learning Archives - Rachel What If

Beyond the Blind Spots: Reimagining Learning Through Coaching

Photo by Alistair Freeman: https://www.pexels.com/photo/classic-black-eyeglasses-on-reflective-surface-33129357/

It’s been almost 15 years since my nearly blind eyesight was corrected through Lasik eye surgery. Although I had been told to keep my eyes closed after the surgery, I couldn’t help but sneak a peek in the recovery room. What happened next made me believe in actual miracles. I could see. I could see words on the wall, clearly defined lines where blurry had always been, and best of all: the details of my husband’s face. The ability to see is something I will never take for granted.

Being able to see things easily overlooked is a skill I continue to work toward building every day that I am consulting or coaching in a school community.

Coaching Is Not a Luxury, It’s a Lifeline

There’s one small school that has shaped me more than any other.
Tucked away on the Navajo Nation, it serves just around 25 students, kindergarten through eighth grade , and is led by three teachers who each wear about seven different hats. Some students live at the school during the week. Many come from long distances. All of them, in some way, have become part of my story.

I’ve worked alongside this community for five years now. It’s the only school that has stayed constant throughout my coaching career. I’ve watched students grow from shy kindergartners, some nonverbal or struggling with big emotions, into curious, confident middle schoolers. I’ve watched teachers build systems out of thin air, create lessons across multiple grade levels, and keep joy alive despite the isolation and challenges that come with teaching in a small rural setting.

But what’s most important isn’t what I’ve given them — it’s what they’ve given me.

What Coaching Looks Like When You Listen

When I first started visiting this school, I thought I understood what coaching meant: goal setting, modeling, reflection, planning. But this school taught me that real coaching begins with listening and paying attention.

It taught me that progress doesn’t always look like a new strategy or a new framework; sometimes it looks like teachers laughing again. Sometimes it looks like a student leading their peers. Sometimes it looks like a staff of three saying, “Let’s try it this way,” and doing it because its what they believe is best for their kids, not because its a district initiative.

The work I have done with this school community has helped me realize that coaching isn’t about bringing the answers into a school, but more about holding a mirror to what they are already doing that is working and amplifying those things. Coaching is learning beside people who are doing the hardest, most human work imaginable.

And because of that, my own practice has changed. I don’t walk into schools trying to fix them. I walk in trying to see them.

The Blindness Schools Don’t Know They Have

Over the past five years, I’ve had the privilege of visiting hundreds of classrooms across many districts. Populations could be small, large, rural, urban, and everything in between. What I’ve noticed is that schools, as caring and dedicated as they are, often develop a kind of unintentional blindness.

We all know that developing a rhythm of teaching and building systems that work is important. In doing so, its easy to lose sight of the world beyond the walls of the classroom, the one our students are actually stepping into.

And that world is changing faster than ever.

Too often, I see students who are compliant but not curious. They’re consumers of information, not creators of meaning. Technology, which could open endless doors, is mostly used for testing. And teachers, who entered this profession to inspire, often feel like they’re just trying to keep up.

That’s why coaching matters.
Not because it evaluates, but because it illuminates.

Coaching as Connection and as a Lifeline

When coaching is done well, it becomes the bridge between what’s happening inside classrooms and what’s happening in the world beyond them. It gives teachers a chance to step back and ask:

“What are our students learning that will help them live — not just pass the next test?”

In a system that’s changing too slowly for the times we live in, coaching is not a luxury. It’s a lifeline. It gives teachers time and space to think again, to reimagine, to remember why they started. It helps schools see what they can’t always see on their own.

The schools I visit don’t need rescuing , they need reflection, validation, and partners willing to walk beside them, ask the hard questions, and hold the mirror steady while they rediscover their purpose.

Reimagining Learning Together

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the Navajo school I wrote about above, it’s that we get better together.

While our systems continue to build the future of education on programs and policies, we have to believe it will be built through people who are brave enough to reimagine learning together. People who can look at the uncertainty of the world and still choose to believe that joy and curiosity are worth fighting for.

My word for 2026 is capacity. I hope we can all be brave enough to really look at what we are doing every day and determine if its a checklist or a compass. Are we providing a model of presence and connection over compliance and perfection?

Education doesn’t need more programs it needs more perspective.
If your school or district is ready to reimagine learning and rediscover joy in the classroom, I’d love to be part of that conversation.

💡 Let’s learn together. Reach out at rachelwhatif@gmail.com, on Instagram @rachel3296 or connect with me on LinkedIn.

Bringing Belief Into the Classroom: Survival, Power, and Possibility

This summer, I traveled with one of my best friends to Italy, Montenegro, and Greece. In twelve days, we took three guided tours that left me with a lesson I haven’t been able to shake: belief changes behavior.

Venice: Belief as Survival

My first tour was through the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice and was probably my favorite. Our guide, a Venetian woman with magnetic eye contact, kept using the word: “Propaganda!”

At first, I thought of marketing. But as she explained, the mosaics of St. Mark’s, with walls drenched in tiny golden tiles telling biblical stories, weren’t just art—they were persuasion. They made people believe Venice was chosen, special, blessed. And that belief kept the city alive. With no natural resources, Venice needed commerce, tourism, and influence. Their survival depended on creating wonder.

Athens: Belief as Power

In Athens, our guide Marco embodied Greek pride. He reminded us that the Acropolis wasn’t built to be practical. Its perfection came from illusions—columns built with curves so the building would look straight to the human eye. It wasn’t just architecture; it was a message. The Athenians needed their people (and their enemies) to believe they were strong, chosen, and unshakable. Belief built power.

Santorini: Belief as Possibility

On Santorini, we toured the ancient city of Akrotiri. More than 4,000 years ago, this island had plumbing, marketplaces, and earthquake-resistant buildings. They weren’t just surviving—they believed life could be better, and they built for that future. Belief sparked innovation.

What This Has to Do with Teaching

So what do golden mosaics, optical illusions, and prehistoric plumbing have to do with teaching?

Here’s the hard truth: many students today don’t believe in much. They see systems unraveling. They’re growing up in a time of deconstruction. And maybe some systems should be torn down. But the question is: what will we give them to believe in instead?

Our guides weren’t just experts—they made us believe what they shared mattered. Their conviction made me want to lean in, to listen harder, to remember.

That’s our role as teachers, too. Not just to deliver information, but to help students believe:

that knowledge matters,
that learning can shape their future,
that they have the power to create something better.

Venice, Athens, and Akrotiri remind us that belief is not fluff—it’s survival, power, and possibility. In our classrooms, belief can be the difference between disengagement and transformation.

