Thoughts and reflections on teaching and learning – Cohort 21 Member Blog
Written by Garth Nichols
This week has been one full of “Congratitude” – the combination of congratulations and gratitude. There is not formal definition, and though I am pretty sure that I made the word up, I am sure that I am not the only one to use it… This week I have had the opportunity […]
Written by Garth Nichols
This past week, for me, was about honouring the work of teachers. It was, after all, Teacher Appreciation Week! I made sure to reach out individually whenever I could to say thanks, to offer support, and jump in to provide solutions where I thought I might be able to. Our faculty are working above and […]
Written by Garth Nichols
Published in 2013, I was surprised when my principal recommended this book to me – but I shouldn’t have been. His understandings of the world still apply, and though there is nascent progress in many areas, we are still in the early adoption of many of his findings. This book is about how taking an […]
Written by Garth Nichols
This week I found more energy, thanks to a shift in the conversation about coming up for air. Government officials began to consider what it might look like to ease the isolation and closures; and, school in other parts of the world are starting to open back up in phases. It has been a long […]
Written by Garth Nichols
This is Week 5. I was warned that Week 5 was when the fatigue sets in, when the energy dips and when finding sources of positive energy requires a little bit more effort. So, I’ve bought glasses that block the light from the computer – blue light. We will see if this helps. Also, this […]
Written by Garth Nichols
This week has been an interesting one – with the long weekend it’s the back half of two short weeks in a row. What impact has this had on you? For me, it has pressurized my wellbeing, in that work continues to expand throughout the day. I count myself very fortunate in that my work, […]
Written by Garth Nichols
I wanted to share three resources that have really resonated with me that I have come across either this week or the last. I think that these 3 resources really speak to the challenges and hope that we are facing as educators. Take a listen, take a look, and take a read. I hope these […]
Written by Garth Nichols
In his latest book, Nuance, Michael Fullan refines his previous research and writings on what it takes to be an effective leader of educational organizations. We can all agree that this has never been more important. We can also agree that concepts of leadership, and practices successful leadership have never before been so disrupted. Gone […]
Written by Garth Nichols
Thanks to @jmedved for the recommendation of “NeuroTeach“. Written by Glenn Whitman and Ian Kelleher, this is a great book that should be central to schools’ professional development library. NeuroTeach is a culmination of what we know about the brain, how we learn, what non-neural factors influence learning (hint: feelings!), and practical strategies for being […]
Written by Garth Nichols
It is a happy coincidence that I read this book Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett as I was also researching student agency. Emotions and agency are inextricably link through the cognitive processes, such that: “The three most important aspects of learning – attention, focus, and memory – are all controlled by our emotions, not […]
