "healthy" snack of fruits or vegetables. It's something that they can eat while working. Viola! What a difference. Students started chomping on apple slices and carrots and working like busy bees. If we increase their exercise, they are going to be hungrier. Many students took another snack out 45 minutes later for recess. Students wanting to eat all of their lunch at recess stopped. As I was developing my growth mindset and making significant changes, my students seemed happier.

So you see, as educators, we need to take a step back and notice. Times are changing. Kids are changing. We need to change too to accommodate all learners and new ways of learning. You can't promote a growth mindset in your classroom when you direct all the learning instead of having kids construct and personalize their own learning. You can't expect kids to be fully engaged when they are sitting in desks and listening to long lessons just like you can't change your classroom to flexible seating effectively without changing the method by which children will be learning. It all works together. It all works if YOU have a teaching growth mindset.

My technology use began to change to realizing I needed to use it for a purpose. I realized that I really didn't need to try to "keep up" with all the latest and greatest apps. It was so overwhelming. I realized that technology is there to serve a purpose. It needs to be embedded into our teaching and not become just a "thing". I got myself a document camera several years ago and started using that to not only demonstrate teaching but to have students come up and show others their learning and explain their thinking.

One school I was at had a microphone system for teachers so that they didn't lose their voice. Since there were two microphones, I started using that to allow my students to share their writing aloud. It was great for students to learn more about effective communication and speaking skills. I ended up buying an inexpensive one for myself when I moved to a new school. I found websites that allowed me to bookmark great learning sites for quick future reference. I developed my own set of skills and familiarity and then I began using iPads with the students. We used the iPads to research for our project based learning and Genius Hour projects and to support learners with reading and ELL learning. Technology supplements our learning, it isn't separate.

So back to the beginning of my teaching journey when I knew that kids should be making friends in school but that my job was to teach content. This is the way school was designed when I started. After many years teaching and lots of the changes that I began to make, there was a new shift in my thinking. I realized that teaching the whole child was much more important than content. I began to introduce mindfulness and character development into my classroom along with the other changes. This was a magical way of putting it all together for the whole child. There seemed to be a whole new mutual respect between the students and I and the students and each other.

While others look at and research The Evolution of Education, I notice and reflect upon The Evolution of MY Education. I grow each day in my learning with students and I help other teachers do the same. That is teacher growth mindset! I feel proud to say I am a public school teacher and I include and teach all students. The only thing these days is that sometimes, the students teach me more than I teach them. That's a good thing, right?

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Growth Mindset for Teachers: Change is Good

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Developing a growth mindset as a teacher is a powerful way to keep your classroom running smoothly. Students learn more and you are happier.

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AI created photo of an Innovative classroom. I really enjoy this picture because it shows different things. It shows flexible seating, it looks like it would be great for project based learning. The colors in the room also give a sense of creativity. When I look at it, it inspires me to also want to be creative.

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I love how this captures the reality of a growth vs fixed mindset. Having a fixed mindset is dull, gray, and to be expecting the same results. While having a growth mindset it allows creativity and growth to be made.

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This blog is a great quick read how to easily change as an educator to become immediately more innovative in the classroom. I enjoyed how the blog points out to be an attentive listener. That was something I tried to do with my students this year. I would listen and be interested in what they were telling me. This way they knew I cared about what they were talking about. Furthering a connection with the students. Another great topic mentioned was creating engaging lesson plans. Students want work that will be interesting to them. Not just paper after paper.

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6 Tips to Help You Become an Innovative Educator

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Use these tips to boost your innovation and enhance your teaching techniques.

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I thought this quote was important to include because as educators we are the leaders in the classroom. We are leading in the growth and development of our youth. When it comes to leading, leaders need to be able to adapt to change. At this point all teachers should be trying to be innovative in the classroom.

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I really enjoyed this Spotify video. It is on affirmations and self love. This is a great video to listen to, to feel self love, to be open, and have a growth mindset.

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This is a cute GIF because it relates to helping students grow in the classroom. We need to be encouraging students that yes they can do it. That they can be anybody they want to be. If they want to be a doctor, lawyer, teacher, astronaut, we should encourage their dreams.