So as we design our lessons, our routines, our words—what messages are we sending? What do our students walk away believing?

Tips for Teaching Today

Survival- Students belief learning is essential

Just as Venice needed people to believe their city was special in order to survive, students need to believe that learning is essential to their own survival in today’s world.

The mission of the Human Intelligence Movement is “to ensure all people have the human skills they need to thrive and succeed in an AI world.“

This is in no way suggesting that humans will not survive in an AI world, but it is to suggest that the way we will do that, is to remember the value of humans.

Their belief is that education should help everyone grow their creative talents, and that AI can elevate our humanness.

This is why it matters now: What are we doing to elevate the humanity in our classrooms? How are our students building belief in themselves in order to survive?

Power – Students believe learning shapes their future.

Athens built illusions into their architecture to send a powerful message: We are strong. We matter. Students, too, need to believe that knowledge gives them power—power to make choices, to change their circumstances, to influence others.

The classroom is a safe place. If students believe in themselves, and in their unique ability to create, how are we allowing them to share that with the world?

Are we explicitly naming the power of their thinking and ideas in the classroom on a regular basis? In order to name something, you must have an idea of what it is. Do you know what learning strategies are?

Take a look at this previous blog post for more information on learning strategies, and then name them every time you see a student using them.

Power is motivating. When students see themselves as active agents, not passive recipients, they start to believe their effort matters. Gradually release some of the control in your classrooms and trust that students will take the responsibility.

Possibility – Help students believe they can create something better.

At Akrotiri, people weren’t just surviving—they innovated. They believed life could improve, so they built earthquake-resistant homes and plumbing systems millennia before “modern” civilizations.

Students need to have a vision for the future. In a quick search for “how to help young people have a vision for the future,” I sadly found very little resources. I guess AI and Google are still struggling in this area.

Global Action Plan conducted a research project by interviewing lots of young people and found it disheartening that the majority of them had negative expectations for the future, and believed that things probably wouldn’t change, and if they did, it wouldn’t be for the better.

This sounds like a SCREAM for help. OR… its an opportunity to take action. What if we used a tool like a vision board, or Canva, to help them get started? This website gives teens a step by step guide for thinking through how to envision their own futures and create a visual representation of it.

Kids as young as kindergarten can also create a visual for what they hope for the future. We need to start bringing this into our conversations. We need to bring back the hope. Possibility grows when students see their ideas take shape in the real world, so don’t stop with a vision board, help them bring it to life!

Curiosity is the fuel for innovation. Ask those what if questions: What if you wrote the next great novel ? What if you could invent a game that helps younger kids learn fractions? What if you listened to the whisperings of your heart, leading you to the things you love?

Because if belief changes behavior, then the most important thing we give students might not be just knowledge, but the conviction that what they’re learning, and who they are, matters.

Learning Control Centers: An Inside Out approach to metacognition

Opening your brain to see what is going on in there is a real thing, its called Metacognition, and it should be the number one thing we are doing in classrooms this year.

Somewhere, I saw a quote that said, “The most attractive quality in a person, is that they know who they are.”

Now, its one thing to know who you are, and not anyone else. That’s not what I’m talking about today. Knowing who you are involves some serious study and reflection. You want to get to know the real you, the you that loves quiet jazz music in the fall. The you that just decided to start watching Gilmore Girls, about 20 years later than everyone else. The you that seeks out a challenge because you know its going to make you better.

In order to get to know ourselves, we will have to have an open mind, like literally. This is not a closed door romance. Opening your brain to see what is going on in there is a real thing, its called Metacognition, and it should be the number one thing we are doing in classrooms this year.

Listening to the voices in your head

This is not a blog post about math, but to illustrate my point, I want to share an experience I had recently that made me a bit more aware of myself, a little more metacognitive. I was asked to try a strategy to subtract two numbers.

Think for a moment, how you would normally subtract two numbers, mentally. Mentally, meaning you are doing this in your head. Aha! Look at you being metacognitive. I’ll bet you just pulled out two numbers like 7 and 5, and you ended up with 2. Wow.

How, how did you end up with the 2? Now what if you had bigger numbers?

The strategy we were asked to try is called the Count Up strategy, counting up from the smaller number to the larger number.

This is how I generally do subtraction, mentally, something I already knew about myself thank you very much. At least I thought I did, but then I was asked to try a timed test, doing this strategy with two digit numbers. I was given one minute to solve as many problems as I could, mentally, using this strategy.

Want to guess how many I completed correctly? Five. Five two digit subtraction problems in 1 minute. I am an instructional coach people. I was in 2nd grade a very long time ago.

But here was the best part of this whole thing. After the minute was up, we were asked to reflect on our work. The first question was: How does this strategy help me subtract whole numbers? And the second question was: How confident am I in this strategy?

Right away, my brain said, quite loudly inside my head, “I just need more practice.” That right there friends, is metacognition. I knew I understood the strategy, and I also knew I wanted to use it because it made sense. Most importantly, I listened to that voice in my head.

Building a control center

Metacognition is rising to the top of every educators list of buzz words these days.

We all think, some of us a little too much, so what we really need to do is understand how we currently think. Its always better to know where you are, before you can know where you are going. The place we are going in metacognition land is not just observing our thoughts, but controlling them.

In Pixar’s Inside Out, we get a peek inside 11-year-old Riley’s mind, where five emotions – Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust – work from “Headquarters,” a control center that looks like a high-tech command room. These emotions operate a console that influences Riley’s reactions and decisions throughout her day. The genius of the movie is showing how these emotional characters literally watch Riley’s life unfold on screens while deciding how she should respond to different situations – they’re essentially metacognitive observers of her experience.

Here’s what hit me about Riley’s control room: those emotions aren’t just reacting – they’re watching Riley navigate her world and making conscious decisions about how to help her respond. That’s exactly what happened to me during that subtraction exercise. When I said ‘I just need more practice,’ there was a little mathematician in my control room taking notes, watching my performance, and making plans for improvement.

Most of our students are doing math with their control room lights off. They’re solving problems, but nobody’s up there watching HOW they’re solving them or noting what they need to get better. When we help students flip that switch and get their own little mathematician observer online, they stop just ‘doing math’ and start becoming mathematicians who understand their own thinking.”

So how do we help students build their own learning control rooms? The good news is you don’t need to overhaul your entire teaching practice. You just need to start asking the right questions at the right moments – the kind that wake up that little observer upstairs.

