Category Archives: Pedagogy

Truth for Teachers – The Swiss Cheese Model

Three posts in a row!

You may be familiar with Angela Watson’s work on her “Truth for Teachers” blog and podcast. It’s been a while since I’d checked in and I’m glad I did cause I found this.

The Swiss Cheese Model: Letting Go of “All or Nothing” Thinking (September 4, 2022)

The simple explanation of the model goes something like this: there is not one strategy that will solve a complex issue in a classroom or school. These complex issues needs to be addressed through a multifaceted approach because there is no one strategy-fits-all. We use the metaphor of a slice of swiss cheese being a single strategy. The strategy will work for some students but the holes represent how some students will slip through the hole and continue to struggle. So, we layer another slice of cheese (another strategy) which will cover some of those holes and help some of the remaining students find success. You can add a third slice and you get the idea – layers of strategies & supports to tackle complex issues.

I like this analogy as it lines up well with my messaging with school teams – it’s going to take a team approach with different strategies in action to move the student towards learning (which is what we do – develop & strengthen a student’s skill set).

The article does a much better job of explaining than I did. Give it a read and, as always, tell me how you applied it by posting a comment or two.

Emotions Come and Go in Waves

EdSurge – Emotions Come and Go in Waves. We Can Teach our Students How to Surf Them (October 2022).

Social-emotional learning continues to be an important part of modern teaching. With so much going on for our students and ourselves, having the skills to navigate difficult situations is essential. SEL skills have to be explicit taught and practiced. It should be a part of each instructional day at different times. This normalizes it and that’s the hope – that our students do this as a means of taking care of themselves and others.

6 Strategies to Help Neurodiverse Students Fully Engage in Class

Edutopia – 6 Strategies to Help Neurodiverse Students Fully Engage in Class (September 2022)

As educators, we recognize that each student in our learning space is unique. The diversity of the strengths & stretches of our students are what make each year different and they pose different challenges for us. We always plan our learning opportunities with the goal of engaging as many of our students as possible. To do this, we need to keep adding tools to our toolbox.

You know I’m a big fan of Edutopia as I find their work easy to read and implement. Give it a look and challenge yourself to try one this week. Good luck.

 

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy / Teaching

Some links for those of you interested in understanding and exploring culturally responsive pedagogy / teaching.

https://culturallyresponsivepedagogy.com.au/ (Australia)

https://www.understood.org/en/articles/what-is-culturally-responsive-teaching

https://www.edutopia.org/article/getting-started-culturally-responsive-teaching

https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/culturally-responsive-teaching-culturally-responsive-pedagogy/2022/04

https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/a-framework-for-culturally-responsive-teaching

https://educationnorthwest.org/sites/default/files/resources/culturally-responsive-teaching.pdf