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CRUSH SCHOOL

5644 1st Avenue South Minneapolis, MN, 55419

I blog on Brain-Based Learning, Metacognition, EdTech, and Social-Emotional Learning. I am the author of the Crush School Series of Books, which help students understand how their brains process information and learn. I also wrote The Power of Three: How to Simplify Your Life to Amplify Your Personal and Professional Success, but be warned that it's meant for adults who want to thrive and are comfortable with four letter words.

Filtering by Category: Learning

Success Is Not About What You Know

August 23, 2018  /  Oskar Cymerman

Success+is+not+about+what+you+know

Success is less about what you know now and more about how quickly and effectively you can learn and use new information.

This is the most important thing I learned in my 15 years of teaching and mentoring teens.

Success depends on skills. Build up a skill set and help others do the same and you will succeed.

There are over 20,000 high schools in the US and most of them focus on test scores and teaching specific subjects not success skills.

Schools were designed in the Industrial Era to pacify kids and produce citizens who follow society's rules and conventions, work guidelines, and their manager's directions.

This is perfect for working retail or on an assembly line.

The problem is that many present jobs call for creative problem solving - the type that does not follow specific formulas or directions but requires original ideas.

This requires learning and applying information on the go. To be useful, such real time learning must be efficient and effective - the information must be understood quickly and applied almost immediately.

The life success test does not involve filling out bubbles and answering multiple choice questions. It calls for providing the most affordable and advantageous solution to a problem a person or a group of people faces.

Again, this requires application of skills not being capable of winning on Jeopardy. ("Learning How to Learn for $200 Alex.")

The most important success skill anyone can use is being able to learn and apply new information quickly.

This is of course extremely useful in school because it can help a teen earn better grades. But it goes beyond that...

Being able to quickly absorb, understand, retain, and use new information in the age in which information grows exponentially is anyone's key to success.

I lay out the path to achieving this in a series of short lessons in my new book Crush School Student Guide: Learn Faster, Study Smarter, Remember More, and Make School Easier.

The critics say:

"If you are a kid, get this book. Use it. Learn it. Apply it. Grow because of it. Invest in yourself. You deserve it."

"Oskar writes in a conversational and easy to understand tone."

"Through activities the students will discover how their brain learns, how it impacts their learning style, and finally, how she or he can apply that knowledge to learn 'smarter not harder'."

The book is now on sale for $19.95 (33% OFF the regular price of $29.95) until Thursday, August 30th. You can grab it here. 

You have the power to change lives. Use it often so they can change the world.

Hi! I'm Oskar.          I teach, write, and speak to make learning better.

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BOOKS & TOOLS

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categories / Learning
tags / teaching teens, parenting teens, deeper learning, independence, lifelong learning, simplicity, skills, success skills, learning, making life easier, kids

5 Beat Summer Procrastination Tips for Teachers and Teens

August 11, 2018  /  Oskar Cymerman

5 Beat procrastination tips for teachers and teens

Have you been to your local supply chain store lately?

OMG. Teacher’s. Worst. Nightmare.

What - My brain is screaming - It’s back to school season already?!?!

Back to school clothes. Back to school accessories. Back to school devices. Back to school supplies. Back to school Louis Vuitton pencils and Chanel pencil cases. Are you kidding me? It’s still July!

Anxiety sets in. I frantically search my cargo shorts’ pockets, pull the phone out, and carefully count the days ‘til I have to report for duty. Turns out, “back to the grind” begins in 15 days. No sweat. I exhale.

Wait! Is that in like two weeks?

What?!?!

When?!?!

How?!?!

The adrenaline is back. I spent my summer writing because I liked it during the day and watching too many Netflix shows for far too long into the night. Reading, camping, grilling, and growing tomatoes while fighting chipmunks occupied my time. I haven’t even watched that many LeBron James memes or World Cup highlights videos.

Why does this happen every single year?

Why am I such an anxious freak at the beginning of each year even after doing it 15 times before?

But wait – my rational brain says - You have three weeks and this time it will be different. You will prepare. You will be ready. You will not procrastinate.  

No sweat. I only have to complete the following list items before day one: Paint tables with whiteboard paint, decorate my chemistry room, order chemistry supplies, fix the broken legs on armchairs and the couch, prepare a presentation for the open house, fix broken Chromebooks, learn the new learning management system our district is using this year because the previous three are not enough, figure out what chemistry topics I can get rid of in favor of more projects and skills instruction, figure out these projects, decorate my engineering room, get the broken PCs fixed, get new software licenses, clean up the robotics kit parts still spread around the room from last year (did I mention I am a procrastinator?), order more kit parts and other consumables (but first figure out what is needed), get the new 3D printer operational, plan 3-5 initial lessons that use 3D printing, plan at least the first week of instruction, send copies to the district copy center for printing, and what seems like a hundred other things I am forgetting at the moment.

“The list” is the villain. It’s too much for our brains to juggle so they shut down. To avoid brain pain, we procrastinate. However, with the right approach we can achieve.

Here are my 5 tips for procrastinators:

1. Chunk the project into a series of smaller achievable steps.

This will prevent your brain from becoming overwhelmed.

For example, “Paint tables with whiteboard paint” involves (1) begging the principal, (2) finding a cheap online supplier, (3) ordering via the school treasurer, (4) washing the tables, (5) covering the floors, (6) priming the tables, (7) first paint coat, and (8) second coat.

2. Write down a plan of action.

Plan ahead for work sessions and brain breaks. Write down what you will work on during each session and then reward yourself with a 5-minute break doing something you like. Then, get back to it!

Example: Work - Beg the principal, find a supplier, order. Break - catch up with a colleague. Work - cover floors and wash tables. Break – grab more coffee. Work. Break. Optional – blast heavy metal music while at it.