Managing an effective control room

Think of it this way: every time students solve a problem, there are actually two things happening. There’s the math they’re doing, and there’s the thinking about the math they’re doing. Most of the time, we only pay attention to the first part. But when we start shining a spotlight on the second part – that’s when the magic happens.

Control Room Check-ins: After students finish a problem, ask: “What did your brain just do there?” or “If you had to teach your method to someone else, what would you say?”

Mathematician Observer Questions:

“What part felt easy? What part made you slow down?”
“If you did this problem again, what would you do the same? What would you change?”
“When did you know you were on the right track?”

Console Conversations: Have students share not just their answers, but their thinking process: “Walk us through what was happening in your control room while you solved this.”

Control Room Predictions: Before diving into problems, ask: “Based on what you know about yourself as a math learner, how do you think this will go?“

Preparing for expanded control centers

https://news.disney.com/pixar-video-backgrounds-available

Just like Riley, your student’s control rooms will become more and more complicated as new and harder problems arrive.

What if in addition to teaching math (or reading, or science, or whatever your subject), you made it your mission to help every student build their own learning control room?

The world we live in demands that students know when they are stuck, how they got there, and find a way through it. Kids who can say ‘I’m good at this type of problem but I need more practice with that type.’ Learners who know their own thinking well enough to make plans for getting better.

Remember that quote I started with? ‘The most attractive quality in a person is that they know who they are.’ Imagine a classroom full of students who truly know themselves as learners. Who understand not just WHAT they’re learning, but HOW they learn best.

That’s not just better math instruction – that’s helping kids fall in love with the person they’re becoming.

So this year, flip on those control room lights. Ask the questions that wake up the little observer in each student’s mind. Help them build the habit of watching their own thinking.

Because when students know themselves as learners, everything changes. And honestly? When YOU start paying attention to their thinking about their thinking, your teaching changes too.

Your students’ control rooms are waiting. Time to power them up.”

Toto, I’ve a Feeling We’re Not in Factual Territory Anymore: Three Educational Myths Exposed.

Like Dorothy in Oz, educators are often trapped in a colorful but bewildering world where what everyone thinks is true about education bears little resemblance to the reality behind the curtain.

Like Dorothy in Oz, educators are often trapped in a colorful but bewildering world where what everyone thinks is true about education bears little resemblance to the reality behind the curtain.

As much as I love Wicked, Oz is a pretty bothersome place on many levels. I won’t go into the details here, but IFKYK. Our enduring ideas about what is wrong in education are like those flying monkeys. Whose idea was that? Does anyone even know what they are supposed to be doing?

And let’s talk about the fact that Dorothy has a great pair of shoes that fix pretty much everything once she realizes how to wear them. No, they aren’t going to take us back to the way things used to be, like in the movie. A great pair of shoes should change our perspective and give us confidence to move toward growth.

In 2025, it’s time to pull back the curtain and expose the not-so-wonderful wizard of educational myths. Because when it comes to actually helping teachers create meaningful change in classrooms, there’s truly no place like the real world—messy, complex, and far more interesting than any emerald-tinted fantasy.

Everybody Thinks X, but the Truth is Y

Jeff Goins, an author who writes about creativity, will play the part of Dorothy as we travel down the yellow brick road of hard knocks in our story today. He is the perfect person for the part, because he is willing to pick a fight with the status quo (the wizard, the way things are…)

In his book, Real Artists Don’t Starve, Goins shows us how sometimes our collective beliefs about something so easily become accepted that they live on forever in our minds, although we might even suspect they are not true.

myths about creative success

Everybody thinks: Creative success requires struggling in poverty.
But the truth is: Thriving artists throughout history have been savvy about the business side of creativity

Everybody thinks: You must choose between creative fulfillment and financial stability.
But the truth is: The most successful artists integrate both artistic excellence and entrepreneurial thinking.

Everybody thinks: Creative genius comes from isolation.
But the truth is: Most breakthrough work happens through apprenticeship and community.

Goins ideas about what everyone thinks is true is generalizing, but basically brings awareness to our assumptions and asks us to think at a deeper level. In my work in education, I find that I am constantly catching myself making generalizations about what is true, only to find out later just how wrong I was. So, I decided to apply Goin’s formula, everybody thinks x, but the truth is y to what I think are the most common myths in education right now. I narrowed it down to three that might be keeping us trapped in a weirdly uncomfortable place like Oz when we could be building something far better right here in quite comfortable Kansas.

Three Comfortable Lies

1. Resistance to change

X- Everybody thinks: Teachers resist change because they’re set in their ways. This belief is a dangerous one, because it creates an us against them situation. The ‘us’ is all of us who are enlightened with the new and improved ways of doing things, and the ‘them’ is all of those who are just too comfortable to try anything new.

Y- The truth is: Most teachers hunger for meaningful innovation but are exhausted by perpetual reform cycles that don’t address fundamental needs or provide adequate support. They have seen things come and go and come back again. Teachers are learners at heart, and most would love to do whatever they can to not only make their jobs easier, but a little more fun! The keyword here is meaningful. With a classroom full of personality, each and every day, they know that consistency is key, and although change is a constant, their number one goal is safety. And the way we do that is to create predictable routines and procedures where every student knows what to expect on a daily basis. In our efforts to create consistency, it is sometimes necessary to “close our doors” to a new idea or curriculum. This often looks like resistance, because it is. Resistance is often mistaken for protection and sometimes we have to protect what we are being held responsible for.

2. More is Better

X-Everybody thinks: Educational innovation requires expensive new programs or resources. Did you know the amount of money the U.S. spends on education is in the billions, if not trillions? Teachers and schools are bombarded year after year with marketing, research, and “what’s best for kids.” We are constantly looking for the right program, the right system, and the right protocols that are going to be the magical formula that gets all our kids in the green.

Y-But the truth is: The most powerful innovations often come from rethinking existing structures and empowering teachers to experiment within their own classrooms. Here are some things that I have seen work: prioritizing effective and engaging resources, getting to know students as real people, using classroom time to talk about real life, trusting students to be teachers and leaders, and getting curious about solving problems in a variety of ways.

3. Literacy is Innate

X-Everybody thinks: Students today are digitally literate and fluent because they grew up with technology. Yikes. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Just because everyone has a tool, it certainly doesn’t mean they know how to use it, why they should use it, and when they shouldn’t.

Y-But the truth is: Many students are merely digitally familiar but lack the critical evaluation skills and digital citizenship needed for true digital literacy (see previous blog post on digital literacy). We can never assume that our kids know how to use technology, simply because its all around them. Remember to be literate includes not only reading and writing words but understanding them as well. As fast as technology is moving right now, I truly can’t say I know anyone who has mastered digital literacy. How can you master anything that will be different as soon as tomorrow?