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This is another great article that talks about how students can be innovative in the classroom. Ways they can be innovative is by having flexible seating, and using technology in an innovative way. In my class this year I allowed flexible seating. As a reward for some of my classes I had a reading center up. They were able to move their during reading time. I also allowed some technology usage for projects. I had students use Flipgrid to create a commercial. Students worked together first to come up with a product. They had to use persuasive techniques, and be able to record a convincing commercial.

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Innovation in the classroom can mean many things, but mainly the capacity and willingness to have an innovative classroom goes to the teachers. The more flexible teachers are to let go of the traditional methods and embrace the new ones, the more creative a classroom can be.

Innovative Learning Environments

A learning environment mixes social, pedagogical, and physical elements. A positive environment for students and teachers develops when the three align and work together.

The innovative learning environments have existed for a long time but have not been precisely spelled out. More than this, some parents still have trouble understanding that a creative learning environment has the same educational role as a traditional one, and the results can even be better.

Today's learning needs an appropriate approach to get students out of their seats.

How to create an innovative learning environment

Creating an innovative learning environment needs flexibility from both the students and the teachers. It does not necessarily mean spending money on furniture and teachers' training. It has a lot to do with teachers' availability to adapt and students' imagination to create flexible spaces to learn.

These spaces are often created differently for each course as the needs and the teaching styles differ.

There is no fixed way to create an innovative learning space. This is why it is called innovative. As a teacher, you can be as creative as possible, offer as much flexibility to the class you think is needed, adapt to the student's needs, and make the lesson as engaging as possible.

Examples of innovative learning environments

Innovative learning environments are those places that respect teh view of students and their needs more than the curriculum.

The shift towards innovation, creativity, and flexibility should also exist in the education environment where children are formed. Allowing them to directly participate in their learning path, construct it, make decisions and contribute to innovating the education system will increase their engagement.

Some examples of these learning systems are:

- Innovative learning mechanisms using technology

- Flexible seating in the classroom

- Flipped classroom

- Offer challenges to students to solve

- Virtual classes

Innovative vs. traditional learning environment

The innovative learning environment suits all students' needs, while conventional learning is mainly dedicated to learners with good audio and visual focus.

Some of the differences between innovative and traditional learning environments are:

Allows students to ask open questions

Follows the curriculum accordingly

Goes off the timetable

Happens during the class time

Has a flexible seating design

Respects the traditional design where students face the teacher

Creates place-based learning experiences off from the school class

Takes place in the school

Focuses a lot on practicality and less on theory

Focuses on theory

Characteristics of an Innovative Classroom

An innovative classroom promotes collaboration, curiosity, comfort regarding seating, flexibility on discussions topic, positivity, technology in the classroom, and an outdoor or indoor teaching environment.

Reflection

This characteristic help the innovative learning environment develop. It is focused on always asking "what if" and being able to push the boundaries. It is a great way to evolve, learn new things, and discover and create.

Creativity

Creativity is at the base of an innovative learning environment. Finding creative solutions to what you need, creative answers to the questions and creative ways to deal with challenges helps students develop.

Some of these creative ways to have at disposal can be tablets, walls, or windows, where students can write and express themselves. Providing different learning methods to children means allowing them to choose and feel like their opinion regarding their learning path is listened to.

Connection

For an innovative learning environment to work, the teacher should be connected to everything happening in the industry, the new technologies used in the classroom, and the new recommendations for the teaching program.

Principles and routines

Innovative classrooms imply a lot of flexibility. This does not mean that it should not be based on some principles and rules to be able to function correctly. Having a set of values that guide students can help the day run smoother.

Goal setting

Setting boundaries for yourself can help a classroom be successful. Moving forward mainly depends on your will as a teacher to develop new innovative ideas to put into practice, set goals to tick, and create a classroom environment where students follow your path.

Innovative Classroom Strategies

Technology

Technology is the means students opt to find information in a few minutes. It can help them understand the lesson better when they have difficulty understanding it. More than this, allowing students to use technology helps them know what a good use of it is and what is a bad use.

