The Master Teacher Blog

When we teach our students new skills, we want them to apply these skills beyond the specific assignment or context in which they initially learned them. We call this additional application of skills transfer. For example, when students learn a mathematical process, we want them to be able to use the skill to solve problems involving different values, to answer related questions from other subject areas, and to understand relationships; this is called near transfer. Taking this idea even further, we might claim complete success when students use the new skill to generate new insights beyond our instruction or to create new knowledge or a unique application; this is far transfer.

Students often think of learning in school as separate and that academic skills are disconnected from learning and knowledge elsewhere. This perceived separation can lead students to overlook opportunities to use what they learn in academic settings in their everyday lives, limiting their motivation and understanding. By helping students recognize how academic skills connect to real-world contexts—such as using math for budgeting or interpreting data—they can become more engaged and see greater relevance in their learning, ultimately enhancing both their confidence and success.

Equally important, transfer is not limited to students using what they learn in class or school in a different context or in other aspects of their lives. The truth is that students develop skills, strategies, and insights outside of school that can benefit their learning in school. However, too often they fail to realize that they can transfer and apply much of what they know and practice outside of school to improve their success in school. We might think of this process as “reverse transfer.”

Helping students to see how outside-of-school skills and strategies can be applied in school can be an exceptionally beneficial revelation and learning accelerator. Let’s explore some outside-of-school skills that students can tap and leverage to support their in-school learning:

• Outside-of-school skill: Playing video games and competitive sports develops persistence, strategic thinking, learning from mistakes and unsuccessful attempts, and involves constant improvement.
  • In-school learning: Sticking with difficult learning challenges, mining mistakes for learning, finding and using new strategies, and building on past learning to support new learning.
• Outside-of-school skill: Learning from YouTube, social media, and peers without formal teaching and structured lessons.
  • In-school learning: Using varied resources to supplement formal instruction, learning from peers, and searching for information and learning independently.
• Outside-of-school skill: Pushing back on unfairness and injustice and advocating for increased personal independence.
  • In-school learning: Writing arguments, participating in debate, engaging in inquiry, and applying a claim-evidence-reasoning framework.
• Outside-of-school skill: Creating videos, writing memes, and composing music.
  • In-school learning: Using voice and focusing on the audience when writing, storytelling, and developing arguments, and choosing the appropriate format and vehicle to communicate messages.
• Outside-of-school skill: Persuading friends, organizing activities, and being aware of group dynamics.
  • In-school learning: Seeking and assuming formal leadership roles, learning and applying formal leadership skills and strategies.
• Outside-of-school skill: Engaging in hobbies, part-time jobs, and pursuing career interests.
  • In-school learning: Leveraging experience and connecting interests to increase relevance of academic content and skills.

Without question, many skills and habits students develop outside of school can benefit their learning in school. However, too many students miss this connection and fail to take advantage of the full range of skills and capabilities they possess. We can help by pointing out potential connections and helping students to transfer—or reverse transfer—what they already know to enhance what we ask them to learn. What additional out-of-school skills and strategies might you add to this list?

The term “cognitive science” isn’t new, but the research-based, experience-proven practices that make up the body of cognitive science are compelling. Yet, for many educators, the collective body of knowledge and practices that comprise cognitive science may be less than familiar.

Nevertheless, cognitive science is rapidly becoming one of the hallmarks of the education profession. It provides vocabulary to describe, a language to use, and a framework to discuss key elements of teaching and learning. Interestingly, cognitive science tends to be more widely known and practiced as a comprehensive approach in countries like the United Kingdom and Australia than in the United States. Meanwhile, most of the research supporting cognitive science has its origins in the United States.

At its core, cognitive science explains key aspects of how our brains process, think, and remember what we learn. Implementation of cognitive science principles and practices have been credited for steady academic progress among English students and a fifty-percent reduction in their reading gender gap. Other countries are taking notice and are applying cognitive science principles in their school and with their students.

So, what are the key elements of cognitive science? Here are nine of the most common and relied on principles and practices. (We have also provided links to other In Your Corner blogs that discuss many of these elements.)