Traveling Companions

Here’s the thing about myths—they’re comfortable. They let us avoid the hard work of looking at what’s really happening in classrooms. But if we’re serious about coaching teachers to create meaningful change in the next school year, we need to get comfortable with uncomfortable truths.

The teachers you’re working with aren’t resistant—they’re protective. They don’t need more programs—they need permission to innovate with what they have. And they don’t need us to assume their students are digitally fluent—they need help teaching real digital literacy skills.

But here’s what I know about educators: we’re incredibly good at finding each other, especially when we’re ready to question the status quo. We’re like Dorothy’s companions on the yellow brick road—we each bring something different to the journey, and we’re all looking for the same thing: a way to make education better for the people we serve.

Your Challenge (and Ours)

This week, have one conversation with a teacher where you don’t try to solve anything. Just listen. Ask what’s working, what’s not, and what would make their job more joyful. I guarantee you’ll learn more about effective coaching in that one conversation than in any professional development session.

Then try a small experiment: What would happen if you coached with the assumption that teachers are protective rather than resistant? What would change if you encouraged innovation with existing resources instead of shopping for new programs?

Try it. See what happens. Then come back and tell us about it.

Join the Rebellion

Because that’s what this really is—a gentle rebellion against the myths that keep us stuck. We’re not trying to tear down education; we’re trying to build something better by working with reality instead of against it.

Are you ready to click your heels together and step into the real world of teaching? The one where mess is normal and relationships matter more than programs. The best innovations happen when we stop trying to be magical and start being human.

Want to take this myth-busting journey with you into your next coaching conversation?

I’ve created something special for you – a Myth-Busting Educator’s Toolkit that puts all three myths, diagnostic questions, and conversation starters right at your fingertips. It’s designed to be your yellow brick road companion as you navigate those tricky assumptions we all make.

Get your free toolkit and join our rebellion against educational myths:

Because the best coaches know there’s no place like the real world – messy, complex, and beautifully human.

Drop a comment below and let me know which myth resonates most with your experience. What will you discover when you pull back your own curtain? Let’s form our own merry band and take this journey together.

How to be a Brainvestigator.

In this post, I pose a curious question: What if we as educators changed our name to brainvestigators? I wonder if, perhaps, one of the reasons our education system has not changed all that much over the past 1 million hundred years is that we need a makeover. Well, of course we need a makeover, and a cool new name to really shake things up.

Brainvestigator is not a word. I made it up. Well, technically, me and AI made it up.

Its a bit like the word problatunity. Making up words feels good, in a powerful kind of way.

What’s in a name?

In this post, I pose a curious question: What if we as educators changed our name to brainvestigators? I wonder if, perhaps, one of the reasons our education system has not changed all that much over the past 1 ~~million~~ hundred years is that we need a makeover. Well, of course we need a makeover, and a cool new name to really shake things up.

Brainvestigator sounds so much cooler than educator or teacher. Those old names have been around so long. When something has been around for so long, we all just assume we know what it is, what it does, and what it will always be.

Let Me Explain…

See video above for reasons why we should no longer call ourselves educators.

In case you need further evidence let’s define some terms:

“Wah, Wah, Wah”- Teacher talking, students trying hard to listen.
Teacher: a person who teaches, especially in a school
Educator: a person who provides instruction or education; see teacher

Try this quote out as your first brainvestigator assignment:

Learning is not the product of teaching, it is the product of the activity of learners.- John Holt

What, then, is the product of teaching? Hmmmmmm……

Please do not misunderstand me. Teachers are the best people I have the privilege to know and work with daily. I just want to start calling them by their true name, you know, like from The Never Ending Story.

Basically, Bastian, the hero of the story, has to call out the Empress’s one true name, moonchild, in order to save Fantasia from the Nothing.

Truly, what we do as teachers is valuable, but imagine what we can do as brainvestigators!

How to be a Brainvestigator

Because I just made this word up, I get to define it.

brainvestigator (noun)- a person who gathers information and evidence to solve mysteries about how the brain works in different people through methods of observation, interviews, learning experiences, and analysis.

An excellent example, and inspiration for this post, is Detective Cordelia Cupp. If you haven’t yet watched the Netflix series The Residence, please, please go immediately and come back here later.

Probably my favorite thing about Cordelia Cupp, is that she is a bird watcher. It seems to me, this hobby is what makes her exceptional, the best, actually at what she does. Birders not only know what to look for, they know where to find them, and then they wait. I might even go so far as to say they anticipate.

Waiting and anticipating are different things. Anticipation implies expectation. When she interviews all the people who may or may not have had anything to do with the crime, she is anticipating their response to being questioned, without actually being questioned. Its hard to explain, watch the show.

A brainvestigator can behave in much the same way as a detective or birder. We need to know what we are looking for, how we can find it, and anticipate the rest. In the same way that a birder needs to know what birds do, brainvestigators need to know what learners do.

What do learners do?

Before we decided to call ourselves brainvestigators, we used to be called teachers. Teachers used these things called standards to help us know what our students need to be able to know and do to be successful, at some later date, like the 21st century. When is that exactly?

Anyway, knowing what students need to be able to know and do are good things. However, its not the same thing as knowing what learners actually do.

How do you think bird watchers got good at knowing what birds do?

Bingo! They watch them, study them, read about them, etc. etc.

How will we ever know what learners do if we never watch them, study them, read about them, etc. etc.?

I’m not talking about being creepy, like in a creepy creepy sort of way. I’m saying how can you create a learning environment where students are behaving like learners, that will give you the opportunity to observe what learning looks like in real time?

More of our work as brainvestigators (teachers) should be centered around being able to identify learning strategies students already have and designing experiences that give them opportunities to develop more and better learning strategies.

Learning is the Product of Doing

Verb-(noun) a word used to describe an action.

Turns out, this handy little thing that came out decades ago, Bloom’s Taxonomy of Verbs, gives us a great place to check and see if our students are actually doing the learning.

Designing experiences where learners will act like learners and actually do something does not have to be as complicated as we might think. Perhaps just looking at the list of verbs will get the wheels turning.

Take the word categorize, for example. When we design a learning experience where students are going to have to do a higher level skill like categorizing, we will get the opportunity to see how their brain makes connections. Making connections is a learning strategy.

A great activity for this is to give a group of students a bunch of cards with either words or pictures on them and ask them to categorize them. Limit them to 3-5 groups of cards, and tell them they must create a label for each category.

