Posts in Education Transformation

Us and Them

Analogical Problem-Solving ™ is what I call teaching by living inside a story such as the Us and Them unit. Students have agency/voice to make decisions inside their class story, an analogy of life. As teachers, we carefully follow their suggestions and integrate lessons as we plan strategies that allow them to discover their learning. Students learn real-life lessons without real-life consequences. They realize at a profound level that we have so much in common. We are all connected. Ultimately the students decide war is not worth the enormous human cost. And they internalize that we are all part of the human race.

Social Emotional Learning, Education TransformationMargaret BoersmaDecember 2, 2021Teaching, SEL, Social and Emotional Learning, Equityu, diversity, inclusion, student agency, responsibility, well-being Comments

The Dynamic Teaching Model

For years we thought the primary emphasis in school should be to teach digital technology to our students. The Information Era would solve everything! Mind you, tech skills are absolutely essential. But, this emphasis, at the exclusion of something else, has placed a couple of generations at a major disadvantage! How do you say? Let’s explore in our latest SEL Blog below where Margaret Boersma, an instructional coach and education consultant, writes about the importance of emotional well-being in classrooms. #SocialEmotionalLearning

Social Emotional Learning, Education TransformationMargaret BoersmaNovember 21, 2021#SocialEmotionalLearning, The Dynamic Teaching Model, Confirmation Bias, The Learning Potential Scale, The Cause Model, Deductive Teaching, Academic Expectaton, Linear Curriculum, SEL, Margaret Boersma Comments

Recommended Blogs for “Reading for the Love of It” Teachers

Past and present speaker at the Reading for the Love of It conference, Margaret Boersma prepared a reading list specific to the issues of this past year, to work on mindful practices that focus on creating well-being and focus for students and teachers alike. Take the time to check out these web links…

Social Emotional Learning, Education TransformationMargaret BoersmaAugust 14, 2021Recommended, Blogs, Reading for the Love of It, Teachers, Margaret BoersmaComment

Communication is a Life Skill Most Kids Don’t Master

When students have the opportunity to defend their point of view or articulate their ideas more fully, I often become aware of their inability to communicate. Even with ample “wait time,” they stammer, can’t find the words or don’t express their ideas in full. The listener is left guessing at the meaning and several exchanges are needed to clarify rather simple thoughts.

Social Emotional Learning, Education TransformationMargaret BoersmaJuly 8, 2021The Learning Potential Scale, communication, articulation, dysfunction, Struggle, Traction, The State of Thriving, Emotional saftety, Empathy Skills, Social and Emotional SkillsComment

Google Does Not Work for Everything! - Part 4

Children learn best through discovery. So inductive teaching helps deepen retention. With inductive learning, students experience things and draw their own conclusions. Wrestling with the concepts allows them to uncover their learning. As teachers, we often wonder why our students haven’t retained the basics from year to year. Students retain when they discover their learning.

Education Strategies, Education TransformationMargaret BoersmaMay 17, 2021The Solution Model, Creative Education, how children learn best, inquiry-based learning, Dynaminc Teaching Model, whole-brain learning, Dynamic Teaching Model, Social and Emotional Learning, Analogical Problem-Solving, Permanency, A Challenge, Integrating the strategies, studen and teachers thrivingComment

Google Does Not Work for Everything! - Part 3

Focusing on academics can create a disempowering context when we are not able to get our students to learn the specific concepts for the grade within the time given. Our stress transfers to our students and causes them to react, setting up a situation in which social and emotional learning (SEL) skills are urgently needed. Then we resign ourselves to reacting to behaviours inconducive to learning. However, the SEL skills we teach don’t go deep enough, in part because they are reactive, rather than pro-active, and therefore, ineffective.

Education Transformation, Education StrategiesMargaret BoersmaMay 10, 2021The Hidden Causes, The Cause Model, Program Creation, Linear Curriculum, Academic Expectaton, Deductive TeachingComment

Google Does Not Work for Everything! - Part 2

As you self-select your current state, you may find you have a solid working relationship with a number of your students who are thriving, as individuals. And, with the same class, you may find yourself in a state of dysfunction with a number of students. Allow yourself to think of your class as a whole. Consider the observable behaviours I am about to share, as they pertain to your students in general. And, also consider your own experience.

