Two Pint PLC

110 Class Structure & Positive Relationships

Classroom management is a frequent topic in teacher preparation and professional development, but what kinds of classroom structures really have an impact? We look at balancing support with avoiding being controlling and the importance of clarity of goals and purpose. Later, we discuss themes in building positive student relationships. Students notice teacher enthusiasm, authenticity, and a healthy sense of authority. How can we each approach these elements in a way that works for us?

109 Dual Enrollment & Multilingual Discourse

Participation in dual enrollment programs has skyrocketed in recent years, but how many college credits in high school is the right amount? We see that getting the first dual credit course is good for most students, and that additional courses have diminishing returns or overwhelm students. Later, we read multilingual dialogue examples from a science class that fosters a safe classroom environment where they use discussion to help students learn the English language and science content simultaneously.

108 Personalize or Differentiate and Inquiry Classrooms

How should we approach making adjustments in the classroom to ensure we meet the needs of every learner? Dr. Ling Zhang joins us to discuss how US law and policy frame individualization and other requirements for tailoring instruction to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Focus on pacing toward common goals shows the most promise for legal compliance and learning gains. Later, we discuss an example course fully committed to student growth through interlocking systems of active, collaborative learning and minimizing grade-based motivation.

107 Disruption Gaze & Assessment Encouragement

How do experienced teachers effectively monitor a classroom? We read an eye-tracking study comparing pre-service teachers with expert teachers that revealed more systematic patterns that were more resilient following disruptions. We discuss how teachers can make space to practice this element of classroom management. Later, we discuss how teacher encouragement shapes student motivation on major assessments. Our words of encouragement promote class engagement that itself boosts success.

106 Professional Development & Student Perseverance

Professional learning should be improving teaching, which ultimately should benefit students. We read a meta-analysis showing that effective teaching methods within professional development is far more likely to impact learning than the learning topic or time spent in the program. Later, we read a study of student perseverance that underscores the importance of establishing mastery goals with students, while avoiding extrinsic rewards, to increase their perseverance and improve academic performance.