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The best 1 minute motivational video for success! Ep.02

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DISCUSS CHALLENGES AS GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES

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Mindset Kit - Activity: Strategy box, Growth Mindset for Mentors

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Simple exercise to help youth identify strategies that have worked for them in the past that they can apply to new problems and challenges. Can be helpful when youth feel "stuck" or lacking in ability.

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TEACH THE VALUE OF CHALLENGES NOT JUST THE GOAL OF SUCCESS

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TEACH THE VALUE OF CHALLENGES NOT JUST THE GOAL OF SUCCESS

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Mindset Kit - Three ways to celebrate mistakes in class, Celebrate Mistakes

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Professor Jo Boaler describes three ways to get students comfortable challenging themselves and making mistakes.

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The brain is capable of growing and changing  (Neuroplasticity)

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Even though I was a physician with a strong science background, when I decided to become a classroom teacher (and thought I'd teach science), I did not want to make that career change without the benefit of instruction and guided student teaching. The year I spent in my graduate school of education program was invaluable in my transition to becoming a professional educator.

Curriculum in schools of education has changed in response to changes in society, pedagogy and technology. As computer technology became an asset in classrooms, schools of education appropriately included that instruction in the curriculum. Many states made similar education program curriculum adaptations in response to multiculturism, increases in English language learners, and the use of the concrete-connect-abstract progression in math instruction.

Now that the neuroscience research implications for teaching are also an invaluable classroom asset, it is time for instruction in the neuroscience of learning to be included as well in professional teacher education.

Neuroscience Knowledge Strengthens the Lifeline

For today's students, educators are the lifeline they need to climb for access to the playing fields of 21st century opportunity, open only to those who acquire the necessary skillsets. Teachers who are prepared with knowledge of the workings of the brain will have the optimism, incentive and motivation to follow the ongoing research, and to apply their findings to the classroom. These teachers can help all children build their brain potential -- regardless of past performance -- bridge the achievement gap, and reach their highest 21st century potential starting now.

One example is the research about the brain's neuroplasticity and the opportunities we have as educators to help students literally change their brains -- and intelligence. To become a teacher without understanding the implications of brain-changing neuroplasticity is a great loss to teachers and their future students.

Beyond understanding the brain's neuroplastic response to stimulation -- how activation and use of memory networks makes them stronger -- future teachers need to recognize how stress inhibits neuroplasticity. It is only when information is processed in the brain's reflective, cognitive prefrontal cortex that new learning can be incorporated into networks of long-term, conceptual memory.

Seeing neuroimaging scans of students during stress states, such as those that build up with sustained or frequent boredom (information already mastered; no evident relevance) or frustration (repeated past failures in subject), offer powerful insights into the importance of classroom climate and differentiation of instruction. These scans reveal the increased metabolic state that blocks processing in the highest brain (prefrontal cortex; PFC) when this boredom or frustration alienates students from instruction. The amygdala is the switching station that, when hyperactive in response to high stress, switches input and output away from the PFC and down to the control of the lower, reactive brain. Behavior reactive responses from the lower brain are the involuntary survival responses of fight/flight/freeze (act out/zone out).

What Triggers Student Behavior

As students' stressors build, loss of information access to the PFC for memory construction means new learning is not retained. The lost communication from the PFC emotional control networks to the lower brain means the lower brain's reactive behaviors are in control. These students and uninformed teachers come to believe that nothing better can be expected. Students develop the fixed mindset in which the brain's primitive survival networks restrict effort toward goals that, by experience, are not expected to be reached.

Teachers who understand this neurological consequence of the brain's programmed response to stress can change the educational and life outcomes for students who have been blamed and punished for unintentional acting out or zoning out. When teachers know about the brain's reactions to the stressors that promote the low brain control state of involuntary, reactive behavior, they become more aware of how much they can influence students' successful brain processing. When they understand that the brain responses in the high-stress state are neither voluntary student choices nor reflective of a student's academic potential, knowledgeable teachers recognize that their interventions can reduce stress, return students' voluntary control of their behavior, and promote successful memory construction and cognitive processing in the PFC.

When new teachers understand how they have the capacity to reduce the stress of frustration or boredom by providing all students with opportunities to learn at their appropriate level of achievable challenge, their motivation will increase with the expectation of success. As we know, it does take dedication, motivation and lots of time to achieve the often onerous task of differentiation for all students. The background knowledge of neuroscience provides that extra motivation.

