Tips to Inspire Student Learning

The most impactful change I’ve made in my classroom over the past few years is a simple exercise that came out of my work in #engineering education assessment.   At the start of each class period, I spend 1 minute discussing our #learning goals for class that day.   On our course website, I put these goals at the top of the page for each class to remind students what they should be able to do having followed the class, done the practice problems, and read the book.   When writing these goals, I keep the following in mind: 👩🏻🏫  What do my #students need to take with them from this class? 🌏  What fundamental knowledge should they learn, and how does this relate to the real-world? 👩🏻🔬 What is the “action” I want them to do? I try to state goals in a Bloom’s taxonomy framework where their knowledge gains are hierarchical in terms of their ability to do something.   How has doing this helped my students? 🙋🏻♀️ They ask more focused questions during class that show engagement with the goals and material. 👩🏻🎓 They know the goals of their studying and have a sense of mastery when it comes to exam time.   How has this helped me as an #instructor? 🙄 I don’t need to answer that “what’s on the test” question anymore. I point them to the learning goals. 🫶 When they’re stressed, I can better target what information is unclear by asking them “do you know how to do…?” and help them focus on that material. 🧐 It forces me to craft lectures and activities that align with our goals, rather than just what’s in a textbook, making my class more engaging and streamlining material presentation. If we're going to assess students' learning, we need to "write our own exam" by determining what they should know at the end of a course. Why not share this information with them? By letting students know the goals of the course - and thus what we're assessing them on - we empower them. This in no way tells them "how" to get an A. They still have to do the hard work of learning. But it helps them focus their studying efforts and benchmark their attainment.

Are Your Students Evolving into Their Creative Potential? A few years ago, my 12-year-old daughter hopped into the car after a long day at theatre camp. “How was your day?” I asked. “It was okay,” she replied, clearly unimpressed. “Just okay? Tell me more.” “I just don’t feel like I’m evolving.” I had to stifle my laughter—“evolving” seemed like an ambitious word for a 12-year-old. But as we talked, I realized she expressed something we all feel: a desire to grow and fulfill our potential. She knew she could do more; she just wasn’t sure how to get there. This conversation reminded me how important it is to intentionally nurture creativity in our students. They crave opportunities to grow, just as we do. As educators, parents, and mentors, we can help them evolve by: 1. Asking Open-Ended Questions: Spark curiosity with questions like, “What’s a new way we could approach this?” or “What are three different solutions you could try?” 2. Create a Safe Space for Failure: Celebrate effort, experimentation, and “mistakes” as valuable learning experiences. When students feel safe to take risks, creativity flourishes. 3. Encouraging self-reflection: Regularly prompt students to assess their own growth. Ask, “What are you most proud of this week?” or “What’s one area you want to improve?” 4. Provide Constructive Feedback: Give students specific, actionable areas to improve and empower them to take the lead on their growth. For example, you might say, “Here’s something I noticed. How do you think you could approach it differently next time?” This puts the focus on their agency and problem-solving skills. What strategies have worked for you to help your students evolve into their creative potential? Share your thoughts below—I’d love to hear them! #creativity #education

The quickest way to lose a class is to start with objectives. The quickest way to win them? Start with a question they actually want answered. When I taught Algebra I swapped “Today we’re learning linear functions” for: * "Could a paper airplane cross the length of a football field?"     * "How long would it take to walk to the top of Mount Everest—on a treadmill?" Heads lifted, pencils moved, and equations suddenly felt useful. Over the years I’ve kept one rule for any lesson I design: open with a curiosity hook that ties directly to the concept. A good hook is: * Short (under 15 seconds)     * Concrete (students can picture it)     * Connected (leads straight into the math)     Here’s what happens when curiosity leads the way: * Engagement rises before the slide deck even appears     * Students remember the concept because they remember the story     * Even the quiet kids take a shot at the first problem     If we want meaningful learning, we have to pay the curiosity tax first.