Learning

Common Core Standards and Motivation

On May 27, 2014 / Learning

It seems that every week I hear more and more about the Common Core Standards, and most of it is negative or another attack against it. Some states have even dropped these voluntary national standards for reading and math for K-12 students. As one of the early opponents of the Common Core Standards, I am glad that others are realizing the flaws inherent in them.

Of course, I understand the motive behind the standards. The objective is to ensure students are ready for college and work. And because so many students are not equipped for success in these two arenas, educational leaders are attempting to solve the challenge by establishing common standards.

Establishing standards sounds and feels good. But really, … >>>

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Yet Another Reason Why Standardized Tests are Faulty

On May 20, 2014 / Learning

I’ve long been an opponent of using standardized tests for student and teacher evaluations. In fact, if you search “standardized tests” on my blog, you’ll find many entries as to my reasoning. In short, standardized tests do not correlate with most school curriculums, these tests are biased toward higher economic communities, and they are not valid because they were not developed to assess if what has been taught has been learned.

Recently, I learned of another major problem with using standardized tests to assess schooling, and it has to do with the technology many schools are using to administer the tests.

Apparently, the Los Angeles City Schools are being plagued with problems regarding testing for student progress. According to the … >>>

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Focus on Students, Not Numbers

On May 15, 2014 / Learning, Responsibility

I recently read an article in the USA Today entitled “Education Goals are Getting Resegregated” (May 8, 2014). The article explains that “Only 7% of black high school seniors are proficient in math, compared with 33% of white students, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress scores released Wednesday. The reading gap is larger.”

The article then goes on to detail many state’s goals for educational achievement, highlighting how “more than half the states have given up on race-blind standards, setting different goals for different groups of students.” For example, in the District of Columbia, the goal is for 94% proficiency in math for white students while only 71% for black students.

Unfortunately, in many educational bureaucracies the exercise … >>>

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How to Really Appreciate Teachers

On May 8, 2014 / Effectiveness, Learning

Teacher Appreciation Week is in full swing, and on teachers’ desks across the country you’ll see trinkets and baskets and other items that parents, students, and even administrators have given them to show them some thanks.

While I certainly believe in appreciating others, and all the tokens given are indeed welcome, I have another suggestion for showing our nations’ teachers some appreciation: Pay them what they’re worth, end industrialized testing and teaching, and invest in providing teachers with the necessary supplies, resources, and tools they need to actually teach. That’s how we show that we appreciate teachers.

What do you think? How should we really show teachers our appreciation and acknowledge how vital they are to our country?… >>>

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Evidence that the Discipline Without Stress Teaching Model Works

On April 24, 2014 / Learning, Responsibility

This past Sunday (April 20, 2014), the highly-rated 60 Minutes TV program highlighted the Excellent Boys Charter School in Brooklyn, New York. This school uses a similar approach to what Marva Collins developed in Chicago. Both schools have high expectations, empower their students, and do not allow victimhood thinking—exactly what I will show teachers how to accomplish next week when I present in Chicago. This is yet another indication of how successful the Discipline Without Stress Teaching Model can be.

I often receive letters from teachers and administrators about the Discipline Without Stress model. Here is one I received recently from a school in Bronx, New York:

“I highly recommend taking advantage of working with Dr. Marvin Marshall. He provides

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The 3 Practices of Successful Teachers

On April 1, 2014 / Discipline, Learning

Successful teachers have acquired certain habits that enable them to be more effective with their students. By doing so, the teacher gains more influence with their students, which results in the students making better decisions and choices all on their own, thus reducing discipline issues.

Here are the 3 practices of successful teachers, which is from Part Two of the Discipline Without Stress Teaching Model:

1. Word everything in a positive way. This isn’t about simply being cheery. Being positive in this discipline approach means that in a negative situation, the teacher learns to get in the habit of wording what they want to say in a positive way. Just a very simple example: Instead of saying “Stop running!” … >>>

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Encourage Neat Work Habits without Using Rewards

On March 11, 2014 / Effectiveness, Learning

Getting children to care about their school work and do things neatly can be a challenge. As a result, many teachers offer rewards to encourage neatness. This, of course, is counterproductive, because it doesn’t instill the self-discipline to focus on producing neat work. Here are a few options to try instead of resorting to rewards.

Talk about neatness. Whatever you put your focus upon will increase!
Talk proactively. In other words, before a lesson begins discuss with the students what a great job would look like. This helps those children who really have no idea of what a good job looks like and it helps the other students who might not care too much about neatness otherwise. It sets everyone

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Stop Enforcing Rules

On February 27, 2014 / Effectiveness, Learning

If a child breaks a rule, what is the parent or teacher’s natural tendency? To enforce the rule and dish out consequences (discipline) as a result of that rule being broken.

But if a child doesn’t follow a procedure, what is the adult’s natural tendency? To teach that procedure—to restate it, to seek understanding, to coach, to correct.

That’s a big difference.