As they engage in this activity, you get to practice your skills as a brainvestigator! Walk around, observing what the learners are doing. How are they grouping the cards, how are they agreeing with each other, or better yet, disagreeing? Make a mental list, or an actual list, of all the learning strategies you are witnessing so that you will be prepared when you lead your group in a debrief of the activity.

Remember, debriefing is where you get to name the learning that took place during the activity. This is where it all comes together! More on this later!

New Identities Take Some Getting Used To

Its ok if it takes a while for your new identity to fully materialize. Just think how many superheroes kept their true identities secret for as long as possible. You may look in the mirror some days and see a brainvestigator. Or maybe you decide Tuesdays are brainvestigator days, and the rest are just teacher days.

Maybe, like some, you need an accessory, like a cape, or ,may I suggest, a t-shirt a less distressing item, that makes you feel like a brainvestigator. Whatever you need to try things on a bit.

In the end, changing your title from teacher to brainvestigator is just one subtle way to be a little subversive in a system that is going to take a lot to change. Please do not hesitate to share a picture of you in your new t-shirt, or any accessory of your choosing, that lets us all know how we are working to create change.

Enjoy the shift!

The What-If List 2025

Let me explain why I created a what-if list instead of traditional goals – and why it might work better for fellow goal-setting avoiders.

An aversion to Goal Setting

As a former teacher turned instructional coach, I’m well-versed in SMART goals and their effectiveness. But let’s be honest – they’re about as exciting as those PLCs we all love to attend at 3pm, looking for cookies in the lounge to keep us awake.

These days, I’m more of a systems girl (thanks, James Clear). I’ve built habits that work, making traditional goal-setting feel like writing a grocery list of things I’m already buying.

Then comes January – gray, cold, and convincing me the sun has permanently ghosted my vitamin D-deprived skin. Cue the self-improvement podcast binge.

So here’s my compromise: I’m keeping my working systems (because they work), but I’m scratching that self-improvement itch differently this year. Forget goals – let’s talk about what-ifs.

Why What-If?

Last year, one of my friends called me an ask-hole, and it was one of the best compliments I’ve ever received.

In case your not twenty, an ask-hole is one of those people who keeps their hand up after the meeting time has ended, and prevents you from being able to escape, for eternity.

Asking questions is my calling card. You may notice the very name of my website is itself, a question. Meta.

Before you go pegging me as one of those dreadful types, I prefer to keep my what-if lenses rose colored. What-if’s can have a dark side, but those rarely lead to interesting solutions or creative new ideas.

The following are examples of regular What-If questions that randomly raise their hand in the meetings of my mind:

What if dinosaurs still lived in a swamp in Africa?
What if aliens landed in my backyard and wanted to hang out with me?
What if I have a magical talent, but no one could see it but me?

While the possibility of aliens choosing me out of 7 billion people feels exciting, I’m smart enough to know that I need to keep this within my sphere of control, so I ruled out any What-Ifs that would rely on other people, or aliens.

To take it to the next level of believability, I added the things I would have to believe and the skills I would need to develop to make these things a reality.

On to the list!

THE What-If List 2025!

What if I complete the first draft of my fiction novel by June of 2025?

What would I have to believe?

I will have to believe that writing fiction is actually more fun than it is hard.
I will have to believe that I am a creative person.
I will have to believe that as long as I sit down to write, the story will make its way onto the page.

What skills will I have to develop?

Remain consistent, writing at least 200 words every day until June.

What if I became so literate in AI that I could solve problems easily, and focus on elevating human skills as a thing of value?

What would I have to believe?

I will have to believe that I can learn AI in a way that is fun and purposeful.
I will have to believe that I can find AI tools that are built for solving the specific problems that I face.
I will have to believe that AI is going to change how we all work in positive ways.

What skills will I have to develop?

Learn which AI tools already exist and how they are solving problems similar to my own.
Practice using the AI tools in order to curate my favorites, while exploring new features.

What if I participated in a community of educational professionals working to make positive change in education at the policy level?

What will I have to believe?

I will have to believe that my unique perspectives and experiences are enough.
I will have to believe that I deserve a seat at the table.
I will have to believe that positive changes can be made in education at the policy level.

What skills will I have to develop?

Attend local meet-ups and events where I can network with local educators.
Participate in conversations on LinkedIn or other online forums with people who are already working to make changes.
Share insights and resources on this platform and grow my audience.

What if I started a podcast that was all about what-if questions, where I could talk about that time I really thought aliens did land in my backyard?

What will I have to believe?

I will have to believe that other people will want to listen to my crazy ideas.
I will have to believe that it is another way to build my platform and my creativity.
I will have to believe that it will be a fun way to learn and develop my skills.

What skills will I have to develop?

Learn how to podcast.
Ask other people to be on it.
Create a list of topics to talk about and a format for each episode.

How to Create Your Own What-If List

Step 1: Dream big. Try to imagine anything and everything that could possibly happen. If you can’t think of anything, get on social media. You will have a list of crazy things faster than you can say “Bigfoot made friends with my cat.”

Step 2: Narrow it down. Keep the funny ones for inspiration, but put them somewhere that you can look at them fondly, when you are procrastinating what you are actually supposed to be doing to make your what-ifs a reality.

Step 3: Dig deep. What are you going to have to believe about yourself and others to make your what-if possible? Be specific about the skills you need to develop in order to make the list easy.

How I’m Learning To Be More Student-Centered

Student-Centered learning is to Spotify, as Teacher-Centered learning is to radio. In other words, creating a Student-Centered classroom is not only a new way to teach, it really is a better way. Student-Centered classrooms puts students in the driver’s seat. Ultimately, learners make decisions about what to study, and how and why the topic is interesting to them.

If you are like me, we grew up in a time where if you wanted to listen to music you turned on the radio. To have to wait for the weekend and Casey Kasem’s Top 40 to feel that favorite song flow through your veins was absolute torture!

I’ll always be grateful to my daughter for introducing me to the world of Spotify. My car and I are center stage for Celine’s It’s All Coming Back to Me Now whenever the urge strikes.

Student-Centered Learning

Stick with me here, Student-Centered learning is to Spotify, as Teacher-Centered learning is to radio. In other words, creating a Student-Centered classroom is not only a new way to teach, it really is a better way. Student-Centered classrooms puts students in the driver’s seat. Ultimately, learners make decisions about what to study, and how and why the topic is interesting to them.

