More schools are looking to address the socio-emotional needs of students, and a key area for that work is helping students manage anxiety in the classroom. We look at a study showing how some accommodations may be reinforcing their anxiety, and how teachers can help students develop healthier strategies for managing it. Later, we read… Read More »
Season 7
084 Theater Empathy & Cognitive Load
Field trips to the theater can be memorable opportunities for students to engage in community-based performing arts. Dr. Goldstein joins us to talk about how even a single theater experience can have an impact on socio-emotional outcomes like empathy and perspective-taking for students. Later, we discuss the intersection of cognitive load theory and motivation. Their… Read More »
083 Underachievement & Artificial Intelligence
Student underachievement occurs when students’ day-to-day class performance is lower than their test scores predict it should be. We read a review of research that shows the causes of underachievement can vary widely. Still, it gives teachers some useful starting points when trying to help a student reach their full potential. Later, we discuss some… Read More »
082 Stimulus Complexity & Student Caregiving
This month is a collaborative episode with the hosts of the School Spirits podcast. We read a study of pigeon working memory that indicates complex visuals activate substantially more of our brains than simple ones, which can help with memory and processing of information. Later, we discuss new data that shows how common caregiving responsibilities… Read More »
081 Instructional Agency & Bilingual Math
Researchers measured the impact of student-directed project weeks on their sense of motivation over the course of a school year. We reflect on the importance of consistently prioritizing learner agency throughout the year, rather than sequestering it to a single week of freedom. Later, we read a review of research on learning math in bilingual… Read More »
080 Growth Mindset & Music Distractions
This month we talk with Dr. Elisabeth Tipton about the research support for growth mindset interventions, and the flaws in last month’s meta-analysis. Together we consider how growth mindset should be part of a more comprehensive approach to helping students improve. Later, we read how listening to music reduces our ability to use our working… Read More »
079 Meta-analyses: Co-teaching & Growth Mindset
A meta-analysis of co-teaching showed that it benefits students to have more than one adult in the classroom, regardless of the specifics. We reflect on what it could mean to successfully build a co-teaching classroom based on trust among the teachers and students. Later, we read another meta-analysis that is sharply critical of the current… Read More »