Doing Less to Achieve More
Are you an English Learner, Dual-Language, or Non-Certified Teacher??
You may be doing way too much and not achieving enough!! Teaching is a demanding journey, and for those who haven't followed the traditional path to certification or work with English learners (ELs) and in dual-language programs, it can be even more challenging.
We often find ourselves juggling multiple tasks, racing against the clock, and trying to meet the diverse needs of our students. The educational landscape expects a lot from us, sometimes more than our brains can handle.
Teaching is a complex journey, and it's about time we simplify it. In this blog post, we'll uncover the power of using brain-friendly approaches, so you can better support these teachers and their students. Are you ready to do less and get more? Read on to see why doing less will get teachers and their students better results!
🧩 Connecting the Cognitive Dots: Four Factors and Four Principles
Teaching effectively is complex, and it's essential to understand how our brains work. Four factors impact our learning as adults are:
Information from the environment
Facts stored in long-term memory (content knowledge)
Procedures etched in long-term memory (skills and strategies)
The capacity of our working memory
It is essential for teachers to understand how the brain learns, it benefits us as teachers and lifelong learners but also helps us make sense of what and who we are teaching.
Now, imagine a scenario where policies and practices in districts and universities don't align with these brain-friendly factors. It's like trying to complete a puzzle with mismatched pieces. In these situations, teachers often struggle to survive.
What do teachers need to be able to meet every student where they are?
They need to be met where they are too and provided with scaffolds that are aligned with how the adult brain works best. Here are how the four factors that are essential for learning can be addressed to ensure professional success for non-certified teachers and teachers of language learners.
🤝Information from the Environment → Connected Community
Picture this: You're trying to process tons of information while managing a classroom full of eager students. You need a support system just as you rely on external cues and feedback from your environment. That's where the Connected Community principle comes in. It's like having a lifeline of fellow educators who share your challenges and goals. When you connect, learn, and evolve together, you alleviate the cognitive load, making teaching more manageable.
🧠 Facts Stored in Long-Term Memory → Teaching Simplicity
We all know that retrieving facts from long-term memory is crucial for learning. Similarly, simplifying your teaching approach is like retrieving the essentials from your brain's storage. This principle ensures maximum engagement and understanding while reducing cognitive load for teachers. Think of it as the key to making teaching less overwhelming and more effective.
🔄 Procedures Etched in Long-Term Memory → Real Habits, Lasting Change
Just as established procedures make tasks efficient, building teaching habits leads to lasting change. These habits become ingrained, reducing the cognitive load over time. They make teaching more productive and balanced. Imagine the relief of tasks becoming automatic, leaving mental space for effective teaching. Once teachers make these automatic, then students can make them automatic too.
📚The Amount of Space in Our Working Memory → Practical Professional Growth
Our working memory is like a mental workspace, and it has its limits. Practical Professional Growth is like scaffolding that expands this workspace. Accessing tailored scaffolds enhances your working memory's capacity. This ensures you have the mental space to process and implement new knowledge effectively. Teaching becomes less taxing and more efficient.
🚀 The Call to Action: Doing Less to Get More
So, why should we embrace these principles and simplify our teaching approach? Because they align with how our brains work best. They promote the idea that "less is more" by simplifying teaching approaches, reducing cognitive load, and fostering consistency. By following these principles, we create an environment where both teachers and students thrive in a more enjoyable and rewarding educational experience.
Are you ready to take action?
Share these brain-friendly principles with your fellow educators, and let's simplify teaching together. It's time to make a real difference in the lives of our students and ourselves. Doing less can indeed lead to achieving more in education.
All educators are welcome to join our Facebook Group: Finita Teachers!
In the past, teachers were often classified based on what they taught, where they taught, or what level of students they worked with. It seemed like a convenient way to organize things. But, as we've discovered, this approach has its limitations. Join the group to break down those old walls and unite as a community, that's where we can expand our limits.
Reflective Questions
From a Teacher's Perspective:
How can I incorporate one of the principles of Connected Community, Teaching Simplicity, Real Habits, Lasting Change, and Practical Professional Growth into my daily teaching routine to enhance student learning? (Start with the one you do best!)
What specific teaching habits do I currently use to help reduce my cognitive load and make my teaching more efficient and effective for my students?
Why is it essential for me to seek support from my fellow educators and be part of a connected community to improve my teaching practice?
From a School Administrator's Perspective:
How can I review which of our school's policies and practices align with the principles of effective teaching, such as Connected Community, Teaching Simplicity, Real Habits, Lasting Change, and Practical Professional Growth?
What professional development opportunities and resources do I provide to support our teachers in implementing these principles and improving their teaching effectiveness?
Why is it crucial for our school to prioritize these brain-friendly teaching principles to create an environment where both teachers and students thrive?
Still not convinced? Watch this video on Skills-Knowledge-Strategy (S-K-S Model): a scaffold for planning grade-level objectives and building teacher clarity