Instructional strategies

Activating prior knowledge. Connecting what students are going to learn with what they already know is a great way to prepare students to grasp unfamiliar content and build new skills. We can engage students in discussions, conduct refresher lessons, ask linked questions, and other activities to connect with past learning, draw on prior knowledge, and relate to student life experiences. This also is a key time to be alert for misconceptions that may interfere with new learning.

Dual coding. This practice draws on two key learning modes: visual and auditory processing. The power of the approach is that the brain responds and retains more information when information or experiences feature multiple entry points. Combining explanations with graphic organizers, matching what students read with visual representations, and having students draw as they build understanding of a new concept are examples of dual coding.  However, it is crucial that the visual and auditory input be aligned and focus on the same concept, content, or skill to avoid confusion and misconceptions.

Cognitive load. The entry point for new learning is working memory. This temporary holding place sorts and processes information for later storage and recall in long-term memory. Unfortunately, it has limited capacity to hold new information. It is easy to overload working memory, and it is susceptible to distractions. When we overload working memory, we risk students missing key information or not recalling it later. To maximize the functioning of working memory and avoid cognitive overload we can minimize distractions, break information into manageable parts, and provide timely breaks for the brain to process what is being learned.

Learning strategies

Metacognition. Metacognition describes the process of thinking about one’s thinking. As students develop this skill, they become increasingly aware of their thinking strategies and how to monitor and modify their thinking processes. Metacognition can be developed by teaching reflection practices, planning actions, and sharing monitoring and adjustment strategies.

Interleaving. Interleaving is a powerful study strategy that mixes topics and subjects intentionally to encourage the brain to process and connect information as students learn.  For example, students might study English for twenty minutes, followed by a similar amount of time spent studying history. Students might focus on new information followed by a review of content they already know. Or they might engage with content out of chronological order. Interleaving keeps the brain alert and improves its ability to differentiate elements and aspects of the content students are learning.

Learning support

Motivation. We need to tap motivation that comes from within students whenever possible. Learning that features opportunities for autonomy, features a clear and compelling purpose, presents the potential for mastery, and allows students to practice self-determination is nearly impossible for students to resist. We can supplement these elements by varying learning formats and activities to gain and hold attention.

Feedback. Feedback can be a powerful support for learning. However, to make a difference it must be timely, specific, actionable, and purposeful. Students need to receive feedback as soon after a learning experience or action as soon as practical. Feedback needs to focus clearly on what the student has done. Effective feedback also includes the next step students can take to move their learning forward. Finally, feedback that has an impact needs to be connected to a worthy purpose, such as accomplishing a goal, mastering a concept, or making important progress.

Deepening learning and extending recall

Retrieval practice. Retrieval practice is a particularly effective way to help students refresh previously learned content and skills and extend their recall of past learning.  Students might be asked to conduct a “brain dump” of everything they can recall about a previously learned concept or skill. They might be given low stakes quizzes that refresh past learning. Or students may be asked to retrieve past learning as warm up activities and/or to complete exit tickets.

Spaced practice. Intensive, compressed studying can offer short-term learning benefits. However, learning sticks better when practice is spread over time. Spaced practice also tends to deepen learning and extend recall. The brain reads repetition as important. For example, we might introduce new content or a skill and help students to build initial understanding or competence and then follow up in a few days with practice and extension of the new concept or additional elements of the new skill. This process might repeat in several days or a week and over an extended period. The cyclical nature of this approach continually strengthens learning and extends students’ ability to recall and apply it.

Cognitive science can provide excellent guidance and useful tools to help our students ramp up their learning and extend their recall far beyond what they typically experience without these practices. If cognitive science is part of your instruction and support repertoire, keep up the good work. If some of these approaches are unfamiliar, now is a great time to try them.

This is a time of year that can be chaotic, unpredictable, and stressful. Feeling as though we are “on top” of what we want to accomplish and what is expected of us can be a special challenge. We need some dependable, predictable, and workable strategies to help us to make sense of our world and gain confidence that we can build and sustain momentum to carry us through.

