If great thinking & learning is a part of your agenda for your students, it seems obvious, you need to give them opportunities to think & learn. Ron Ritchhart describes this as ‘Crafting the Vehicles for Learning’. He goes on to say, “Without the right vehicles, learning slows down, loses momentum and in some cases […]

“What feedback did you receive today to help you in your learning?” is a power question I recently heard John Hattie ask – one that he asked his own children after school. So I asked my Miss 16. “Nothing” was the continual reply. I was curious… Couple this with a post I saw on social media (right) […]

According to Ron Ritchhart, seeing ourselves through our students’ eyes is the key to being a great model for thinking. He describes two types of modelling in the classroom. The first is explicit modelling. This is when you are demonstrating and showing a process or procedure that you want the student to adopt. The second […]

This time of year is stressful for students as exams are looming and often the reality sets in that they really don’t know how to study. Yesterday I was asked to help a Year 11 student with an important test coming up in 2 days. Her parents reported that she has been distracted with a TV […]

“Repetition is the mother of learning.” This Latin proverb holds some great truth when it comes to studying and passing exams. From a brain perspective, repetition transfers skills and knowledge from your conscious to subconscious brain. One practical example is learning to drive. When you start, you have to think about every little step: the […]

Learning to master time, rather than being its victim is one of the 8 cultural forces discussed by Project Zero, senior researcher Ron Ritchhart. He writes about 6 areas of time which can be harnessed and mastered to create a thinking culture in your classroom. 1 Recognise time as a statement of your values What […]

Whether you are studying for exams, wanting to get your drivers license or just keen to expand your skills and knowledge in an area of interest, the L3 Map of SuccessTM shows the crucial steps along the journey to success. You are in the drivers seat and following these 6R’s can ensure the journey is […]

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 […]