?? Empowering Students

Here are some recent snippets from my weekly review. Each week I look back and record what I’ve been thinking, reading, and experiencing in the classroom and in life. Learn. Do. Reflect. Do Better. Celebrate. Repeat.

Here’s #1 from this week’s Friday Five Newsletter for Teachers.

Active Note-Taking

Effective note-taking practices can be transformed from passive copying to active learning by encouraging creativity and personalization with colored markers, real-life examples, and reflective prompts. Five key strategies?—?diverse materials, real-world examples, question prompts, dedicated note-taking time, and celebration of work?—?help students take ownership of their learning process. This gradual transformation, starting with dry-erase boards as an intermediate step, ultimately leads to students creating meaningful, personalized notes that they actively reference during independent practice, indicating a more effective learning experience.

Here’s how these note-taking strategies could be implemented at different grade levels:

Elementary School: Students can use colorful drawings and simple symbols to represent math concepts, like drawing pizza slices for fractions or using different colored shapes for geometry. They might respond to basic prompts like “My favorite part about this was…” and share their illustrated notes during show-and-tell time.

Middle School: Students can incorporate more detailed diagrams and real-world connections, such as creating mind maps with multiple colors and adding their own examples. They can engage with deeper reflection prompts like “How will I know ___ when I see it?” and collaborate with peers to share different note-taking approaches.

High School: Students can develop sophisticated note-taking systems using digital tools or traditional methods, incorporating complex diagrams, annotations, and personal insights. They might use the materials to create color-coded concept maps, add detailed explanations of real-world applications, and actively participate in note-sharing sessions to deepen their understanding.

Weekly Reflection:

• Active participation: ‘60-second expert’ presentations. Quick, focused, and builds confidence!
• Critical thinking boost: End lessons with ‘What if?’ scenarios. Watch students apply knowledge in unexpected ways!
• As educators, our greatest impact comes from empowering students to serve their communities.
• 3 Ways to Level Up Teaching: Embrace imperfection, Focus on student connections, Make classroom management a priority.
• Every classroom experiences chaos, like fire drills or tech failures. These moments aren’t just disruptions; they’re learning opportunities. Handling them with grace teaches students adaptability. Keep a “chaos toolkit” with activities or games to turn disruptions into meaningful experiences.
• “My partner teacher does this lovely thing when a student in his class gives him an ‘I don’t know’ response. He simply says, ‘Tell me something you do know that might be helpful.’”?—?Tom Brassington

Here’s what I’ve been up?to.

• STRONG Teacher Strategies: Implementing Effective Routines and Procedures
• Sick Days
• Priorities and Strong Leadership
• STRONG Teacher Strategies: Improving Classroom Managing by Increasing Student Engagement
• The Power of Positive Reinforcement: Building Student Success Through Praise and Growth Mindset

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