Unfortunately, too many parents and teachers today are relying on rules rather than teaching procedures, and as a result they’re making their parenting and/or teaching journey much more difficult and stressful.

If your objective is to empower children, to motivate them to put forth effort in their learning, and to have them want to behave responsibly, referring to … >>>

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Discipline and Learning

On January 13, 2014 / Discipline, Learning

People learn best when they feel safe—physically, socially, emotionally—and when they participate academically. When students feel anxious or believe that they will feel bad, learning is diminished. Unfortunately, many teachers inadvertently make students feel bad as a result of the discipline approach they use.

Manipulative discipline approaches of bribing by giving rewards for desired behaviors and coercive discipline approaches of imposing punishments are effective only for the moment. An important point to remember when relying on these “external” approaches is that they depend on someone else. They are useless when an adult is not around.

Aside from imposed punishments, even rewarding behavior can engender negative feelings—as when an award is expected but is not forthcoming. … >>>

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3 Tips for Teachers to Encourage Learning

On January 8, 2014 / Learning

Imagine having a classroom of eager, young people who are there because they want to be, not because they are obliged to be … who do what’s expected of them because they enjoy it, not because of a threat of discipline … who are eager to learn, not just occupying space in a room. Unfortunately, this is not the case in many classrooms today. However, by focusing on the following three suggestions, you can take the first steps to create lessons that produce better results for both students and teachers.

1. Structure experiences to apply to life outside of school: Theory is important, but interest will increase the more you tie it into practice by showing how the learning makes … >>>

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3 Practices that Enhance Learning

On January 3, 2014 / Learning

While it’s nice to think that every student comes to school eager to learn, that’s simply not the case. Any teacher or parent knows this. The good news is that there are things teachers can do to foster a true learning environment. Even better, the more conducive to learning your classroom is, the fewer discipline problems you’ll have. Here are the top three practices to implement this week.

1. Use collaboration: Competition improves performance, not learning. Yes, some students will practice for hours spurred on by the competitive spirit—be it in music, athletics, or performing arts. But these students are motivated to compete. And competition can be fun for short periods, but competing with others is devastating for the youngster … >>>

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Reflective Questions worth Memorizing

On November 6, 2013 / Effectiveness, Learning, Parenting

Throughout this blog you’ll find many discussions about the power and importance of using reflective questions with children. Of course, knowing why something is vital is much different than knowing how to implement it. Therefore, below is a list of some reflective questions worth memorizing. To make it easier, I’ve categorized the questions so you can see which situations they work best in. I suggest everyone memorize these questions. As you practice using reflective questions and try out new ones on your children or students, add them to your own list.

For Getting On Task

Does what you are doing help you get your work done?
If you would like to get your work done, what would be your first

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Laser Learning

On November 4, 2013 / Effectiveness, Learning

Laser learning refers to thinking and talking in short segments to increase retention.

Since the brain recalls in images and experiences, the learner first transforms key points into a few words to form a mental image. This is laser thinking. In order to get information to stick, the learner then “laser” talks by relating his image to another student—in no more than thirty or forty-five seconds. The short thinking and talking times generate just the right amount of stress to make learning most effective. This is a brain-chemical experience, not a social one.

The process has nothing to do with the other person’s listening or giving the learner feedback. It has to do with forcing the learner to … >>>

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Listen and Learn

On November 1, 2013 / Effectiveness, Learning

Active listening is a term with which most are familiar. It means constructively engaging in the act of interpretation while capturing the information being presented. In his classic book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey points out that most often we do not listen with the intention of understanding; instead we listen with a focus on replying.

Dr. Covey says that when another person speaks, we’re usually “listening” at one of four levels.

1) We may be ignoring another person, not really listening at all.

2) We may practice pretending. “Yeah. Uh-huh. Right.”

3) We may be practicing selective listening, hearing only certain parts of the conversation. We often do this when we’re listening to … >>>

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Exercise Boosts Academic Performance

On October 25, 2013 / Learning

A new study from researches at the University of Dundee, University of Bristol, and University of Georgia found that the more time teens spend exercising, the better they tend to do on tests. Specifically, the more active the child was at age 11, the greater their academic performance was during the tests in the following years. This held true even after taking into account other factors such as socioeconomic status, weight, and the child’s puberty status.

How does exercise boost academic performance? “Studies have revealed relationships between PA [physical activity] and relevant cognitive outcomes such as measures of executive function, as well as studies suggesting that PA might increase time ‘on task’ in class and reduce classroom ‘problem behavior,’” the … >>>

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New Study Reveals Problems with Standardized Testing

On August 27, 2013 / Effectiveness, Learning

A Gallup Poll about the public’s opinion on The Common Core Standards and the use of standardized test in education was released last week. In a previous post I commented on the findings about The Common Core Standards. Today I’d like to address the perceptions of standardized tests.

According to the poll’s findings, when asked whether “a significant increase in standardized testing” has “helped, hurt, or made no difference” in local school performance:

22% percent said that it has helped. Back in 2007, 28% said it had helped.

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