Introduction to Practice Six
Practice #6
The environment is non-threatening and conducive to risk-taking. Mistakes are viewed as opportunities to learn and grow.
Contents include
Printable materials, Ready-to-use Strategies, and Web links in the following sections:
Implementation Basics
Ideas for Implementation
Implementation Evaluation and Goal Setting
Life Principle
Expectation
Quotes
Hand Signs
Practice Connections
Practice Characteristics
Evidence of Practice
Research
Literature
Vocabulary
Music & Video Links
Learning Strategies
Mind Map
Goal Setting Process with Individual and Class Forms and Examples
Introduction to Practice #6
The environment is non-threatening and conducive to risk-taking. Mistakes are viewed as opportunities to learn and grow.
The WHY? of Practice #6!
Implementation supports a Culture of Respect and Academic Excellence :
- “Learners who experience threat are likely to exhibit extremes of aggression or withdrawal, diminished problem-solving, highly selective memory, and impaired creativity.” Jensen, E. (1998). Teaching with the Brain in Mind. Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 37.
- “A stressful physical environment such as crowded conditions, fear of violence or peer retaliation, even fluorescent lighting, can impact learner stress and contribute to low achievement in spite of a child’s high IQ.” Jensen, E. (2000) Brain-Based Learning, San Diego: The Brain Store, 32.
- “Some educator behavior creates a threatening environment: vague directions, boring lessons, verbal threats of class failure, inconsistent limits, rules and consequences, overreactions, failure to listen, the questions, “How many time do I have to tell you?”. Feinstein, S (2004) Secrets of the Teenage Brain, Research-Based Strategies for Reaching and Teaching Today’s Adolescents, San Diego: The Brain Store, 62.
- “New ideas and choices (a front brain activity) are impossible while learners are trapped in a back brain reactive survival pattern (fight or flight).” Promislow, S (1999). Making the Brain Body Connection, West Vancouver B.C., Canada: Kinetic, 45.
- “An educator can boost learner achievement by creating a class expectation that mistakes are to be welcomed as learning opportunities.” Moorman, C (2007). Motivating the Unmotivated: Practical Strategies for Teaching Hard-to-Reach Students, Bellevue, WA: Bureau of Education and Research.
For Research: see Rationale for 17 Practices Practice #5 – pages 12-13 on Great Expectations website.
The WHO? EVERY LEARNER!
The WHERE? EVERYWHERE learners are engaged in the instructional process.
The WHEN? - Daily use of the elements of Practice #6 will help to establish rapport with and demonstrate respect for all members of the learning environment. Develop a feeling of community and structure through the use of the Eight Expectations for Living and the Life Principles. Use team building, cooperative learning, and life-application projects to build a sense of group accomplishment and cohesion. Empower learners with positive and timely feedback about their efforts and successes. Remove all negative labels and promote a sense of uniqueness in all learners.
“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
(Printable Poster)
Main objection: "This takes too much time!"
Response: What are the goals for all learners?
Goals:
- To personalize learning and increase the use of positive dialog and effort.
- To address the uniqueness and multiple styles of all learners by encouraging them to make educational decision and to give input into their individual learning plan.
- To create a threat-free environment that encourages individuals to ask questions and share ideas.
- To facilitate positive, academic discussions by using open-ended questions that require thoughtful, creative responses.
- To involve learners in real-life learning that reflects their investment and their successes.
The BENEFITS!
- Creating a Culture of Creativity, Risk-Taking and Innovation - an article highlighting High School pedagogy with tips and strategies for building a positive culture among learners
Application to Employment Skills:
- “Work, learning, and citizenship in the twenty-first century demand that we all know how to think - to reason, analyze, weight evidence, and problem-solve… “ Wagner, T. (2008), The Global Achievement Gap, New York: Basic Books, xxii-iii.
- Practice#6 supports the Personal Values, Relations with Others, and Communication Skills listed under The 8 Keys to Employability:
Key #1: Personal Values Valued Workers:
|
Key #3: Relations with Other People Valued Workers:
|
Key #4: Communication Skills Valued Workers:
|
Developing Employability Skills - School Improvement Research
© 2018 Great Expectations