Fortunately, there are some easily accessible strategies and frameworks we can adopt and practice to help us feel and be more in control. We might think of them as mental “software” to help us to perform tasks, manage time, derive meaning, and experience connections. Importantly, they are based in neuroscience. They offer ways to help our brains manage the myriad tasks, expectations, and challenges that comprise our lives.

These three life hacks can make a significant difference in how we approach our days and the significance and success we derive from them. We know them as routines, rituals, and regimen. Let’s explore each of these tools and how we can employ them to make our lives better.

Routines help us to be more efficient. They create predictability in starting our day, beginning class, or taking attendance and handling administrative tasks. Routines can save us time, energy, and attention. They are intended to prevent us from having to plan and manage new behaviors and action sequences unless there is a specific need to do so. They help to speed up processes and preserve time and energy for other useful activities. Routines add value to our personal and professional lives because they create efficiency, but they are not designed to create inspiration or stimulate growth.

Rituals provide readiness, meaning, and inspiration. Like routines, rituals offer predictability, but they represent more than efficiency. Rituals are practiced with intention. We engage in rituals to create meaning, trust, and readiness. They symbolize something important to us. We might begin our day with an inspirational reading, reflecting on what we want to accomplish, or connecting with a friend or family member. When arriving at work, we might engage in the ritual of greeting colleagues, securing a cup of coffee, or sitting quietly to prepare for the day. They can program our brains for resilience, clarity, and connections. Rituals are designed to connect and focus, and for us to be open to inspiration.

Regimens are designed to produce growth. Practicing regimens helps us to improve in specific areas of focus. They involve discipline and growth. Often a sequence of actions, they are intended to move us progressively toward a desired outcome, such as improving a skill, honing a practice, or building expertise. Regimens often are not comfortable like routines and rituals, but they share characteristics such as repetition, consistency, and predictability. Personally, we might adopt an exercise regimen to build strength or engage in a walking regimen to build stamina. Professionally, we might engage in a regimen to refine feedback practices, build a new instructional strategy, or improve our classroom management. Regimens involve consistency, feedback, focus, and patience to become more proficient rather than to become more efficient or find inspiration.

Considerations:

• Together, routines, rituals, and regimens help us to become more intentional and in control.
• All three can reduce our stress and provide order and structure to our lives.
• Each of the tools serves a unique purpose. Misapplication can create confusion and frustration.
• When we hurry through rituals or lose focus, they can lose their meaning and revert to being routines.
• Rituals require emotional investment, while regimens require intellectual and physical investment.
• When regimens are treated as routines, they can lose their ability to support improvement.
• Adopting more routines can increase efficiency, but adding regimens can create overload.

Finding balance, creating efficiency, being productive, and finding inspiration are crucial components of personal satisfaction and professional success. By tapping routines to gain stability, adopting rituals to find purpose, and following regimens to achieve progress, we can gain the control we seek and enjoy the success we deserve.

Schools perform a wide array of functions and depend on many people to accomplish them. Naturally, within this context, people develop relationships and alliances with others who may perform similar functions or share other connections. These affiliations often lead to sharing expertise, building a sense of belonging, and creating alliances.

Unfortunately, they also can lead to separation among groups. For example, some teachers may see their interests and priorities as different from administrators. Or some may perceive staff in other roles as competition. Other issues and perceptions can result in other types and levels of separation within the school.

Over time, these perceptions can solidify into an “us versus them” mentality. When this happens, communication can break down, collaboration may suffer, and identities separate. The separation often produces reduced levels of morale, increased resentment, and even burnout.

 Students, too, can suffer when adults adopt an “us versus them” mentality. Services may not be well coordinated, support may become disjointed, and learning opportunities may diminish. Of course, students are likely to sense the conflict and resentment among adults they depend on and feel torn and stressed as a result.

So, what can be done if we find that an “us versus them” mentality is developing or is already present? Fortunately, with commitment, patience, and persistence, “us versus them” thinking can be overcome. Here are six steps to get started. 

Focus on purpose, not position.

