Veteran Teachers

My first exposure to the science of learning was about five years ago. Our school brought in the author of a book that was very popular at the time to lead a professional development session. It was intriguing, but there was only one session, so I had little time to focus on strategies or application. Since then, I’ve been curious about delving deeper into the science of learning. Recently, I was at a conference where the CTTL was an exhibitor. Their client services manager shared a few of their resources with me, including the NeuroEducation Confidence Diagnostic. The diagnostic wasn’t very long – I was able to answer the questions in about 10 minutes while I ate lunch. About half an hour later, I received the report on my results, and I was able to see my current strengths and areas where I can grow.

I liked the immediate feedback, so I returned to the CTTL’s booth to talk with their team about possible next steps. They recommended that I start by attending the free science of learning webinar they host in the fall as an introduction to new concepts and a refresher on what I had already learned. I was most interested in learning how to apply research-informed strategies to teaching a world language, specifically focusing on managing emotion and cognition, building metacognition, and making learning relevant through project-based learning. During the webinar, I learned about the anatomy of the brain that connects cognitive processes and emotional responses, how feedback impacts emotion and cognition, and how to use formative assessments to inform my lesson planning.

I felt energized after the free webinar, so I registered to attend the CTTL’s Winter Webinar Series in January, and I invited some of my colleagues to join me. The series gave me tools to facilitate academic and social belonging for my students, which translates to how I coach our student athletes to build a healthy team culture and appreciation for each other’s strengths. During the series, I connected with teachers from other schools who shared insights into how I can help the students in my French class appreciate the differences between their culture and the French culture as we explore the French language.

I am collaborating with a few colleagues in the History and English departments to design a multi-disciplinary project that my students can work through this spring. I have also submitted a proposal to our school leaders to have the CTTL present two workshops for our faculty – one before the end of this school year, and one in the fall. The goal for the workshops is to develop our teachers’ knowledge of the science of learning research and strategies for application with a focus on neuroplasticity, executive functioning, and metacognition; to make connections between the science of learning and belonging; and to include the science of learning in our new teacher onboarding programs.