If School Walls Could Talk

A common best practice for teachers is to "reverse-engineer" their lesson plans and units. They start at the end: they first ask themselves what knowledge and skills they want their students to be able to demonstrate, then "back-plan" their lessons from there. But, what happens when an entire school tries to adopt this approach? In this episode, we'll explore the "portrait of a graduate," an innovative design process some schools are adopting on their path towards integrating competency-based learning into their academic landscapes. We'll explore how this process can honor and improve a student's learning, and we'll also show how some schools are navigating the complexities of moving into this new and innovative approach to teaching and learning. Once you've listened to the episode, use our discussion guide to help spark a conversation about this topic in your own school. Here is the web address for the discussion guide: http://www.nwaisfellowship.org/new-page-36

In a Pew Research Survey conducted in the fall of 2018, 70% of students surveyed said that anxiety and depression were major problems for them and their peers. How can schools help their students manage their stress and anxiety? In this episode, we talk about how schools unintentionally contribute to student stress, as well as how schools can teach coping strategies. We also take a look at some innovative techniques being used to draw attention to stress and to get people talking about it in schools. Once you've listened to the episode, use our discussion guide to help spark a conversation about this topic in your own school. Here is the web address for the discussion guide: http://www.nwaisfellowship.org/new-page-36

Have you ever been in a meeting that went off track, didn't apply to you, or was a waste of your time? If you work at a school, there is a good chance that you spend a fair amount of your time in meetings. This episode examines the qualities of effective meetings and may help your school start a discussion about how to have better meetings. Once you've listened to the episode, check out our discussion guide to help spark conversations. Here is the web address for the discussion guide: http://www.nwaisfellowship.org/new-page-36

Welcome to If School Walls Could Talk! Check out our trailer to hear what we are about.