Vrain Waves: Teaching Conversations with Minds Shaping Education

Inspiring students to self-assess and start working independently doesn't have to be complicated! Not only are students becoming aware of what they need and advocating for themselves, but also engaging in some beautiful metacognition. Another added benefit? All that independence and efficacy actually leads to higher-quality collaborative work! Tune in as we chat with Marcus Luther from The Broken Copier about his 1 through 6 rating system and how this simple strategy has created efficacy and independence in his classroom.

Self-Assessment 1-6

@MarcusLuther6

@SuzannahEvans2

@drshanesaeed

Happy October to our Vrain Waves listeners! The perfect follow-up to our first episode with Brandon Slade is our conversation with these two rockstar St. Vrain educators, secondary special education teacher, Sarah Patton, and elementary counselor, Mike Laurent. Tune in as we talk about go-to strategies for not just students with needs, but the whole student body. We can't say it enough...what's essential for some is good for all and that includes us adults, too. It's not too late in the year to put some simple routines in place that will pay out huge dividends in your classrooms. What will be the lead domino that you set up tomorrow?!

Welcome to Season 7 of Vrain Waves! We are kicking off with what we all need at the start of the year. Setting up for success means explicitly unpacking directions and expectations for all students, especially those with executive functioning deficits. Tune in as we chat with Brandon Slade from Untapped Learning and let's all be reminded that what's essential for some, is good for all!

UntappedLearning.com

Untapped Learning YouTube channel 

@UntappedSlade

@SuzannahEvans2

@drshanesaeed

Wrapping up Season 6 with two rockstar teachers who show us what it looks like to reframe Assessment in the classroom. The key to engaging students is not tricky; it's building intrinsic motivation through authentic assessment and grading practices! Tune in as our very own Sam LaFever and Gideon Matchey unpack how they use explicit assessment strategies to develop mastery and shift the cognitive load to their students!

@SuzannahEvans2

@Saeed_shane

@gideonmatchey

@gideonmatcheycomposer

Learning Pit - James Nottingham 

SVVSD Math

What are some ways we can reframe assessment? How can we shift toward seeing assessment as evidence of success rather than a "gotcha"? Tune in as Hacking Student Motivation author Tyler Rablin speaks to creating multiple opportunities for students to grow and learn over time.  Let's stop focusing on mistakes and start focusing on trends in our classrooms! Spoiler Alert: Student motivation is built by giving them more than one attempt and celebrating both what they know now and have yet to learn!

Hacking Student Motivation

@Mr_Rablin

TylerRablin.com

@SuzannahEvans2

@saeed_shane

@avivalevin

March Madness and the solar eclipse might be over but the excitement of Spring continues! Tune in to hear from our very own @missluker as she speaks to shifting the epicenter of learning, replicating yourself, and creating more powerful feedback loops. How do we do this & still ensure quality instruction? Blended Learning! Dive in, build your students' agency, your own agency, the collective efficacy, and honor what it means to be a learner!

@SuzannahEvans2

@Saeed_Shane

@missluker

@Catlin_Tucker

Tune in for our conversation with Dr. Scott McLeod about his 4 Shifts Protocol and how these shifts can help teachers engage in reflection, apply deeper learning principles, and build student agency in their classrooms. As we learn and grow as educators, the 4 Shifts Protocol is intended "to get at some specific, concrete ‘think abouts’ and ‘look fors’ that can help educators dialogue around what they might change." Continuous refinement for the win!

https://twitter.com/SuzannahEvans2

https://twitter.com/saeed_shane

https://twitter.com/mcleod

https://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/resources/4-shifts-protocol

https://www.amazon.com/Shift-Student-Led-Reimagining-Classroom-Workflows/dp/1948334526

If the instructional door you chose to open isn't working, find a different door! We can hold high expectations for our students AND meet them where they are at the same time! Tune in as our second married teaching couple, Ken and Kendra Versoi, drop amazing and tangible strategies for effective facilitation (hint, hint it starts with Relationships). 

@SuzannahEvans2

@saeed_shane

Necessary Conditions, Geoff Krall

Building Thinking Classrooms, Peter Liljedahl

Gifting our listeners with all things Geoff Krall! Author of one of our favorite books, Necessary Conditions: Teaching Secondary Math with Academic Safety, Quality Tasks, and Effective Facilitation, Geoff speaks to creating academic safety, moving from an emphasis on speed to thoughtfulness, and the power of letting go. But if you're not a math teacher, never fear! There is something for ALL teachers here....tune in and take a beat! Let's learn TOGETHER!

@geoffkrall

@SuzannahEvans2

@saeed_shane

Think that the Science of Learning practices are only for older students? Not true! The learning party invitation can and should be extended to all grades, Kindergarten through 12th. Tune in to our first mini-wave episode of Season 6 to hear how master (and married) St. Vrain Valley teachers, Arianne Tasker and Adam Wellington, incorporate the Science of Learning in their 1st-grade and high school classrooms. It's simpler than you think!

@SuzannahEvans2

@saeed_shane

@Arianne_Re

@AWellington83

@PatriceBain1

@RetrieveLearn

@KateJones_teach

How Do I Learn