Resources for Teachers and Instructional Coaches – October 2022

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It’s spooky how fast October went by! Scared that you may have missed resources for teachers and coaches this past month?

We’ve rounded up the top resources from October 2022 and included highlights here.

These three reads have great ideas and resources for teachers and coaches around supporting students’ productive struggle, classroom essentials, and prioritizing teacher self-care.

Here are our top picks for the October 2022 reads to catch up on. Check out highlights, article links, and related content below.

Resources for teachers to support students’ productive struggle

Just like stress can be good or bad, struggle also has two faces. The good kind is productive struggle.

For students, the pressure of learning can feel stressful. But teachers can support productive struggle in their classrooms with a variety of strategies in the resources for teachers in this SmartBrief article.

Here are two strategies teachers can use for: “Preparing [students] for it, embracing it and reminding them that a community of teachers and peers are there to catch them when they stumble.”

  1. Assign group work
    Letting students work in teams is one way to develop grit, Rosemary said, because students can learn that everyone has different learning styles and levels of knowledge, and each can contribute something. Teamwork also teaches social-emotional skills and can improve students’ development of persistence.Whether students work in teams or individually, teachers should also consistently reinforce with students that they’re not expected to know everything already and that they’re not expected to succeed right away.
  2. Use real-life examples
    Using real-life examples — such as an athlete, singer, scientist or entrepreneur who constantly practices to improve, even after they’re famous, or grandparents who are asking for help figuring out smartphones or streaming services — can help students see the value in struggle.Integrating the social-emotional aspect into learning concepts helps teachers note red flags — each student’s may be different — that indicate when they feel pushed too far. Instead of letting the student keep going and shut down, teachers who recognize what’s happening can quickly intervene to ask questions, suggest a different approach or, with younger students, give them a small break from the subject. Then they bring students back to try again, building grit a little at a time. That’s the productive struggle at work.

Read the rest of the strategies to support students’ productive struggle at SmartBrief: Productive struggle: What it is and how to achieve it

Watch culturally responsive teaching expert Zaretta Hammond discuss how to combat learning loss by embracing productive struggle.

Essentials for the classroom include student feedback, engagement, and well-being

Edutopia’s article on how teachers can get back to the basics revolves around 3 key elements for the classroom: giving students effective feedback, creating safe learning environments, and supporting student (and teacher) well-being.

Here are the 4 C’s for teachers to “create opportunities for full [student] engagement.”

  • Content:
    We need content that’s relevant, challenging, and accessible. Effective teachers find ways to connect content to the lives of their students.
  • Consolidation:
    Students need the opportunity to review and synthesize content so that they can internalize skills and knowledge. This can be through games, writing, discussion, or any number of methods that require students to retrieve previously learned content.
  • Collaboration:
    As students work together, they develop empathy and appreciation of different perspectives.
    Creation:
    We want students to generate new ideas and new thinking based on engaging content. When students own their learning and begin to generate innovative approaches, we know they’re fully engaged.

To read more about the three essential classroom elements, check out the full article at Edutopia: Getting Back to Basics

Want to try a free guided coaching cycle on giving effective student feedback?  Get AI Coach access here.

Prioritizing teacher self-care and social-emotional well-being

Have the October blues hit you or a colleague?

This ASCD article is a great resource for teachers thinking about self-care. The article discusses how “finding balance and sustaining motivation” are key to fighting against the “motivational slump around October” that many teachers and school leaders feel.

Here are some of the ways noted for boosting educators’ self-care.

  • Taking 15 minutes to step outside for a walk
  • Setting aside consistent time for a midday meal
  • Connecting with positive colleagues

Read the whole about educator self-care at ASCD: Educator Self-Care Isn’t Selfish

Find more suggestions for educator self-care in this blog post about supporting teacher well-being.

Missed last month’s edition of resources for teachers and coaches? Catch up on the September 2022 top resources for teachers and coaches

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