Teaching isn’t about perfection, it’s about showing up–here’s how to do that
When I walked into my first classroom almost a decade ago, I had no idea how many “first days” I would experience--and how each one would teach me…
productive struggle
The power of instructional intent statements in assignment design
In education--and particularly with my graduate students in higher education--students occasionally focus on the individual points of an assignment rubric instead of stepping back and looking holistically at…
Why math hints matter–and how AI can help
Research shows that productive struggle in math leads to better learning. But there’s a fine line between productive and unproductive struggle. When tasks are too difficult, frustration takes…
Opportunities in failing: Why K-12 education needs more productive struggle
Throughout my education, I have always been frustrated by busy work--the kind of homework that felt like an obligatory exercise rather than a meaningful learning experience.
3 ways to engage students in productive struggle
What do you do when you don’t know what to do? Think about it for a minute. You are facing a new challenge – whether it be learning…
How ‘productive struggle’ can lead to deeper learning
Students can experience "productive struggle" when given a task slightly beyond their abilities. As educators provide support for tackling a challenging problem through different approaches, they can help…