Everyone has a role to play in accomplishing the school’s mission. When the emphasis is on the goal of student success and everyone shares in the work, there are far more reasons to collaborate, partner, and support than to separate, silo, and single out. The mission of schools is multi-faceted.  Success depends on everyone’s contribution. Viewing some members or groups as “others” makes the work more difficult and less satisfying. When we realize that we are all in the work together and we need each other to fully succeed, working together becomes easier. Sharing student stories, highlighting the impact of shared efforts, and mining data for new ideas and opportunities can create energy, promote shared ownership, and mutual appreciation.

Insight: Shared purpose can create connections, energy, and mutual respect.

Invite input early and often.

Listening sessions and open discussions that are taken seriously matter, but only if what is said is considered and used to guide deliberations. Input that is invited too late in planning and decision making can fuel resentment rather than trust and support. Willingness to wrestle with difficult questions may feel risky at first, but over time, openness and dialogue can build high levels of trust and lead to better decisions.

Insight: Input matters only if it is timely taken and heeded.

Commit to decision making transparency.

Knowing the “why” behind decisions can go a long way toward creating understanding, even when not everyone agrees with the outcome. When the factors, processes, and criteria that drive decisions are shared throughout the process, much of the mystery and suspicion can be avoided. When everyone understands the objectives, constraints, and options considered, trust grows.

Insight: Transparency strengthens decision credibility.

Create cross functional teams.

Bringing varied experience and expertise to focus on problems and design new initiatives can prevent foreseeable problems, build ownership for decisions, and create longer lasting solutions. Similarly, forming teams of teachers and administrators to conduct instructional rounds followed by reflection and analysis can surface examples of excellence to build on and opportunities for improvement. Planning, celebrating, and solving problems together can dispel faulty assumptions, build mutual understanding, and lower mental walls that can get in the way.

Insight: Diverse perspectives and varied experience will open the door to new possibilities.

Engage in productive conflict.

Avoiding conflict and ignoring tension reinforces separation and undermines trust. Honesty, respect, and clarity do the opposite. Having norms and processes to deal with disagreement such as assuming positive intentions, remaining open and curious, and committing to focus on issues and ideas rather than people can help to keep conflict respectful and productive. People will not and should not always agree, but they should always feel heard and respected.

Insight: Engaging in conflict that leads to understanding is more important than finding agreement.

Make wins “we” celebrations.

“We” language can send a powerful message of collaboration and appreciation. It is not “my” staff or “my” team, it is “our” staff and “our” team. Recognizing shared achievement leads to shared identity. Think: “We solved this problem.” “We improved this process.” “And we are making a difference for students.” Success as a school always is a shared effort and accomplishment.

Insight: Shared credit builds shared identity.

Finding common ground and forming shared identities takes time. However, the benefits of everyone sharing in the mission, committing to listening, engaging in productive conflict, and building trust far outweigh the effort required.

We face endless competition for our time. Whether teacher or administrator, we can spend our days assessing, reacting, and managing what is happening around us. Our time can be filled with responding to questions, issues, and circumstances. While these are important aspects of our professional lives, they can leave us preoccupied with surface issues. They distract us from reflecting, sense making, and planning while sapping our creativity.

For most of us, this pattern is not satisfactory and may not be sustainable. We seek greater control, more opportunities to shape and create, and greater impact from our efforts. Our challenge is to move from being reactive to proactive, and from routinely reapplying past behavior to designing new, more creative and effective actions.

For teachers, this can mean having time to think deeply about reoccurring classroom management challenges, ways to add creativity to lesson designs, building better rubrics, and planning beyond the next few days. For principals and other administrators, focus time might mean stepping back to analyze patterns of student behavior, making the case for and building commitment to a new initiative, or planning the best approach to a difficult conversation. Of course, these lists could go on.

Fortunately, the answer may be less daunting, energy draining, and time consuming than we think. Many professionals, inside education and beyond, have found the practice of creating and engaging in focus time to be an effective—even game changing practice.