If you have ever taught in a classroom of at least 20 students, written lesson plans based on standards, or been held accountable for test scores, you might be asking some questions like:

“How would I manage 20+ students who have all decided to study different things?”

“What about units, standards, pacing guides, data, and curriculum maps?”

“How do students know what is important to learn, how to learn it, and why?”

These questions will most likely not be answered in this blog post. What I intend to do here is give you two stories: One failed attempt at student-centered instruction and one successful attempt at student-centered. Both took place with the same group of fourth grade students, the same teacher, similar content, and a growth mindset.

Questions about student-centered practices — Risk taking is part of the process!

A Failed Attempt

When my district first introduced us to a student-centered model for instruction, I was excited. Until I actually tried it. My somewhat orderly classroom visited a town a little south of Chaos (Friends anyone?).

Students were given a goal setting sheet, and a preplanned math menu. Our math block consisted of students setting goals, getting onto their computers and following the unit plan I had set up for them. They watched videos to learn concepts, practiced the concept with a partner or individually, and signed up for a conference with me when needed.

Here is where it all fell apart. I’ll let you imagine the rest.

The Misunderstanding

You already know what I am going to say about theory and practice. Let’s just say they almost always don’t have anything in common. They might seem like the perfect couple, but when you get real, practice always wins.

In that short description of my first attempt at creating self-directed, self-paced learners, you can clearly see my misunderstanding of what student-centered actually means. Just because I gave students a goal setting sheet and a menu in no way means that this process was at all student-centered.

Basically, students were still required to move through curriculum, with very little flexibility, and with absolutely no student input on the planning. I planned units based on the curriculum, found relevant teaching videos, gave them a couple of choices about how to practice those concepts, and expected them to wait for my attention and sign up for a conference. Yikes.

Let’s just say our math block became a thing to be dreaded. Like, maybe lets just skip math today.

When I look back on this attempt, I can see the good intentions underneath. What I wanted was to give students an opportunity to move at their own pace, to honor their ability to problem solve, and more time for me to meet with them individually.

All good things, all good things.

Needless to say, this idea fell by the wayside pretty quickly. Leave it to a classroom of twenty five fourth graders to deliver a useless practice to the chopping block, pronto.

Once you take a risk like this to change your practice and fail, you can go back to the way you did things, or…

Try something else!

A Successful Try

Focusing on those good things I knew I wanted more of in our classroom, and wanting to move toward a more student-centered learning experience, I decided to try again.

One of the good things that is part of a student-centered classroom is honoring the student’s ability to problem solve. Part of problem solving includes a bit of struggle. (Read more about how and why struggle is actually fun in this blog post.)

How could I give students an opportunity to problem solve, and move toward a more student-centered practice?

Give them a problem to solve and see what happens! That might seem like a no-brainer, but here is how it went.

student centered think time — Use math notebooks as a place to store thinking.

Silent Think Time

To begin our math workshop, students learned a new routine. They were to have their math notebooks ready, turned to a new page, and honor a silent think time. Student’s were given a “juicy” problem to read through individually.

The silent think time gave them each an opportunity to at least read through the problem one time. Students were also given a strategy, which we had already created an anchor chart for, which included problem solving annotations.

During think time, I would circulate to take notes about what students were doing. Are they trying something? Are they annotating? Did they choose a strategy? This is similar to a conference, although I am not actually conferring, just noticing. I might nudge a student or two to volunteer to share their thinking after think time.

Students Teaching Students

At the end of the silent think time, students were invited to share with their classmates any thinking they had done about the problem on the doc camera.

Students may or may not have a solution at this point, and hopefully, the problem is juicy enough that it will take a bit more effort than what is required by one student in such a short time.

Student’s are taking a risk in this moment. Not having an answer is actually encouraged. What we are honoring is the process. What did you try? How did you know where to start? What can I learn from you?

At this point, students are fully engaged, looking for ways to either replicate a strategy, or build upon someone’s ideas.

Now we can move toward the cooperative part.

Cooperative Learning: A Student-Centered Practice

Hopefully, the problem is juicy enough that its going to take some manipulatives to work toward a solution. Hopefully, the problem is hearty enough that its going to take students working together, discussing, debating, and iterating to come to a solution.

However students decide to work together, in pairs or small groups, naturally they understand the value of working with someone else to solve the problem. Student’s start to gather materials. Are they going to draw this problem out or build it? Are they going to act it out? Will they need a graphic organizer?

Once again, my opportunity to confer is everywhere. How are they planning together? What cooperative structures could support their learning together? What Math Practices will they need to employ? Are there additional tools I can suggest? How will they show their understanding? Is the struggle just right?

The Debrief

Before you know it, time is running out. The school day is ending, or we have to move on to a special, a lunch, or ug, even recess. A student-centered learning experience like this is exciting. Most of the time, student’s don’t want it to end, especially if we don’t have a solution yet.

Our first attempt at this took us an entire week! Perhaps you are thinking “Must be nice.” Yes, it was nice.

Remember the goal here is to build a student-centered classroom. We honor the student’s ability to solve problems, participate in struggle, make choices, and all those good things. But how will we know if we’ve accomplished anything? You’ve got to debrief.

~~Every chance you get.~~ Make it happen.

How did you grow as a mathematician today? — Anchor chart for an inclusive debrief experience. www.mathcoachcorner.com

During the debrief we notice, name, and celebrate our experience. When we name our experiences, our triumphs, and our challenges, we place value on them. We record these thoughts and feelings on an anchor chart and we honor how we have grown. Growth is the goal. How can we measure growth if we aren’t noticing it, naming it, and recording it?

Debrief allows for authentic discourse as well. All voices are valued, we listen and make decisions about how we will move forward. We may even find new ways of thinking or talk about how our thinking has changed as a result of our experience. Students might get the chance have to convince one another that their strategy is correct, explaining their thinking with writing and visuals.

And what do you know? We now have a student-centered learning experience. All because we dove into a juicy problem.

The Take Aways

All this to say, try something different.

My view on student-centered learning was forever changed for the better because I decided to try something new, in just one class, for just one subject. This small change centered on my ability to set up a new routine, and honor the student’s ability to solve problems.

Here is a pdf of the plan and procedure for this lesson you can easily use as a model for your own version of this story. I hope you will try it and see what happens. If you already do something like this, please share in the comments!

Don’t forget to have fun!

Teaching Writing is a Problatunity.

I’d like to use a word I just read in a book, used by an actual doctor, which makes it a real word. The word is problatunity. My Grammarly app just put a big red line under that word telling me I better fix it. I’ll use it in a sentence: Teaching writing is a problatunity.