3. Follow your plan.

Work in short, uninterrupted chunks of time. Set a timer to 25 minutes and work on one small chunk of the bigger project.

4. Start with the most pleasurable task.

This will motivate you to keep going due to a release of dopamine.

My principal has always been supportive of my wild ideas, so this is easy.

5. Plan for and deal with as many distractions as possible before you begin working.

Examples: Clear your work area, put your phone in airplane mode, tell everyone around what you are doing and ask not to be disturbed, close your door and put a "Do Not Disturb" sign on it etc.

The tips work both for teachers and their students. They work during spring, summer, autumn, and winter so use them anytime you want to "get to it tomorrow."

And if you teach or parent teens, you know one or two or a hundred who major in Procrastination Sciences. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go and get started on those tables. Or do you think I should start tomorrow?

Just a quick reminder that Crush School Student Guide, my new learning how to learn book for teens, is now available on Amazon.

You can buy it here.

And if you already purchased one or simply value the work I do, you can help me get the word out about the Crush School Student Guide to other teachers and parents of teens.

Here are the 3 easy ways you can help:

  1. Simply tell others who can benefit from the book about it - teachers who need lessons to teach study skills and parents of teens.

  2. Tweet. Super easy - just click: Share on Twitter below.

  3. Share on Facebook. Easy. Click on Share on Facebook below and Copy/Paste this text: Check out this book to help teach teens how to crush it in high school. Free Bonuses Inside.

  4. Do all three! You will have my gratitude forever :)

You have the power to change lives. Use it often so they can change the world.

Hi! I'm Oskar.          I teach, write, and speak to make learning better.

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BOOKS & TOOLS

Comment
categories / Learning
tags / teaching teens, parenting teens, deeper learning, independence, lifelong learning, simplicity, skills, success skills, learning, making life easier, kids

3 Resources for Learning New Skills Faster (for Teens, Teachers, and Other Pros)

August 01, 2018  /  Oskar Cymerman

3 Resources for Learning New Skills Faster

School or work can be a grind. This is true if you’re just starting out a new journey or if you’re a seasoned pro. It’s rare to be able to automate whatever you do, spend 4 hours a week working, and make a decent living doing so. But while you have to put in the time, it’s important to learn how to put in smart time, not more time into your school, job, or business.

One of the most effective ways to do that is to learn. Learn about learning, learn about working, learn about the business, the trends, the people… Learn and apply what you learn constantly and you will get ahead of the curve.

Here are the three learning resources that will help you learn quicker and make your grind easier.

1. Videos on Steroids

You know YouTube and other video platforms offer a lot of learning in the area you are currently developing more expertise in, but chances are you don’t always have the time to watch thirty, forty, or fifty-minute films. Check out the hack below you might not have thought of to save you time and speed your learning up.

Your Time-Saving, Faster-Learning Hack

Click on the Gear icon next to the CC button on the bottom right of the YouTube video you’re about to watch. Change the speed from “Normal” to 1.5x. You will still easily understand the content but receive it 50% faster. A 30-minute video just became a 20-minute one.

But if you increase the speed to 2x and really focus, you will be able to make 1-hour long videos into 30-minute learning sessions. It will sound like you’re being taught by Alvin and the Chipmunks at first and might require some getting used to, but you will reach a point at which listening at twice the speed is seamless. This is because the human brain is capable of absorbing information much faster than it usually receives it.

2. Blinkist

“Big ideas in small packages.”

Blinkist is a company that takes the best nonfiction books on all topics imaginable and turns them into “blinks” or short chapters filled with only the key content of each book. All you have to do is download the Blinkist app, subscribe, and start reading text or listening to audio that summarizes books in your field of interest in 15-minutes. Try it free for 7 days here.

Blinkist is my secret super weapon - this is how I learn about a variety of topics (but mostly the brain and learning) faster.

Listen to these quick devoid-of-fluff audiobooks in your car or while doing chores and increase the speed to supercharge your learning.

3. The Kwik Brain Podcast

Jim Kwik is a guy who survived two brain injuries, learned to read 2 years after his peers did, and struggled in school. Then, he discovered accelerated learning and started teaching his college peers how to learn faster. Now, he teaches everyone to read faster, remember better, and many other accelerated learning techniques via his website and podcast Kwik Brain.

Give it a listen at 1.5x to 2x the speed and get a little smarter in under 10 minutes for free. 

Jim is a hero of mine. I learned many of the things I teach my students and write about to help their teachers and parents from him. In fact, I use several Kwik Brain episodes to teach teens how to learn more effectively in my book Crush School Student Guide: Learn Faster, Study Smarter, Remember More, and Make School Easier. 

And if you buy my book here before midnight Friday, August 3rd I will give you an extra copy and a gift that supports your child's learning further for FREE. Just pay $7 for shipping. This offer is gone in less than 2 days.

And if you already purchased one, or simply value the work I do, you can help me get the word out about the Crush School Student Guide to other teachers and parents of teens.

Here are the 3 easy ways you can help:

  1. Simply tell others who can benefit from the book about it - teachers who need lessons to teach study skills and parents of teens.

  2. Tweet. Super easy - just click: Share on Twitter below.

  3. Share on Facebook. Easy. Click on Share on Facebook below and Copy/Paste this text: Check out this book to help teach teens how to crush it in high school. Free Bonuses Inside.

  4. Do all three! You will have my gratitude forever :)

Thank you and I appreciate you!

You have the power to change lives. Use it often so they can change the world.

Hi! I'm Oskar.          I teach, write, and speak to make learning better.

oc pro.png

BOOKS & TOOLS

Comment
categories / Learning, Parenting
tags / teaching teens, parenting teens, deeper learning, independence, lifelong learning, simplicity, skills, success skills, learning, making life easier, kids

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