Focus time can help us to step back from urgent tasks and reacting to our environment while spending high value time thinking, reflecting, and planning. We might think of focus time as the next level of time management. Instead of managing minutes, we are managing mental energy. Consistent practice of focus time can help us to engage in greater depth of thinking, create clearer priorities, and increase our productivity. If this shift sounds as though it might be helpful to you, here are some guidelines to consider:

• Commit to focus time. The good news is that focus time does not have to be lengthy. In fact, as little as 10-20 minutes can produce amazing results once we have established a structure and routine to shift our attention and ready our brains to engage.
• Find time that can be protected. For some people, the first half-hour of the day before students and other staff arrive works best. For others, the end of the day is better. Teachers might designate a portion of prep time for deep planning. Principals might choose a block of time immediately after school starts when most everyone is occupied with getting the day underway or find another time of the day when interruptions can be minimized.
• Identify potential focus topics. We might keep a list of ideas, challenges, and issues that would benefit from deeper thinking and more creative and effective approaches. Once we think of a potential topic, our brain will continue to work on the issue, often surfacing additional observations and insights for reflection and consideration.
• Create a routine. To the extent possible, clear unrelated materials from workspace, close email, and silence phones and watches. Let go of any mental distractions and focus on a single goal for the session.
• Arrange access to helpful resources. Depending on the topic of your focus time, you might have notes you made in preparation for your session, data on recent trends or incidents, previous lesson plans, ideas from colleagues, or other artifacts.
• Capture ideas and thoughts. Allow yourself to reflect, explore, and ideate. Avoid placing constraints on possibilities at this point. Jot notes to retain insights and possibilities.
• Make a list of next steps. We may need to consult a colleague for more information. We may need to work out additional details and arrange schedules. We may even need to return to the topic for more focus after working out aspects and determining implications.
• Protect focus time. Resist letting go of the time you designate, despite competing demands. Focus time is most effective when practiced consistently and frequently. Over time, our brains will recognize the routine and make the time even more productive.
• Share and celebrate results. Share new insights and ideas with colleagues. Celebrate small wins and productive outcomes from focus time. Consider keeping a log of new ideas and creative approaches discovered through this practice. Paying attention to results can be a great stimulus to continue protecting and engaging in focus time.

Focus time can be a great way to shift our minds toward creativity and productivity. It can also be a great reminder that we have much to contribute. Try implementing focus time into your day and see what it can do for you.

Leadership is challenging and complex work. Easy answers and obvious solutions can be handled by almost anyone. However, when issues involve complexity, demand insight, and clear thinking, they are more likely to land in the laps of leaders. While we may have more experience than some, we do not have access to an endless supply of answers to difficult questions or solutions to every challenging problem.

Nevertheless, we can tap strategies and approaches that strengthen our thinking, help us to see options and alternatives that others may miss, and uncover solutions that otherwise might be overlooked. These leadership tools can help us to focus our thinking, flex our perspectives, and expand our search for promising options. Here are five experience-tested strategies to consider and apply when answers are not obvious and deeper thought and reflection are required.

Perspective taking.

The observation may seem obvious, but every complex situation, significant conflict, and negotiation has multiple sides and involves multiple perspectives. Unfortunately, we can become trapped in efforts to strengthen our position and improve our arguments rather than tapping the often more powerful and effective approach of understanding how the other party views the situation. More power and persuasion may make us feel better. Yet, grasping the perspective and understanding the emotional investment others bring to the circumstance can uncover options and areas of agreement that can lead to better and longer lasting solutions.

Slow looking.

Adapted from the art world, slow looking involves taking time to observe details that may not be immediately visible, stepping back to see a larger image, and shifting perspectives to observe from varying angles. We can use this approach when confronting complex situations, attempting to understand other’s intentions, and examining our reaction to what we are hearing or experiencing. When we slow down our thinking and focus on relationships, motivations, and interactions, we often can deepen our understanding and discover options and implications we might otherwise overlook.

Deep thinking.

