An essential part of learners being independent and self directed is their ability to set and reflect on goals for their success. At each age and stage of schooling there are several suggested key ideas and strategies that will scaffold the learning for learners to be able to be highly efficient and proficient goal setters […]

One of the leading goals in every classroom should be creating independence in our students. This means teachers are required to step back, stop rescuing, allow students to make mistakes and ask powerful questions about learning. I love the I.C.T. method, first taught to me by Adrian Rennie in Christchurch. It stands for Individual, Collaborative […]

I’ve been pondering… what if education looked different? What if we truly valued what really matters rather than what used to matter? What if we cared more about the progress students are making rather than the marks, grades or number of credits they get? What if we were more concerned about the skills that will […]

The research is very clear: Setting goals is good for you! Having a strong set of goals improves academic performance, increases your motivation to achieve, improves self confidence, and increases your personal pride and satisfaction of the finished product. There are three main types of goals you might set at the beginning of a school […]

“Shoot for the moon and if you miss you’ll land amongst the stars.” Having great expectations and high standards are proven to help raise achievement in the classroom. Recognising that our beliefs also shape behaviour is a vital key to success. In his book, Creating Cultures of Thinking, Ron Ritchhart discusses the role of expectations […]

Recently I was privileged to visit Khan Lab School in San Francisco*. The school is the brainchild of Salman (Sal) Khan who started Khan Academy – a non-profit educational organisation with a goal of creating a set of online tools that help educate students. The school is innovative, learner centred, is pioneering new models and questions […]

Starting your year off with a positive mindset and some proven study techniques can make all the difference. Here are 4 to get you started this year… Be ready to learn Start the year with curiosity and wonderment of what you might learn this year. It is often helpful to look over the text book […]

As the beginning of the school year is fast approaching, setting up your classroom for success is more than theming your classroom and furniture placement. It is also ensuring you are clear on your philosophies, processes and outcomes. Here are a few ideas to consider… Safety First Not all classrooms are created equal and particularly […]

“I don’t learn anything at school!” shouted my daughter (Miss 14) as she left the house. Not a new revelation from her – but today she seemed more intent on ensuring I knew I was wasting my time sending her each day. So I decided to ask the BIG question. “How do you know when […]

Recently a parent asked for some reading material as his daughter had been cheating & lying. He was wanting to find out more to help parent through this situation. I sent him this video: (It is a 40min watch and worth it) and recommended Ana Homayoun‘s book, ‘The Myth of the Perfect Girl’. With further reflection, I […]