We learn incrementally. I often use the image of an onion: Learning looks like peeling back layers, not “aha moments” that bring instant clarity. Yet, when dealing with others we often expect them to make instantaneous leaps. We toss out a well-crafted zinger and think […]
Category: Intentional Teaching
Students: Employees? Volunteers? Gym Customers.
One of my obsessions is Student Motivation. Wonderfully complex, and often unpredictable, students don’t seem to fit into any of the typical leadership boxes. How do we motivate students to put in the hard work and focus that deep learning requires? The spectrum of leadership […]
We are Human Beings
Have you ever felt as though you were talking past someone, rather than with them? Our culture tends to see roles, not people. People tend to see Professor Ferrar, not Tony. Tony is a guy in his early thirties who has a wife and a […]
Dear Student, Do the Work
Yesterday I shared three keys for designing effective homework: Interest: students need to find the material itself interesting Relevance: students need to believe that the activity will cause them to learn the material Appropriate Level of Challenge: students need to be stretched, not broken When […]
Dear Prof., Your Homework Stinks
Homework. Many students hate it. Many have only one goal: get it done as quickly as possible because they’d rather do anything else with their time. And I don’t blame them. Today, for the first time in over a year, I am writing critically about […]