Self-Directed Learning

This learning type is a beautiful way to engage students in topics of their interests. Teachers implemented this strategy by giving students various topics to choose from and research. There is also the possibility of allowing students to choose anything they want. Apart from extra confidence from teachers, students need to have a high level of maturity.

In the beginning, teachers can choose to do this in their classroom by offering 20 minutes of the classroom hour to do and work on what they want. The only rule is to be learning involved. Many students find sharing what they do extra more interesting than the usual classroom topic.

Place-based Learning

Starting learning early is important as it will help you during your high school years. Play-based refers to understanding concepts such as alphabets, numbers, reading, and writing. While it is not recommended to overwhelm children with this, opening their minds to get to know these will have only benefits.

Student-Led Discussions

When the teacher is flexible and allows the class to take another turn rather than what was previously decided, students can actively participate in the classroom. This means that the subject may take another turn as students ask questions and interfere whenever they feel another view of the topic.

The Benefits of Innovating your Classroom

Increase Engagement

When students are allowed to participate in the classroom, to shift the topic of discussion toward their interests and what they would like to understand better, it is then when they are genuinely engaged in the classroom.

And when genuine engagement occurs, authentic learning occurs as well.

Foster Collaboration

An innovative classroom helps develop the collaboration between students through how the seating is placed, the flexible discussions that take place, the teacher's open questions, and the freedom students feel inside the classroom.

Inspire Creativity

The freedom that innovative classroom environments give students helps them be more creative. They are free to use their learning space however they want, learn and take notes wherever they want, choose how to sit, and find ways to communicate.

Innovative Classrooms FAQ

What is creativity in education?

Creativity in education means freedom.

Offering freedom to students to think and ask questions, see the class from their perspective, search for answers and share their inputs helps them develop their creativity.

Why is innovation important in the classroom?

Innovation's importance in a classroom has much to do with teachers' flexibility.

The more flexible they are, the more innovative can students be. The innovation inside a classroom helps students develop their self-confidence, make decisions and responsibility skills, become more creative, have a higher degree of collaboration, and improve their wellbeing.

What does innovation look like in the classroom?

Innovation in a classroom does not mean the lack of rules, it means the acceptance that children are different and the adaptability to each of their needs. Innovation is essential when you want to raise engagement. It is an excellent opportunity to collaborate with students by showing them you have confidence in their opinions.

What are modern learning environments?

Modern learning environments are those classrooms that allow students to participate in the learning process to redirect the discussion according to their interests. The learning environment offers them a flexible space where they can sit in a group or choose any way to stand in a classroom that helps them focus better.

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Innovation in the Classroom: Enhance Student Creativity

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Innovation in the classroom can mean many things, but mainly the capacity and willingness to have an innovative classroom goes to the teachers. The more

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Change may be hard at first. As a team, department, or school by working together change can be possible. By taking small steps innovation can be done across the board. The question I ask myself is if admin should require teachers use innovation in the classroom to promote learning? This would require them to check in to make sure educators are following rules of promoting innovation in the classroom.

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I thought this was a great quote to include. Everyone- principals, teachers, councilors, and students should all remember that anybody has the power it takes to make positive change. By coming together out of passion we can create a more innovative school.

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A problem this country faces is absenteeism. Students being absent is alarmingly on the rise. This article describes how bad this crisis is of students missing school. Along with innovative ways to attempt to get students to come to school. Offering options such as distant learning is a great way for districts to be innovative to those who struggle to come to school.

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As we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, addressing chronic absenteeism, missing 10% or more of school for any reason, is critical. Attending school on a regular basis is essential for student success on many levels: school offers opportunities to learn, forge relationships and develop social skills so necessary to engage with others inside and outside of class and eventually at work.

As such, chronic absence is a vital sign for assessing the health and academic well-being of individual students, student groups and even school communities. High levels of chronic absence reflect systemic challenges affecting large numbers of students and families that require programmatic and policy solutions.

As discussed in the first two data analyses in this series, nationwide data from the US Department of Education's EdFacts revealed chronic absence nearly doubled, rising from 16% before the pandemic to nearly 30% by 2021-22 school year. In fact, 14.7 million students missed so much school they are at academic risk. While national data for 2022-23 has not been released, available state data shows chronic absence is starting to decline from its pandemic-impacted peak, but it remains at unprecedented levels.