Don’t you just love when people take two words and smoosh them together and make a new word? Why not? Its two things we know, problem and opportunity, and creating something new and more delicious. Like the first person who decided to put peanut butter and jelly into the same sandwich. Problatunity.

Yes, it’s a problem and an opportunity. In order to turn that frown upside down, let’s focus on the bright spots, build on the strengths, and look for what’s working.

Here’s some opportunities:

Writing is connection. A writer uses craft and structure to reach out into the world, searching for another heart and mind to create a spark. A spark, which if tended and encouraged can become a fire, giving warmth and comfort.

Writing is expression. It’s art. We have this desire to be seen and loved for who we really are. Writing is a mirror for ourselves and others. It shows us the way, or reminds us of what is important.

Writing is a conversation, happening regardless of time and space. If there were no one to read the writing, would it still be writing? If a tree falls in the woods…

Here’s some problems:

Writing is a privilege. There are many who might like the freedom to raise their voice without persecution. Most of the time the persecution comes from the very same pen that did the writing in the first place.

Writing is translation. It is essentially trying to express abstract thoughts into organized concrete symbols on a page in a way that conveys meaning. Think of all the processes those thoughts have to go through, all the decisions that have to be made. Ug, it’s exhausting. I’m exhausted right now.

Writing is hard. Words on a page are tangible, real. Words you write have the potential to stay. Anything you write can and will be used against you. Yes, we have freedom of speech in this country, but a verbal contract just isn’t what it used to be. I’m just sayin’, seems like writing matters a bit more.

Writing is rules. Every good writer knows the rules. All of them? And how do you use a semicolon again? Don’t get me started on spelling.

Here’s the problatunity:

According to something called the Standford Study of Writing, we are in a writing revolution folks. Hallelujah. More people are writing now than ever before: social media, emails, reports, books, posters, blog posts, etc. Writing is actually working. As in, it’s doing some work in the world. Writing is creating change. And as things change, rules change.

However, the rules may not be changing, we are. This writer calls rules lampposts in an ash-ridden apocalypse. Boy do I love me some lampposts on a dark and dreary night.

Maybe this means we actually like rules, just not when they hold us back. We want to get out there and create new rules, rules that keep us safe but also allow us to explore and discover and create our own rules.

Its kinda hilarious that the problem is almost always the solution. Life, this funny thing. Rules are the way, know them, break them. I’m sure some yoda-like character said that in some movie, somewhere.

Here’s the application:

How can we take what is working in the world and recognize it in our students? That’s really what we should be doing every day right? Seeing ability in our kids, naming it for and with them, and guiding them through how to use it in powerful ways.

Students are learning the rules. All the time. Rules for this classroom are different than the rules in that classroom. Rules for the cafeteria, rules for the playground. Rules for friendships, rules for safety, and on and on we go.

To be honest. I love rules. I almost dare say I can’t function without them. When I walk into a room, I immediately try to figure out the rules. Knowing the rules helps me understand how to behave, because I also like to have fun. Having fun usually includes breaking the little rules. The really tiny rules. The ones no one really cares about. Ya, I’m that crazy party animal breaking all the tiny invisible rules. Back it up everyone.

The point is, how can we teach our kids the rules, but also how to break them?

Let’s remember that the rules for writing are lampposts. They are guidelines. Practice. Write every single day. Play. We learn the rules and we decide if they apply today. Writing, people, I’m talking about writing.

Here’s the Practice:

When teaching writing in our classrooms, we want our students to see more of the opportunities and less of the problems. It is time to lower the stakes. Low-stakes writing is defined by where the value is placed. As teacher’s we often place all the value in writing on the rules, otherwise known as grammar and conventions.

What if we emphasized the value of the student thought, expression, and ideas? Students have learned to keep quiet. Specifically, “be quiet” is generally a rule in education. Let’s break it.

What if we develop a practice of writing where none of the rules matter? What matters is that they stop editing and revising their thinking before it ever even gets to the page. You can bet they have a lot to say. I dare you to sit down with an eleven year old and ask them about anything.

Here’s the Magic:

Set a timer. Set it for 2 minutes. Stop. Count your words. Set a goal for more words tomorrow. Share your writing if you want.

That’s it folks. The magic is in the time limit. Its the only rule.

Ah, and rules are meant to be broken.

Read my 6 Big Reasons to Love a Writer’s Notebook post for additional classroom structures that will have your students loving writing and you reading their minds!

What Do You Do With A Problem by Kobi Yamada speaks to everything I have mentioned above and is a powerful read for humans.

*“When the child finally musters up the courage to face it, the problem turns out to be something quite different than it appeared.”*

Ish by Peter H. Reynolds is one of my favorite mentor texts for supporting students as they learn to let go and write a first draft.

**A creative spirit learns that thinking “ish-ly” is far more wonderful than “getting it right.**
“

The Name Game- A Powerful Cooperative Learning Strategy

Do a google search for “The Name Game” and you might never forgive me for getting that old tune stuck in your head all day: “Judy, Judy bo Budy, banana-fana fo Fudy…” How did that song become such a sensation?

Annoying soundtracks aside, The Name Game I am sharing here is a powerful, easy, and fun cooperative learning strategy that you will set on repeat every chance you get.

Three Good Things

Lots of good things come in threes: The Three Little Pigs, the original Star Wars, the Sanderson Sisters, etc. When facilitating The Name Game, just remember the number three. You will need three balls, or other objects to throw, at least three people, and the three rules below:

Say the person’s name that you are going to throw the ball to before you throw it.
Throw the ball in a way that the person can catch it.
Throw the ball to the same person.

The First Ball-Follow the Rules

These “footbags” or hacky sacks are the best for the first and second rounds

Don’t be fooled by the implied simplicity of The Name Game. Often, when something looks easy, it’s because we have spent countless hours perfecting it to look that way. Think brushing your teeth: years of reminders from your parents, cavities, cleanings, etc.

Be a stickler about following the rules for the first round, and use a ball that is easy to catch and throw, like a beanbag or hacky sack. You will probably even hear a comment or two about how this is too easy, cue the 5th grade boy who is trying to show off by using just one hand.

Rule #1- Say the name

Saying a person’s name shows respect. According to an article in the Washington Post, “A person’s name is the greatest connection to identity and individuality.” When we look at someone and say their name it sends the message that we see them. Such a small thing, but a moment of connection can be the anchor that keeps us steady in a day filled with choppy waters.