Quick thinking has its place. However, finding answers to more difficult and complex problems requires time and focus. Discovering the best course of action is more likely to result from reflecting, examining, and questioning than seizing on the first option to surface. By setting aside time to delve beyond our immediate reactions, probe our initial emotions, and quiet our minds we can open ourselves to new insights, tap our creativity, expand our empathy, and discover novel ideas and uncover helpful options. While deep thinking requires some time commitment, it can be an effective time saver and solution generator if we practice it regularly. 

Structured reflection.

Replaying experiences and reviewing our thoughts and actions can support emotional release and generate self-justifications, but they are of little value unless they create greater clarity and lead to new insights and improved future actions. Fortunately, a simple reflection structure adapted from medical practice can provide a useful path that creates better understanding and leads to informed action. The process is driven by three questions. The first question is “What?” What happened? What did I think and feel? What else did I observe? The second question: “So what?” Probes for significance. What were the consequences? Why was the experience important? Is this something I need to correct or from which I need to learn? The final question is “What next?” This question invites action. What adjustments will we make in the future? Is there repair I need to make now? What learning will I apply when I have a similar experience in the future?

Brain breaks.

We know the value of having students take frequent breaks while engaging in challenging learning tasks. Even though active instruction or focused learning efforts cease, the brain continues to process, sequence, interpret, and store what students are learning. It happens that brain breaks are not just for young learners. When we attempt to take in large amounts of information, engage in complex problem solving, and sort through and seek the best options, taking brief breaks can give our brains time to absorb and organize information. A brief walk, stretch, or few moments of quiet time can make a significant difference in our mental processing and memory storage. Regular breaks can refresh our energy, but they can also improve our mental capacity.

Obviously, not every one of these thinking strategies apply to every problem or challenge we face. However, having access to an array of thinking approaches and strategies we can tap can give us useful options from which to choose. Also, these thinking tools are not just for leaders or confined to leadership challenges. They can be helpful when confronting almost any life circumstance that calls for more than preset processes and knee-jerk reactions.

We live in a world that values speed, seeks easy answers, and accepts superficial thinking. Too often, we find ourselves scanning, skimming, and scrolling rather than listening, reflecting, and contemplating. We can feel as though we are on a treadmill of see, react, and act, rather than observe, reflect, discover, choose, plan, and engage. The latter requires taking time to think deeply and act purposefully.

Thinking is our most valuable skill. It is what makes us uniquely human. Deep thinking offers benefits that are both intellectual and personal. Deep thinking ignites creativity, builds empathy and self-awareness, and strengthens decision-making. Deep thinking can result in new insights, novel ideas, and useful solutions. It can help us to break out of unproductive cycles of thought and behavior. Deep thinking rewards patience and renews energy and strengthens and lengthens our ability to focus.

Our world, unfortunately, too often encourages surface engagement rather than deep thinking. It prioritizes emotional reaction over reasoning, stimulation over stillness, efficiency over substance, and comfort over complexity. These are formidable forces that push against deliberate, patient, deep thinking.

Admittedly, deep thinking is not always easy. Deep thinking requires us to protect time to engage, it calls for focus and quieting our minds, and for allowing ourselves to be curious. Deep thinking is a skill and discipline. Deep thinking calls for us to slow down and stay with questions. It can be awkward at first, but with practice it becomes a reinforcing and rewarding experience.

So, what are some strategies we can employ to build our skill and practice deep thinking? Here are seven strategies to get started:

• Set aside time specifically to think. As little as 10-15 minutes can be a good start. As we practice thinking, we can build toward longer thinking periods. However, we need quiet and to be free from screens, tasks, and other distractions.
• Select a focus. We might consider a question that has been on our minds, a problem we are trying to solve, or an idea that needs further development.
• Practice “slow looking.” We might consider an issue from different perspectives. How might someone else see the situation? Reflect on the “big picture” and follow by focusing on details. We can resist quick answers and stay with questions as long as we are able.
• Be patient with complexity, ambiguity, and uncertainty. New insights and ideas often surface from what may not be clear and obvious. Being curious and allowing our thinking to explore possibilities can uncover important elements and options that otherwise would go unnoticed and ignored.
• Make thinking a habit. Occasional periods of thinking can be useful, but making deep thinking a regular part of daily or weekly routines can lead to bigger breakthroughs, more and better ideas, and greater self-awareness and confidence.
• Keep a thinking log. Make notes of ideas, possibilities, questions, and issues about which you want to think more deeply. Life moves quickly. We need to capture what we can as it happens so that we can reflect and consider options and implications with care and focus.
• Write about your thinking. Writing can be a powerful tool to organize, explore, and memorialize our thinking. Keeping a journal might be useful. Even a blog—regardless of whether it is published—can be a helpful way to create purpose and value in your thinking.