This attendance crisis has a broad impact on learning, given that two-thirds (66%) of enrolled students attended a school with high (20-29% or extreme (30%+) levels of chronic absence. When chronic absence reaches high levels , the educational experience of peers, not just those frequently missing school, is also affected.

District level chronic absence rates are also highly elevated. Nationwide, the percent of districts with high or extreme levels of chronic absenteeism increased from 25% (4,044) to 63.1% (11,035). Click here to see data showing chronic absence levels for districts by state for 2021-22 and pre-pandemic (SY 2017-18).

Chronic absence is now more widespread and more concentrated than ever before. It is elevated and more intense in the places where chronic absence was a challenge before the pandemic, and now is a significant challenge in many schools that have never experienced such large numbers of chronically absent students.

Every state in the nation experienced a substantial increase in the number of schools with high and extreme levels of chronic absenteeism. Comparing data over time within a state is an excellent approach to understanding if attendance is improving. Comparing data across states is tricky. States often use different definitions of what constitutes a day of attendance.
Examining individual state data
We used the school year data to produce charts for every state showing levels of high and extreme chronic absence for schools as well as their demographics. Making such data publicly available is helpful for ensuring action and identifying if further steps must be taken to improve data quality.

If possible, we recommend states conduct their own analysis with 2022-23 school year data, since it is not yet available at the federal level. See this analysis from PACE of the 2022-23 school year data in California. This analysis only uses data published by the California Department of Education to make comparisons with prior years to ensure consistency, given some differences between their state attendance accounting practices and the federal government.
The solution: taking a comprehensive, data-informed approach
Although these numbers are challenging, the current high tide of absenteeism can be reduced when districts, with state support, help schools to take a comprehensive, data informed approach to improving attendance that is grounded in an understanding of local assets and root causes of chronic absence. Learn more in All Hands on Deck: Today's Chronic Absenteeism Requires A Comprehensive District Response and Strategy.
What can states do?
States and SEAs are critical to ensuring districts are equipped to advance effective approaches to improving attendance in their schools, especially because today's elevated levels of chronic absence can easily overwhelm a district's capacity to respond. We recommend states adopt a tiered approach. States should offer basic resources to help all schools and districts, particularly those with limited experience addressing chronic absence. States should consider providing more intensive support to the districts facing the most significant attendance challenges.

We recommend the following actions for states when implementing a tiered approach:

Publish comparable, timely and accurate data. Publicly available data helps everyone - educators, families, policy makers and potential community partners understand where action is needed. Public scrutiny also helps with data accuracy since people are likely to raise concerns if they notice data that appears to be inconsistent or inaccurate.
While reporting chronic absence data on state report cards is required by the federal government, the details of how that data is collected and reported are left to the discretion of SEAs. States can ensure comparable data among districts by providing a common definition for a day of attendance and ensuring all absences (excused, unexcused and suspensions) are included in their chronic absence data calculations. Recognizing the importance of timely data, many states are publishing prior year data as early as possible. A few - Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut -publish chronic absence data more frequently so action can be taken throughout the year.

Create and promote messaging about the importance of attendance every day for student success and well-being. Such messaging is especially critical now since long periods of virtual learning may have led some families to think showing up in person to school no longer matters. After being told that students should stay home for any sign of illness during the pandemic, many families are unaware that such practices are no longer advisable. As illustrated in this health guidance co-released by Attendance Works, Kaiser Permanente and the National Association of School Nurses, students can still attend school even with a minor symptom such as a sniffle or mild stomach ache. State leaders -governors, state chief school officers, public health agency directors- as well as key policy makers and agencies can collaborate on messaging that can be tailored locally. Excellent examples of state campaigns include New Mexico, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. More resources are available through our national Attendance Awareness Campaign which will soon be updated for 2024.

