Every teacher remembers one piece of advice they received from a mentor or colleague. And maybe every teacher has a couple of priceless nuggets they love to offer others.
It probably won’t surprise you, then, to learn that there’s also loads of research proving the power of teacher collaboration and co-learning—including its positive impact on students. That’s why we’re excited to present Teacher Connections, our new and always-growing collection of videos with practical advice and tools from educators just like you.
Whether you want advice on bringing literacy instruction into the science classroom, or introducing new high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) or approaches based on the Science of Reading, there’s an educator in our portal with something to offer.
Keep reading to hear more about this exciting new tool!
Educators sharing advice: A win-win
John Hattie’s seminal book, Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement, brings together numerous studies to identify the strongest influences on student success. Key among them? Teachers working collaboratively and sharing their expertise with one another.
Hattie’s book is part of a body of research that shows that when teachers engage in collaborative practices such as sharing advice, exchanging ideas, and reflecting on their teaching practices, they become better teachers—which translates to better outcomes for students.
Bonus: When teachers collaborate and support one another, they develop a shared belief in their ability to make a difference in students’ lives. That belief motivates them to continuously adapt and improve to meet the diverse needs of their students.
Professional development on demand
Professional development for teachers comes in many forms. And it’s important that educators get opportunities to take quality time out of the classroom to dive into trainings, seminars, webinars, structured mentorships, professional learning communities, and more. But now, with Teacher Connections, educators can also get advice whenever they like. You can look specifically for advice by academic topic or program, or surprise yourself with tips you didn’t know you needed—such as California 6th-grade teacher Ryan Rudkin’s unique reward system she calls “phone Fridays.” You can also grab coffee and a snack and binge-watch them all.