Also, saying a person’s name before you throw the ball shows kindness. Again, this is a small act that sends the message, “Don’t worry, I’m not going to throw anything until you are ready.” When you say their name, they will automatically look toward you, signaling they are ready for whatever it is you are going to “give” them.

Rule #2-The trust throw

The second rule to remember is to throw the ball in a way that the person can catch it. This builds trust. “I trust you that you are going to throw it in the right direction, with just the right amount of height and velocity. Not only that, but you trust me, that I will catch it. You believe I can catch it, and we are building a two way relationship-throwing and catching.”

rule #3-same same same

The third rule is to always throw it to the same person. This builds consistency. Consistency creates of feeling of safety in some ways because it sets us up to know what to expect. I know that you are going to throw the ball to me, and I am going to throw the ball to the next person. This becomes the most important part of this game and is a big part of why this is considered a cooperative learning game. We will know we are successful when we can complete at least one full round of ball tosses without dropping the ball. Having met the goal, we can now tackle more complex tasks.

The Second Ball- Create a Sense of Urgency

Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, i.e., life in 2019, you’ve got another think coming my friend. (Check out this blog post on how we’ve been saying that saying wrong forever.) Adding a second ball to The Name Game adds a level of intrigue and a little thing I like to call urgency.

Knowing that another ball is coming soon, means I have got to get rid of this ball I am holding. Sometimes, when I feel a sense of urgency, I lose my ability to maintain the things I have already built, just little things like respect and trust. I might forget to say your name, I will probably throw the ball a little harder or faster and you will feel set up for failure. But, if we can trust ourselves and each other, we can still be successful and even have fun. Urgency can create a level of challenge that is fun!

Remember the goal is still success still here, so having a second bean bag or hacky sack is best. We are leveling up the challenge just a little at a time. Even leveling up to a tennis ball could be too much for many groups. Always wait until success is achieved, getting the ball all the way through to each person, before adding a level of complexity.

The Third Ball- Ready to Take Risks

People are interesting. When they experience the level of challenge a second ball brings to the group, and they also see the potential for success, they seem a little hungry. They want to live on the edge, or at least take a peek over it. They want to see what it is they are made of. (link to my own blog post)

Don’t get too hasty. We can’t just go jumping off cliffs without first checking to make sure we’ve got a parachute and we know how to use it. Your group has to earn it. I know its just a Name Game folks, but get excited with me.

When you feel they are ready, here are some ways to level up: With young players, adding a small but somewhat heavy stuffed animal will be plenty of excitement and challenge for these guys. Don’t forget high school kids are still kids, and are excited to throw around a little stuffed Bigfoot. You could also add a medium sized ball that bounces, like a basket ball to the mix. Now, participants have to change the way they throw the ball. So its a thinking activity. “I threw that last one, but now I am going to bounce this one.” Brain change.

The Secret Sauce-Debrief

When will be know we are successful? Add an element that seems just out of reach to the group. Say something like, “You will know you are good, really good, when you can add something with a lot of risk.” Anything with liquids adds a lot of risk: a small water bottle, a milk carton, a gallon jug. The stakes get higher when there is a possibility that someone could get covered in milk. Don’t get too carried away. There are risks, and then there are big mistakes. We aren’t going to start throwing knives or anything.

Name what the group has learned, how the experience felt, and what was done to overcome obstacles or correct mistakes. Why was this important? What were the challenges and triumphs? How did you feel and how does this transfer to other tasks in our day and life?

Check out this blog post, four easy ways to bring cooperative learning back to your classroom, for more cooperative learning ideas and to get an overview of the challenge and triumph debrief I use.

Enjoy The Name Game the next time you have a group and some time to build cooperation.

8 Reasons You Prefer to Work Alone and How to Fix It.

Working alone is in my comfort zone and I am a cooperative learning enthusiast!

Every time I walk into a classroom, I look for opportunities to get students to do the work of learning together.

Light bulb moments, new ideas, inspiration, realization, revelation… So many ways to describe what happens when two or more minds are in sync. It’s learning magic!

And yet, I set up boundaries for my work. Looking for alone time to get things done. Working with colleagues requires a higher skill set, and more energy, and is almost always less efficient.

It’s also just plain uncomfortable. Here are just eight reasons I’d rather work alone despite everything I know about the value of cooperative learning:

I’d rather work alone because…

I’d rather work alone because I’m not willing to take on your failures.
I’d rather work alone because I care more about a job well done than building a partnership.
I’d rather work alone because I’m not sure you have anything of value to offer.
I’d rather work alone because the only person I can trust is myself.
I’d rather work alone because I know I will always do a better job than you will.
I’d rather work alone because I don’t have time to help you figure it out.
I’d rather work alone because I don’t need any help.
I’d rather work alone because this job is too important to make mistakes.

Yikes.

Sometimes it’s not such a fun thing to do some honest self-reflection. And yet, even as those words came flowing out onto the page, I felt of sense of relief. Maybe we all feel this way, or maybe I am a control freak and a perfectionist. Probably both of those things are true.

We teach best what we most need to learn.
Richard Bach

A New Definition of Safety

circle and discover — What can you control?

Classrooms are places where control and perfectionism have lived quite comfortably since around the time of, I don’t know, one-room schoolhouses.

But we forget that joy is not found in control or perfection.

Sure, we need safe places where people can learn. Heck, we need safe places period. Shouldn’t everywhere be a safe place? Maybe we need to redefine our idea of safety, and maybe it doesn’t have a whole lot to do with control.

Self-awareness is such a great way to start our discussions about safety and control.

Using an empowerment tool like the My Circle of Control worksheet either in classrooms or for ourselves is a practical and visual way to ask yourself some questions about your own sense of control and even reveal your ideas about perfection. Using it along with This big list of things I can control shifts our perspective because it allows us to see that we actually do have control over the things that are most important.

Not only does it empower you to let go of lots of heavy baggage that serves little purpose in your life, but also it gives you permission to set up your own definition of safety.

For me, it feels safe to know that I am curious and will make mistakes. That I can ask for help, try new things, and be honest. It feels safe to know that I am a work in progress, will never be perfect, and even that I can rely on imperfect other people.

Two Reasons to Work Together

I am a star — Gold stars for perfect ideas.

Let’s reframe those 8 reasons we would rather work alone and change our perspective. Learning should be fun, and it’s okay if it’s a little uncomfortable sometimes too. Also, two is easier to remember than eight, and it can really be summed up with the following:

Finished is better than perfect
Nothing is ever finished, so nothing will ever be perfect.

Now that you are armed with these two reasons to work with others and get things done, try to have a little fun at the same time!