Build capacity to address chronic absence. Ohio, for example, offers an online Attendance Guide that explains state law and offers early intervention practices. At the same time, with support from Attendance Works, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce is strengthening the capacity of its staff and regional intermediaries to offer high quality technical assistance. Rather than creating a separate set of supports, Ohio is building on statewide investments in Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) so attendance improvement efforts augment existing resources.
SEA's can create training and professional development materials that districts and schools can use to build staff capacity to enact high-leverage, evidence-based approaches to reducing chronic absenteeism like family engagement, student connectedness, addressing health and safety issues, expanding community partnerships and student success systems.

Integrate attention to chronic absence into existing initiatives. Existing programs and initiatives such as family engagement, expanded learning, intensive tutoring, community schools, science of reading efforts and so on, can incorporate efforts designed to increase engagement and attendance. Chronic absence data can be used to identify which students, schools and districts receive these resources. Attendance data can also be used to determine if the program is reaching students and to inform continuous improvement.
Several states are adding attendance to ongoing efforts. Connecticut, for example, integrated attendance into family engagement strategies. The state used chronic absence data as a key criteria for determining which districts and schools benefited from their Learner Engagement and Attendance (LEAP) home visiting program. The California Department of Education offered webinars helping expanded learning programs understand why and how they can address chronic absence. Virginia's campaign, ALL In VA, combines a dual focus on attendance and intensive tutoring

Limit ineffective punitive responses. In general, research finds a punitive approach does not work because it does not address the underlying issues that cause students to miss school. Moreover it can alienate students and families, making it difficult to identify meaningful solutions. This is why there is a growing movement to limit punitive approaches and ensure that if they are used, it is only as a last resort. A large number of states have banned suspensions as a response to truancy. Texas in 2015 decriminalized truancy and required districts to provide behavior improvement plans, school-based community service or counseling referrals. Ohio in 2016 required districts to provide truancy intervention plans.

Create a tailored action plan based on current data and existing resources. A key initial step for each state is to take stock of existing resources to understand strengths and gaps. What data, guidance or support are in place? What programming ( PBIS, MTSS, expanded learning, family engagement, early childhood programming, health supports, etc.) can be leveraged, and which entities are in place or could be equipped to build capacity among districts and schools? To determine where additional capacity is most needed, states can combine the results of such an inventory with data examining how much particular schools, districts and student groups are affected by chronic absence.
The pandemic-induced extreme levels of absenteeism are an urgent call to action for state education leaders and their partners to step up and make student attendance, engagement and well-being a top priority. Re-establishing a routine of regular attendance will require thoughtful and sustained planning and action. When all is said and done, we know that efforts to support student's academic recovery -and improve learning and well-being outcomes for all students - are unlikely to have the desired results unless children and youth are present in school to benefit.
This analysis is the final in a three-part series of articles unpacking the recent chronic absence data collection released by the U.S. Department of Education for the 2021-22 school year. Read part one, Rising Tide of Chronic Absence Challenges Schools, and part two By Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works; Robert Balfanz, Director, Everyone Graduates Center, Johns Hopkins University; and Vaughan Byrnes, Senior Research Associate, Everyone Graduates Center, Johns Hopkins University. Interactive map developed by Daniel Princiotta, Assistant Research Scientist, Center for Social Organization of Schools, Johns Hopkins University. All Hands on Deck: Today's Chronic Absenteeism Requires A Comprehensive District Response and Strategy.

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Turning Back the Tide: The Critical Role of States In Reducing Chronic Absenteeism - Attendance Works

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As we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, addressing chronic absenteeism, missing 10% or more of school for any reason, is critical. Attending school on a regular basis is essential for student success on many levels: school offers opportunities to learn, forge relationships and develop social skills so necessary to engage with others inside and outside of class and eventually at work.

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Change can be hard for kids. I believe it's important parents are also doing their part at home talking with their student about change. This is a useful article for parents to refer to helping their own child go through change.

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Helping Kids Handle Change at School | Parenting Tips & Advice

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Here's the thing about change: it's inherently stressful. So how do we help them handle changes at school? Here are three steps to do as a family to help with changes or new things at school.

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For educators who are struggling this is a great up-to-date way for them to learn about innovations in the classroom. These strategies help educators implement more technology into the classroom. When school starts back up this is something I will refer to when planning.

