Let me tell you a true story. In my second year of teaching in rural Virginia, I watched excitedly as my third grade students entered my classroom. We were about to start our unit on habitats around the world. I had turned each corner of my typical classroom into the jungles of Africa, the deserts of Asia and the rain …
How can the wonder of playing with toys translate into the joy of playing with ideas? Curiosity and inquisitiveness form the beginnings of meaningful learning about ourselves and the world. A study in the journal Neuron discovered that students are more interested in learning about topics if their curiosity has been piqued. Matthias Gruber hypothesized that curiosity “put[s] the brain …
Have you noticed when you stand in front of the class to begin teaching your students slouch down in their seats in a lackluster or defensive manner, assuming that another whole group lesson will be boring or too difficult? The design of the classroom space lets students know if it is teacher centered or student centered. Students can tell by …
Each year, your classroom starts off as a blank canvas and you work tirelessly to make it a place where your students will thrive. Think about how you can create a classroom masterpiece that will INSPIRE your students. When they open the door, what unit of study will take their breath away? What masterpiece will greet them when they enter …
Open the doors to learning with a school and classroom environment that reflect inclusion and relevance. These five classroom doors give insight to each teacher’s vision while concurrently focusing on the students. This five part series on “Optimal Learning Environment”, begins with these five classroom doors. They show five ways to create an optimal learning environment. On each of about …
Welcome to INSPIRE, an at-your-fingertips resource for tips and tools to build capacity for academic excellence and character development.