Bringing Neuroscience into Education

There are no more critical life supports than passionate, informed teachers who can resuscitate students' joyful learning. When educators learn about how the brain appears to process, recognize, remember and transfer information at the level of neural circuits, synapses and neurotransmitters, and when they share that knowledge with students, they share empowerment with their students. Informed teachers help students understand their ability to change their brains and experience success and renewed confidence. Students thrive in classrooms where teachers have the added tools from their neuroscience understanding. The result is nothing less than reigniting the joys of learning, even when they have been extinguished for years.

The most valuable assets for improving education won't be developed in a neuroimaging laboratory. It will be educators, with the foundational knowledge about the science of learning, who will be prepared to evaluate the validity and potential educational correlations from neuroscience research. These teachers will be the front line professionals who will recognize potential applications of laboratory research and develop the strategies that bring the benefits of this research to their students.

Frontloading is More Critical Than Ever

If you've read this far, you have probably developed your foundation of the neuroscience of learning knowledge through professional development, reading or professional learning communities in your schools. Sadly, those opportunities are increasingly limited for new teachers.

With decreased funds for substitute coverage, professional development conferences, consultants and prep time, it is becoming more difficult for teachers to access new topics of expertise after leaving schools of education. There is also the problem of integrating new learning into the classroom without guidance and feedback. The time for future teachers to build the foundations of neuroscience knowledge is during their studies and supervised teaching experiences while they are in schools of education.

The future developments in neuroscience, with the most extensive and useful classroom applications, will likely arise from input that educators provide to scientists. When experience reveals particular strategies as repeatedly successful, classroom-to-research lab channels will be open for teachers to suggest investigations into what is happening in the brain in response to those conditions. Through this collaboration, their observations about what works for their students will feed neuroscience research. As the data is analyzed, replicated, applied and adapted, and as strategies become even more effective, what started as a teacher's observations will be disseminated to benefit students worldwide. After all, isn't sharing what we teachers do so well?

References

Eisenhart, M., & DeHaan, R.L. (2005). Doctoral preparation of scientifically based educational researchers. Educational Researcher, 34(4): 3-13.

NCATE report recommended instruction in developmental and cognitive psychology and neuroscience in teacher education as having beneficial effects on teachers and students.

Links to additional information about the neuroscience of learning

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A Neurologist Makes the Case for Teaching Teachers About the Brain

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Even though I was a physician with a strong science background, when I decided to become a classroom teacher (and thought I'd teach science), I did not want to make that career change without the benefit of instruction and guided student teaching.

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GIVE STUDENTS OPTIONS TO ASK FOR HELP WHEN NEEDED

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GIVE STUDENTS OPTIONS TO ASK FOR HELP WHEN NEEDED

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From online teaching resources to in-room consultations, the Center for Teaching and Learning supports instructors by helping them take their teaching to the next level.

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To achieve some focus and clarity when setting goals, our SMART Goal Setting Template is there to assist you. Goals are achieved, by first possessing an idea of what it is you want to attain success at. Also, you must deduce the tasks necessary to achieve those goals. Thankfully the 90/10 Life is here to teach you how to successfully delegate 90% of the tasks. Yet, you need to insert that 10% in presenting clarity for your objectives to be accomplished.
What separates someone who achieves goals and who doesn't? Discipline
"Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success." -Pablo Picasso Click To Tweet

"Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success." -Pablo Picasso

Indeed it is impertinent to decide what is important to you. It is also important that you resolve to take the steps required to make these goals, your realities. Without clearly stated goals, you will have no sure guarantee that your efforts are worth the time you'll invest. Needless to say, you need to set goals which serve to guide you onto that route to success.

If you're passionate about living the 90/10 Life, you already know that you need to delegate so you can focus on that 10% which matters most. Consequently, you must provide guidelines, such as a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Your virtual team will need your SOP to achieve the results which you deem achievable. Use of the SMART goal analysis can help you to formulate goals which are achievable.
"If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes." -Andrew Carnegie
What is the SMART Micro Goal Setting Template?

SMART translates to Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Time-bound goals. When formulating a goal, apply the implications of these terms to the desired goals. Then ensure that something is done every day which helps to achieve these goals. The goal setting template guides you to formulating micro goals of your own.