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Top-6 Innovations in Education Set to Transform 2024’s Learning Experience

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Discover top 2024 innovations in education leveraging technology and metaverse for immersive learning experiences. Dive into the future of education with Meetaverse.

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I really love how to GIF goes through major innovations in education. This is a great presentation on when certain elements were introduced to benefit education as a whole.

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This is a great chart/article on barriers in innovation. By reflecting on this chart I am able to think of many things my district does on here. To make change they need to reflect on some of these pieces to make a more innovative district.

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by Terry Heick

Innovation is not something that just happens-or, rather it does given the right chemistry.

Oftentimes this chemistry is referred to locally in schools as 'climate,' but climate is only a small part of the formula. Where innovation comes from is a popular topic recently as new projects are increasingly visible, and due to digital reach, impactful across fields and industries. Right now, let's stick to innovation in public education.

In K-12 education, there is a lot that can slow down innovation, and below are 12 guesses at some of those suspects.

Note, this doesn't necessarily make any of the following 'bad' any more than a needlepoint, hot stove, or venomous snake should be thought of as 'bad.' They just are what they are. It very well could be that innovation isn't all it's cracked up to be, and we can thank our lucky stars that we have these 12 natural barriers to innovation and change in education.

Maybe.

12 Barriers To Innovation In Education

12. Busy Parents

Busy parents-an unfortunate reality in homes from single-parent to dual-income and everything in between-rarely can begin to have enough time to support the innovative learning that does manage to occur.

Most parents are accustomed to one way of being educated-the way things were when they were in school. New learning forms confuse busy parents, making it difficult for them to support it, and worse, a harder sell with 'fringe' students for whom current formal learning models barely work to begin with. If mom and dad don't buy-in, the children might refuse to as well. This can be corrected in a variety of ways, but if the parents and teachers are too busy to consistently talk, it's difficult for such a correction to take place.

11. SBDMs

The site-based decision-making councils that mange most schools have their heart in the right place, as do local school councils. They are made up of teacher and parent reps who vote on school 'policies,' curriculum adoption, hiring of new teachers, and so on. Important stuff.

But the meetings can be poorly attended. There is (necessarily) limited representation of all stakeholders, and due to the time and energy necessary to serve, the most innovative educators are too busy innovating to serve on such councils. Or think they are anyway. The point is simple-if parts of the school or district are pulling one way, and other parts pulling another, innovation can be slow or non-existent. Small meetings in the evenings of a handful of tangent 'players' in a school is not an ideal circumstance for innovation.

10. Money

While money and innovation are generally considered closely-related, innovation is possible without it-which is why this isn't closer to #1 on the list.

9. Drive-by Professional Development

Experts in education are a boon to innovation. Thought leadership, expertise in niche areas, and general rallying of the troops through conferences, social media, and blogging is great.

When one of these experts/thinkers/doers gets an administrator's ear, their ideas are usually 'brought in' somehow-books, programs, etc. In fact, they may even be invited to share their thinking with staff in person by sitting in on PLCs, addressing staff meetings, and observing classrooms. They may even come in several times throughout the year-and hades has no panic like the day before said expert returns to the school and staff are expected to bring back "artifacts" from implementing said great idea in the classroom.

The issue here is that innovation is usually not their gift to staff, but rather tips and strategies. The best of these tips and strategies are undoubtedly helpful and necessary, and offer opportunities for the kind of incremental improvement that shows up on test scores and Annual Yearly Progress.

But this top-down 'improvement' doesn't create the conditions necessary for bottom-up innovation. If that expert was to instead use a kind of cognitive apprenticeship or coaching model to help guide educators through a thinking process that yielded the innovations that have made them successful, we'd have both innovation and, more critically, improved teacher capacity.

8. School and Community Climate

Many K-12 schools give lip-service to the concept of innovation in mission statements, on websites, in PDs, and during committee, council, and board meetings, but lose their nerve when it's time to make it happen. Supporting something seen as secondary (innovation) in the face of pressure, far-reaching programs, external standards ranging from Common Core to Literacy, Technology, and Career Readiness become a matter of priority-and job security.