Deep thinking asks us to prioritize our time, be curious, and practice courage. The benefits can be powerful as we discover new insights about ourselves, our work, and our world. We become more comfortable with uncertainty, more confident in our ability to understand and influence our environment, and more empathetic toward others in our lives.

This is a time when we often consider making resolutions for the coming year. These resolutions are aspirational, reflecting our hopes and intentions for the months ahead. Unfortunately, they are also often short-lived. Resolutions can require new skills, significant life changes, and relationship adjustments. They may even mean giving up things with which we are familiar and enjoy. Consequently, within the first month or two of the new year, most resolutions have gone by the wayside.

Nevertheless, there may be changes to make and goals to achieve in the coming year that are worth our time and effort. The key is to choose carefully, focus on what can help us make progress towards who we want to be, and be ready to follow through. Of course, it helps if our resolutions do not require significant new commitments of time, new skills, or abandonment of long practiced habits.

If this situation sounds familiar, you have good news. There are meaningful resolutions you can make that do not come with significant new time commitments but pay big dividends. They do not require new skills or new habits that would be difficult to sustain. Equally important, these resolutions offer significant and sustained benefits when practiced regularly. Consider these five options that you can start today and enjoy their benefits now and throughout the new year.

Resolution #1: I will be curious.

Curiosity is an attitude as much as a behavior. Being curious positions us to pay attention, ask questions, and explore what may be new or unique. Remaining curious can be a powerful way to help us to better understand and evaluate new ideas we encounter. Curiosity can help us build relationships with others. Curiosity can even be an effective strategy for resolving conflicts we encounter.  It can also be the door to continuous learning and growth.

Resolution #2: I will assume positive intentions.

When something unfortunate happens, we observe negative behavior, or are confused by what someone says, we have a choice to make. We might assume that someone intended to create a problem, behave badly, or their words were intended to hurt. Alternatively, we can assume that there may be more to the situation than we know and there is a legitimate reason for what someone said or did. The choice may matter more than we realize. When we assume negative intentions, we search for responsibility and blame. The result too often is unproductive, negative, and hurtful. When we learn the full story, we may even find ourselves apologizing for what we assumed. Assuming positive intentions, on the other hand, allows us to explore and gain understanding before deciding what to think and how to respond. Assuming positive intentions builds trust and promotes understanding—two helpful connections for the coming year.

Resolution #3: I will notice and celebrate small wins.

Small wins happen around us more often than we might realize—unless we are paying attention. In the aftermath of a resolved problem, a settled conflict, or completed task, we might quickly turn to the next issue or challenge and move on. Yet, small wins can be the fuel that keeps our energy flowing and our spirits high. Further, when we notice and celebrate small wins, they can grow and become much larger wins. Small wins can be momentum builders and confidence reinforcers. They are worth noticing and celebrating.

Resolution #4: I will be grateful.

Much like noticing and celebrating small wins, paying attention to what we should be grateful for and appreciating people who are important to us can be a powerful counterweight to what might otherwise drag us down. Incorporating gratitude into daily or weekly journaling, reflecting as we begin or end the day, or purposefully sharing gratitude in our conversations can make a surprisingly positive difference in our attitude and how we experience life. Reflecting on what is good in our lives and being thankful for people who support and love us does not have to be time consuming, but it can be life renewing.

Resolution #5: I will practice work-life balance.

