The human brain is a pattern maker. It is constantly searching for similarities and differences to keep you safe and to seek possibilities for creativity and innovation. It is helpful, when problem-solving, to be able to think back to the past and recall a similar situation and what you can use or adapt from that […]

“The senses, being the explorers of the world, open the way to knowledge.” Maria Montessori A necessary disposition for students to develop is to gather information through the senses. The senses collect information about the world and send it to the brain, and the brain uses this information to make sense of the world. Sensory […]

“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.” Lao Tzu I love questions that send my thinking in circles. One such dilemma is the question: Which happens first […]

Being able to take a risk is central to being able to be a learner in a classroom. Learning requires students to move from their comfort zone, the known, into the growth zone or the unknown. Yet for many this can be a scary prospect. In their extensive research, Prof. Art Costa and Dr Bena […]

“We have had the posters and logos up on the wall for two years and there has been no improvement.” These were the words of a Principal in Singapore after they had identified and displayed the new school values, dispositions and skills they wanted students to learn and adopt. Passively hoping students will learn such […]

Take a moment to reflect on your current students. Do some of them rush to get their work done? Is there an unwritten belief that being the first finished is better than doing their best? Do many of them put in the minimum effort instead of working towards excellence? Are you constantly seeing sloppy mistakes? […]

Persistence is the ability to stick to a task, especially when the going gets tough. It is being able to hang in there and keep going when a task becomes challenging, never giving up and keeping on going. Do your students say often say, “It’s too hard,” so they don’t have to think any further? […]