When your students are asked to describe themselves….wouldn’t it be cool if they replied, “I’m a proud member of Mr. Sturtevant’s class!” Two awesome students Caroline Gose and Simon Srisongkham are going to explain why this is important and how you might create such a dynamic.

Caroline Gose and Simon Srisongkahm

Episode Template

The Problem:

Students don’t identify with your class.

The Solution:

Build student allegiance.

What you can do tomorrow:

• Challenge students to come up with a unique name for your course.
• Challenge students to come up with a unique logo design for your course.
• Consider ways to utilize a class name and logo design.
• Investigate the potential of creating class shirts.

Challenge your students to create a class name and a class design. Vigorously promote this identity and bond students to your class.

Listen to “36-Students Caroline Gose and Simon Srisongkham Explain how to Build Student Allegiance” on Spreaker.

There are so many things in education that we do simply because they’ve always been done…and done a certain way. Take the school calendar. We follow an antiquated model that was crafted to serve our agrarian society in the late 19th Century. But most are accustomed to the typical school calendar regardless of whether it makes sense educationally. The same could be said of homework. Teachers, parents, and administrators must reevaluate the entire homework paradigm. Students are also a crucial voice! It’s time to evolve! Connie Hamilton and Starr Sackstein are here to help. On today’s episode, they’ll talk about their new book “Hacking Homework”.

@conniehamilton

@mssackstein

Episode Template

The Problem:

Educators need to rethink homework.

The Solution:

Solicit input from parents, administrators, and students in your quest to make homework impactful and relevant.

What you can do tomorrow:

1. Evaluate tomorrow’s assignment
2. Solicit information from students
3. Solicit information from parents

Out of class assignments can be a powerful learning tool. Let’s evolve them for a new century!

Listen to “35-Connie Hamilton and Starr Sackstein Urge you to Rethink Homework” on Spreaker.

Abigail Myers and Mason Wright

In 2014, my book You’ve Gotta Connect, which gives teachers tools to forge strong relationships with students, was published. I promote that teachers be approachable and then inject some enjoyment into their courses. This hack will succeed on both counts!

On a recent commute to school, I came up with the hairbrained scheme of pulling my students into one of my ridiculous weekend body weight workout challenges. In order that we could all keep tabs on one another, we utilized Voxer…the 21st Century walkie-talkie.

This program will tell the story of this AMAZING classroom adventure through the stories of two remarkable high school seniors…Abigail Myers and Mason Wright. Please give a listen and give a weekend challenge of some sort of activity…it certainly doesn’t have to be physical, a try.

Episode Template

The Problem:

Your class needs a little levity.

The Solution:

Issue a weekend challenge and keep tabs on one another on social media.

What you can do tomorrow:

1. Concoct a weekend challenge that will inspire a majority of your kids
2. Determine which social media you’ll utilize to keep track of progress

This bonding activity will not take one moment away from instruction. Forge bonds, inject fun, and watch joyously as those stronger relationships translate to student growth.

Listen to “34-Abigail Myers and Mason Wright are Two Students Urging You to Include Squats and Pushups in your Curriculum” on Spreaker.

How about demonstrating mastery like this? And then…writing about it!

Episode Template:

The Problem: Many students freeze when confronted with an essay assessment prompt.

I recently walked into Noah Heath’s room. Noah teaches Psychology.

@NoHeath66 Noah Heath and his lovely fiancee Kristen

I noticed some interesting art work on the wall. I asked about it. The next 10 minutes simply evaporated as Noah described his recent assessment experiment, “I have a lot of students who are uncomfortable with traditional tests. I wanted to give these kids an option. I let them opt to use art to demonstrate mastery of altered states of consciousness. They were to compare chemically altered consciousness (through drugs) and non-chemically altered consciousness (through hypnosis, meditation, and biofeedback). Traditionally, I give students an essay asking them to compare and contrast. Students who participated in my experiment still had to include a writing component, but it was to explain their artwork. Their creation did the job of comparing and contrasting!”

The Solution: Allow students to demonstrate learning through an art project.

What You Can Do Tomorrow?

1. Create an art-worthy prompt.
2. Expose students to a famous work of art and enlighten them about its deep meaning. An excellent example is Pablo Picasso’s Guernica. 
3. Challenge students to brainstorm ways demonstrate learning other than essay writing.
4. Call for student proposals. 

Many students suffer with traditional assessments. Experiment with allowing them to demonstrate deep understanding with art.

Listen to “33-Noah Heath Prescribes Art as an Antidote for Test Anxiety” on Spreaker.