While education begs for innovation, arguments against it often turn to tempting, straw man attacks.

The Tempting Position: In the company of innovation, how can we be sure standards are being taught and children are learning?

Different forms of learning require unique data and monitoring infrastructure that could be missing.

The Tempting Position: How can we be sure what's happening in each school and classroom?

Homogenizing instruction across classrooms, schools, districts and now even states offers up a uniform look that provides an illusory comfort. And dampens innovation everywhere it seeks to spring up.

The Tempting Position: How can we encourage teachers to share, collaborate, and work together if "everyone's off doing their own thing"?

This is the ultimate straw man, comparing innovation to a kind of chaos that gives policymakers ulcers.

So, out of fear of breaking the system through disruption, compliance with 'research-based' strategies and 'district expectation' and policy is valued above all else. Here, innovation is rare-usually the result of a bright, charismatic teacher or hard-working administrator that realizes that somehow, no matter the cost, something has to change.

7. Bad Policies

Policy is a natural consequence of attempting to manage something unmanageable, and one of the most frequent barriers to innovation in education. The stuff of governments, large businesses, and organizations that can't personalize decision-making with the attention that it deserves-the careful thinking needed to solve important problems. So policies are adopted to police departments, curriculum, conferences, professional development, etc.-all to help ensure that 'everyone is on the same page.'

The immediate reaction might be, "Yeah, 'carefully thinking' about 800 pre-adolescents a day is impossible" to which a rational person might respond, "Exactly the point."

Policies-at least how they are used today-are necessary only as a result of a system that's either too large or too industrialized for the personalization that it'd ideally benefit from. This might be fine levying taxes, manufacturing cars, or enforcing laws, but when nurturing the minds of children-and the adults charged with their 'intellectual care'-it fails miserably. And worse, we tend to react by 'improving the policy' or creating new ones instead of re-considering limits, scale, and even notions of collaboration. We form policies to police the policies.

And innovation? Policies hate innovation, because they're not built for that kind of fast-moving thinking, and put teachers at odds with other educators and personnel who dutifully follow said policies, making these kinds of educators seem like 'non-team players.'

6. Meetings

Meetings are undoubtedly necessary on some level, but with so many digital tools and social media platforms available, a huge percentage of the information exchanged at meetings could be distributed elsewhere-and in ways that could be curated for broader sharing, input, and reference later as well. The problem is that meetings are often required at a district level-so many hours per week or school year, the pleasing image of collaborative teachers sitting together in libraries or conference rooms making education better one meeting at a time. Sometimes well-intended meetings end up being consistent barriers to innovation.

The reality is that teachers collaborate, seek need-to-know information, and "get on the same page" in lieu of these meetings, not because of them. Innovation does not happen in the minds of passive teachers discussing the logistics of bus duty or computer lab access during testing. If digital and social media platforms could be used to reduce their duration and frequency, educators could have more time to relax their minds, read about education leisurely, and as a consequence, innovate.

5. Overly-Rigid Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)

Though not a staple of universities, in the modern K-12 public school in the United States, PLCs are a trending instrument of school improvement.

In concept, a PLC is an embarrassingly obvious response to the workload of planning and differentiating high-level learning for so many unique minds. It simply asks teachers to agree on standards, share instructional strategies, and gather again to disaggregate the data. This kind of professional collaboration is par for the course across industries, and makes sense for education as well. The problem is that many PLCs unwittingly meld together teaching and instructional design styles across classrooms and teachers until they're indistinguishable.

Teaching is an incredibly personal act-creating a climate where learning happens doesn't come as the magic result of an industrialized formula, but the carefully planned interaction between teacher, learner, and content. In many schools and districts, this is what PLCs help realize. But in many others, where educators are uncertain of shifting roles, bring massively different technology or planning forms to the table, and may struggle to internalize the process that may include up 10-15 steps across several weeks, and you have a formula that, at best, may be failing to foster innovation.

4. District Programs

District programs make sense on a district level. If you're in charge of a system of schools, and you discover a program or platform that you believe would support learners and teachers in those schools, as a leader of that district, you have to make that happen.

