E F F O R T

We've been studying about effort, particularly from Marzano's work, CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION THAT WORKS. In this case, making sure that students know their efforts mean something, that it's tied to achievement.

So I get this great email link from one of our PE dudes, which features Jordan, the one and only, talking about effort. Loved it. Here's the link.

As the spring approaches, we begin to think about schedule and plan for next year. I'm excited for the opportunities we're going to have to bringing some of the things we've been learning to light, especially around effort.

On another note, I finished the mindset experiments with the 5th grade. Fascinating. However, after talking with the fifth grade students, I can tell that we need to be doing this from grades 3 up and the beginning of the year. I've also gone through Dweck's curriculum, BRAINOLOGY. Interesting. The importance of teaching children that essentially their mind is a muscle and that it can be improved on, is paramount, as is showing them the growth mindset.

Curiously, I pulled one of our fourth grade teachers after giving the mindset experiment to her class. She didn't know anything about the experiment except that I was doing it but she had no details, nor did she have any results when I read the names of the kids with growth mindsets; all of which she said should pass MSP or close. Interesting. This backs up Dweck's theory that mindset is tied to achievement. Huge implications here. We'll see after MSP.