There is almost always more work that could be done. We might do more planning. We might rework or tweak a project, or maybe just worry about a colleague or student. The list could go on. Finding work-life balance can become more of an art than science. But placing reasonable boundaries around work hours, setting priorities, taking regular breaks, and protecting time for family, recreation, and other personal activities can be the key to sustaining our energy, remaining motivated, and maintaining our sanity.

While these resolutions do not ask us to change major elements of our lives, they yield the greatest results when practiced regularly. With just a few weeks of practice, they can shift how we engage with others, shape our attitudes, and improve how we experience life.

Metaphors can be powerful tools for communicating and creating understanding. Part of their charm and utility is that they can help us to see limitations and imagine alternatives, a safe and inviting way to articulate the case for change and suggest possible options. With this context in mind, let's consider the metaphor of a typewriter to help us see how the design of our educational system might be holding us back from what we need. It might also help us to rethink the design in useful ways.

Consider that the typewriter was an amazing innovation in its time. The work of the traditional typesetter immediately became available to anyone with access to the machine. Professional printing was no longer the purview of a few highly skilled individuals. Similarly, the emergence of our public education system created access to learning opportunities that previously have been confined to the wealthy and privileged. However, while access remains important, access alone is not adequate to prepare students for their futures.

Rethink opportunity: How can we assure that every student has access to rich learning opportunities and support and is challenged to move their learning to ever higher levels and deeper understanding?

The typewriter provided precision in type and uniformity in presentation. Our education system, too, was designed to create uniformity and precision in teaching and learning. Schools were charged with preparing students for a predictable future and a stable economy that, for most graduates, required a relatively narrow set of minimal skills. Yet, today’s world demands creativity, innovation, and flexibility; skills difficult to foster in a standardized and compliance-based design.

Rethink opportunity: How might we design more opportunities for flexibility, variety, and diversity in learning experiences?

Typewriters were designed for use in isolation. A single person developed a single product following a set approach. Similarly, our schools were designed for learning to occur in a predetermined sequence, largely disconnected from application and devoid of collaboration. Meanwhile, today’s workplace values networks, shared creativity, and instant communication.

Rethink opportunity: How can we create learning environments that encourage collaboration, celebrate connections, and nurture learning networks?

Typewriters were not tolerant of mistakes or changes. Even minor errors in keystrokes required retyping or covering with “whiteout.” Changes to content typically meant starting over. The design of our educational system does not accommodate mistakes very well. Instruction is intended to keep moving forward. Mistakes are treated as interruptions and malfunctions rather than naturally occurring aspects of learning. Terms such as “remediation” imply having to fix learners rather than accepting and addressing errors and mistakes as important components of learning.

Rethink opportunity: How can we create opportunities for mistakes and errors to be celebrated as part of learning processes and utilized to accelerate understanding and deepen insights?

Typewriters immediately increased the productivity of office workers. Tasks that previously took excessive time and care became far less time intensive. However, we would not expect workers to meet workplace expectations today while relying on a typewriter to generate the volume and variety of products we take for granted. Yet, educators are expected to follow and rely on a system design that has changed relatively little since its creation in the late 1800’s. There should be little wonder about why schools often do not produce the results expected and needed in today’s world.

Rethink opportunity: How can we harness today’s technology tools to support greater productivity without adding excessive pressure and workloads?

Typewriters offer feelings of nostalgia for many people. The sounds of clicking keys and the bell of a return carriage can conjure familiar memories and reminders of simpler, less complicated times. The structures and schedules and the compliance and fact-focused curriculum of traditional schools can feel familiar, predictable, and even reassuring. However, the world for which today’s schools are challenged to prepare students will demand flexibility, collaboration, curiosity, imagination, and innovation; features traditional schooling was not designed to foster.

Rethink opportunity: How can schools evolve to encourage more curiosity, greater collaboration, expanded creativity, and richer imagination? 

The invention of the typewriter represented a major step forward in printing and the design of our education system opened the door to major advances in learning. However, much like the typewriter of yesteryear, our thinking and approaches to learning need to evolve and respond to new opportunities and the demands our students will face in life and work.