No Time For Change

By Oskar Cymerman | @focus2achieve | BAM! Radio Network & Teaching Channel Blogger

Do this.
Do that.
Constant haste.
No time to waste.
 
This is serious!
No time for play.
No time to fail and try again.
Is there enough time to learn?
 
Little time to talk
To all those we should.
We’d all learn together.
We could do more good.
 
What’s the hurry?
Why the rush?
What if we changed,
Had all the time, rearranged?
 
There’s rhetoric
And beautiful words.
Visions of the future
Painted with broad brush strokes.
 
Dreams of beauty,
Beautiful dreams too.
They live in our mind-
Defined, refined, enshrined.
 
We keep dreaming…
Saying beautiful words…
Call ourselves believers,
Game-changers, leaders…
 
We call ourselves connected.
Another follower collected.
The truth of the present neglected.
Reality distorted, from it disconnected.
 
We put words on slides,
Send them into ether.
Aspire and inspire
Till our wills expire.
 
The emergence of divergence!
We shout out on the screen.
To all those who’ll look, but…
When it counts - will we intervene?
 
 
Challenge to All Educators:
1. Ask yourself and be honest with yourself - Do I do enough? Do I affect change or use beautiful words to talk about it?
2. Act Accordingly...
 
Thanks for reading! Check me out on BAm! Sign Up for my Newsletter - I blog about the science of learning, share teaching and learning strategies, write about finding inspiration in the little things, and always encourage others to ask questions, look for answers, and gulp (not sip) life. 
 
Remember: You have the power. Use it often.

Crush That Test with 12 Yeses and 4 Tips

By Oskar Cymerman | @focus2achieve | BAm! Radio Network EdWords Blogger

"Test" is a loaded word. Plenty of Ed folk out there start hyperventilating hearing the word alone. Put STD in front of "Test" and some educators will roundhouse kick you Chuck Norris style.

Had my arm twisted to proctor a few Standardized Tests this year, uhm... every year. Good times...

STD Ts are a drag. So are STDs, but that's a story no one wants to hear.

"Grades" - that's another hot topic. Keep them? Kick them? I have my preferences. So do you.

Regardless, tests and grades pervade education. They'll be here a while. Good, bad, or ugly we gotta deal with them. Tests get grades. Grades get diplomas. Diplomas get jobs.

But first we gotta get tests. And then crush them.

Help students crush tests.

Here's how:

Here's the Crush That Test Checklist PDF style for your printing pleasures.

Thanks for your time! I hope you find the infographic above useful. Please share it with other teachers, students, and parents. You can access all other Brain-Based Learning infographics I created by scrolling down my ED!Blog. I will feature more Brain-Based Learning teaching tools, metacognitive strategies, and posts on social-emotional learning in my future NEWSLETTERS, so please SIGN UP if you would like to receive tips that help students become better learners and you're looking to add more weapons of mass creation to your teaching arsenal :)

If you find the information in the infographic useful, consider buying "Crush School: Every Student's Guide To Killing It In The Classroom", which is a book I wrote to help students learn more efficiently and effectively using proven research based strategies.

You Have the Power to Change the World. Use it Often.

Sources:

1. Richard M. Felder MEMO TO STUDENTS WHO ARE DISAPPOINTED WITH THEIR LAST TEST GRADE.
2. Coursera Learning How To Learn MOOC by Barbara Oakley PhD & Terrence Sejnowski PhD.

Crush School: Every Student's Guide To Killing It In The Classroom (And Teachers Dig It Too)

$16.95

By Oskar Cymerman

Buy on Amazon

Universal Truth: Everyone Has At Least One Superpower

By Oskar Cymerman | @focus2achieve | BAm! Radio Network EdWords Blogger

Hey, chances are you will not be able to fly like Super Man, be fast like Flash, or crush anything that stands in your path like the Hulk after reading this blog. However, what many of us often fail to realize about superheroes is that the attributes I described are only a small part of their overall presence. There are other, often-overlooked characteristics that superheroes share that define them. These characteristics, which I believe are more important than flying and major ass kicking strength, are well within the realm of possibility for everyone.

In fact, every human being is special in his or her own way and possesses at least one gift that is unique. It is our universal mission to discover these talents and share them with the world. 

So What Is Your Superpower?

This, each one of us has to discover for himself or herself. However, there are general rules you can follow to figure out what your unique ability is. When you do, there is no denying it. You know it and you spend your entire life cultivating it, nurturing it, and using it for good.

Some Tips to Help You Along

Ask yourself the following questions every day until you have the answer: 

1. What am I willing to do for love not money? 

2. What am I passionate about, can work hard for, and have fun with no matter what? 

3. Maybe there is something that when you do it gives you a feeling of elation, creates purpose in your existence, and brings focus to your life? 

4. Look within and identify your core values. Is there anything so important that you are willing to give your life to it and for it if needed?

The answers will come when you consciously listen, observe, ask questions, problem solve, make connections, and keep your mind open to any and all possibilities. Be INTENTIONAL when doing things, look for MEANING, and most importantly: WRITE THE ANSWERS DOWN. 

"To experience the presents life has to offer, you must first be present” - Darren Hardy

So, work on being present in all situations (i.e. don't be a spectator), carry a journal, and write your truths down in it or create a new note in your phone dedicated to discovering yourself and your uniqueness.

The Intended Side Effect

Here's the kicker, the truth within this Universal Truth: If you follow these rules, you will be happy and fulfilled doing what you love and serving others and you will make a great living doing it. You will be wealthy on all planes of existence: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. 

The Key? Once you have your answers, stay within the realm of your expertise. Work hard at it. Be passionate about it. Love it. Cultivate and study it. Push yourself every day to be better at it. When obstacles arise; persist. Use it to serve others and add value to them.

But perhaps the greatest happiness and joy will come to you when you help others find their superpowers. If you're a teacher teach how to attain them. if you're a writer write about procuring them. If you're a speaker speak about achieving them.

Do it all without fail and you will develop your superpower.

Dive into life head first.

Take big gulps.

Now Off You Go On Your Quest To Become A Superhero.

Thank you for reading! Please share this post with others who might enjoy it. Please sign up for my NEWSLETTER if you would like to receive more articles on social emotional learning and brain-based learning infographics containing tips and strategies that work in helping students become better learners. My next NEWSLETTER will feature a BRAND NEW INFOGRAPHIC on BRAIN-BASED LEARNING & TESTING - another tool you add to your teaching toolbox!

 You Have the Power to Change the World. Use it often.