You don't attain long-term goals by waiting for something to happen. You work toward achieving them by setting several micro goals. The completion of all these micro-goals consequently result is the accomplishment of the goal in its entirety. Doing so might just leave you in a daze of satisfaction as you tick off all the tasks on your list of tasks to accomplish.
You have to set goals that are almost out of reach. If you set a goal that is attainable without much work or thought, you are stuck with something below your true talent and potential." -Steve Garvey
The goal setting template is there to help you to organize your goals. That way, you can focus on accomplishing the main goal. This list of micro goals will spur your forward with every tick you insert next to the goals you accomplish. As a result, goals which were once seemingly out of reach come within grasp.

The Secret Benefits of Micro Goals

Each micro goal achieved brings you one step closer to achieving the major goal - clear visual evidence that you are moving forward. The secret of setting micro-goals refers to their benefits with regards to attaining your major goals. There are numerous benefits to setting micro-goals utilizing the micro goal setting template. The micro goal setting template allows you to focus on specific outcomes and helps you to formulate useful micro goals. The secret benefits of the micro goals you set would include:

Micro Goals Are Attainable

In comparison to major goals, micro goals appear easily attainable. For example, my goal was to post one thing on Facebook for thirty days. With each day which proceeded after I wrote that goal, I ensured that I found something noteworthy to post. I did this every day, for thirty days. Would you believe it - Facebook noticed and congratulated me for having posted something each day for 30 days. That felt great.

Micro Goals Serve As Fuel

Micro goals help to set the pace thus creating a healthy source of motivation. With each micro goal accomplished you get one step closer to achieving your major goal. Additionally, it is simply an energizing feeling to know that we all have the potential for attaining success at the major goals we set.

Micro Goals Serve As Nesting

Micro goals provide the nesting place necessary to support your major goals. Imagine an egg on a hard surface without the support of soft nesting. A strong gust could easily carry that egg off in any direction toward an uncertain end. Micro goals provide security and direction thus keeping your major goal within reach.

The 3 P's of Goal Setting

Have you decided to write your goals and the micro goals which accompany them? After you decide to utilize the micro goal setting template you must also incorporate Tracy's - The 3 Ps of Goal Setting. Ensure that:

Your Goals are written in the Present tense. You want to see actions to start on this goal from today. These goals should be written beginning with, I want to achieve this goal by a given time frame.

Your Goals are Personal. Although you may need others to accomplish various micro goals, they do so at your request. Such goals should be stating that I want to have such a person accomplish such a goal by a set date.

Your goals must be Positive. This simply means that your goal must be one which facilitates feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment.

Become part of the top 1% By simply writing your goals, you join the elite 3% of the successful adult population who do so Click To Tweet

Consequently, when you review those goals and work at them daily, you become a part of the top 1%. The time to act is now. Use the goal setting template to help you identify your SMART goals.

Delegation is Key to the 90/10 Life

Remain mindful that, the key to benefiting from the 90/10 Life Principle is to systematize and delegate. You do not possess the skills which are necessary to accomplish ALL the micro goals which help make that great goal possible. Therefore it is to your benefit to consider utilizing the skills and talents of others to achieve your micro goals.

Also, remember that their actions must be in accordance with your vision. After all, the micro goals which you have written provide the road map to your success. For this reason, sound instructions are necessary to provide clarity to those who have been assigned the tasks. In such a case, a clear and concise SOP is the most valuable asset to your virtual assistant.

In the virtual world, visual learning is the predominant learning style for most virtual assistants. Therefore, you need to utilize software which can help you to convey your vision. A video is a vital element for rapid transfer while also providing the detail which written or audio media lack. There are several apps available which can assist this process.

Apps such as TinyTake and ScreenFlow can assist in video capture. Thus helping your virtual assistant to see your process. Also, if you wish to prepare a SOP document, screen shots are a tremendous help to visual learners. Consequently, it is important that you set clear directives for the micro goals which you virtual assistant is responsible for.
Sign-Up for the FREE 90/10 Life Workshop to learn more.

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Goal Setting Template | The SECRET of MICRO GOALS

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To achieve some focus and clarity when setting goals, our SMART Goal Setting Template is there to assist you. Goals are achieved, by first possessing an idea of what it is you want to attain success at. Also, you must deduce the tasks necessary to achieve those goals.

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TEACH ABOUT FIXED MINDSET VS. GROWTH MINDSET

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TEACH ABOUT FIXED MINDSET VS. GROWTH MINDSET