The challenge comes in application. These programs are necessarily comprehensive (or they're not really programs). Whether they are for reading, testing, career readiness, or some other likely noble initiative, they can be far-reaching in their integration. Learner rosters, teacher schedules, access to school resources, professional development required, "district expectations," hardware and software technology, curriculum mapping and instructional sequencing, and other areas can all be impacted by well-intended programs.

At the district level, it might be easy to say "Good! If everything's impacted, that means it's working!" Trouble is, there's already more to do as an educator than there is time for. What makes a great teacher can often be not what they "put in," but what they leave out-and how to hide that from those "holding them accountable." Adding more programs that are tangled with everything else a teacher touches only guarantees that other things are going to fall by the wayside, including many of the same kinds of (often expensive) programs from the year before.

And worse, by their very nature, these kinds of programs rarely support innovation at the classroom level.

3. Traditional Report Cards

Blaming report cards for a lack of innovation may like a bit much, but the traditional report card as we come to know it reduces the complex and messy process of learning and learning mastery. Which is not as good a deal as it sounds, as they result in misleading letter grades that don't give parents nearly enough information for them to begin to help, leading to questions such as "What's going on in math?" rather than "Where exactly in graphing coordinate planes are you getting stuck?"

Standards-based reporting would be a step in the right direction. A leap? Learning that is community-based, where families are embedded from the beginning, and accountability is shared across stakeholders far beyond the walls of a school, where a piece of paper every 9 weeks wouldn't be required to communicate learning progress.

What this has to do with innovation is significant: the fundamental relationship between learner, family, and content is tied up in the iconic 'report card.' Innovating learning requires that performance and local application be innovated as well. It will be difficult to design incredible 21st century learning environments, and then report "A/B/C" in "Math/Science/English."

It all misses the point (something gamification can help with, incidentally).

2. Scripted Curricula/Curriculum

In the face of mounting pressure and countless initiatives that at times seems to pull teachers in different directions, some districts respond the best way they know how: buying a curriculum that's scripted. This provides the pleasing image of all educators on the 'same page,' and would seem to make tracking learning results simpler across classes. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way-and worse, it stifles innovation and ultimately reduces teacher capacity.

Curriculum has to be responsive and flexible. Curriculum maps that aren't living, breathing documents can confound efforts to align learning experiences. Scripted curricula, such as SpringBoard by SAT's College Board, are a placebo for schools and districts wishing to consistently offer high-level, progressive, and personalized learning experiences that result from well-thought-out innovation.

1. Overworked Teachers

While an occupied mind signals engagement, one bursting at the seams with learning targets, meetings, fluency probes, IEPs, ECE, ESL, ELL, 504s, G/T, PDPs, RTI, ORQs, MAP, ACT, Explore, Common Core, scripted curricula, Stiggins/Wiggins/DuFour/Marzano, AYP, pre-assessment, differentiation based on assessment results, summative assessment, authenticity, PBL, CBL, and PBE does not. And this is not simply a matter of shorter days, fewer students, or longer summers, but rather a schedule and climate within formal learning environments like schools that support educators in developing truly lasting innovations where the rubber meets the road-the classroom.

Top-down change-programs from the district and state level, for example-can certainly support educators, but lasting innovation and change must come from a collaboration between learners, educators, and communities. In an era of 'accountability,' teachers are tasked with 'proving' everything. Nothing is trusted, and on the surface this makes sense: all professions have accountability standards to one degree or another. But the sheer quantity of 'accountability tasks' your average K-12 teacher has to perform at best doesn't guarantee the learning success they are intended to, and at worst, smother any opportunity for innovation at the classroom level.

No matter the school climate, PLC/Data Team format, or elements of instructional design, if the teacher is drowning in paperwork, meetings, and accountability tasks, true innovation-and subsequent consistent performance-will always be a challenge.
12 Barriers To Innovation In Education; this post was revised and republished from an earlier TeachThought article in August of 2012
Barriers to Innovation

Barriers to Innovation

Barriers to Innovation

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While funding one of several barriers to innovation in education, failures of communication and imagination might be more significant.