Education Strategies, Education TransformationMargaret BoersmaMay 3, 2021dysfunction, Struggle, Traction, Thriving, The Problem Model, learning potential, The Learning Potential ScaleComment

Google Does Not Work for Everything! - Part 1

Consider, that many adults are children in adult bodies. And it is not their fault. Emotionally they have not matured. Often, something happens in childhood and we decide something about ourselves e.g. I’m not smart enough or I’m not loveable. Then we spend the rest of our lives looking for evidence to prove our point of view. And it has us reacting instead of responding to life

Dec 2, 2021

Nov 21, 2021

Jul 8, 2021

May 16, 2021

Essential Workers: Thinking about Social Class Inequity and Education

Andy Hargreaves suggests in Canada we have an unspoken culture of social class in which diversity issues are not addressed. When rethinking schools, he says, “We must teach working-class identity as history and culture of pride involving the dignity of labour, solidarity with one’s fellows, the value of hard work, and the importance of self-improvement. [We must] rethink everything [we] do on social class lines, as much as [we] have in relation to all other aspects of diversity.”

Nov 29, 2020

Free SEL Videos for Home and School

Free Lessons Available in Social Emotional Learning for Children.. Every lesson has an affirmation that students can memorize to remind themselves of their ability to influence themselves and others in positive ways.

Oct 22, 2019

Empathy Training and SEL, the Keys to Thriving

Having just returned from an exhilarating international conference, 2019 SEL Exchange, I am excited to share. “Defining Quality in the Context of Innovation” was the focus of the conference hosted by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), the best place to get resources and information about Social and Emotional Learning (SEL).

Sep 26, 2019

How Do We Support Students Who Lose Control?

As teachers and administrators, we experience these kinds of interactions more often. Doing our best to be equitable, we can still be misunderstood. Our goal is to move our students forward so they can reach their fullest potential. And yet, we are often at a loss as to how to make that happen.

Jun 11, 2019

Building Tools in Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) for Educators

Sometimes we try so hard to ‘work on our relationships’ by doing thoughtful favours, giving gifts or helping out in practical ways and still…it will come out that something is not perfect about the way we are being perceived by that person. We will have a better-quality life if we take responsibility for everything…even if we feel that only a smidgen is really our responsibility. Consider, that there may be, even a small amount, of truth to the comment. Consider, there is an unresolved issue from the past that keeps these thoughts and comments alive. Consider, that taking responsibility brings us freedom.

May 10, 2019

Encouraging Student Voice in the Classroom

While examining the plight of modern refugees by living inside a story, students reflect on their own journeys and those of “change” in their families. This inquiry-based learning unit is a model for deepening understanding and social/emotional learning with themes of equity, inclusion and well-being. Students experience learning in "first person" as they build empathy, compassion and a growth mindset. Personal well-being is nurtured through immersion in the arts. Storytelling, drama, dance and visual arts are central to this cross-curricular unit. As well, Language Arts, Current Affairs and Social Studies expectations are integrated in the work.

Apr 18, 2019

7 Steps to Teach Responsibility

How do we teach RESPONSIBILITY? As teachers, we often complain about students who do not take responsibility for their learning. It seems difficult for them to make good choices e.g. as to where they sit and they have a bad habit of side conversations. We worry about these students and their progress. As teachers, we work very hard to make lessons compelling and spend time scaffolding and planning. And sometimes it seems we work harder than our students! We sometimes say to ourselves at points of frustration, “Well, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” What if there was a way to teach responsibility?

Feb 5, 2019

Working with Values of Indigenous People

In this unit: game, writing, dance, drama; Grades 2-adult. Resource: “We are the Earth” by Bobbie Kalma Cooperative Game: Atom – One Teapot: 1 chief, 2 eagle, 3 whale, 4 grizzly bear. Information: Read and discuss pages 16 – 19 of “We are the Earth” by Bobbie Kalman. Minds On: Creative Movement: In a circle, body-storm ,the grizzly bear on the land, whale in the water, eagle in the air and fire in the forest.

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