Adopt and incorporate five pillars of good teaching
described below in order to create greater student success
and prepare students for a lifetime of learning…
Create a growth-oriented learning environment.
Students develop a “growth mindset”: become more interested in and curious about what they are learning, more motivated to make progress, find answers and solve problems, more resilient when confronting challenges, and more able and willing to put in the effort to improve their learning and their work over time.
Teach key understandings and vital skills.
Students develop core understandings (with supporting information) and vital skill sets that are relevant, meaningful, and significant.
Develop agency
Students become independent learners who can apply and deepen learning and are able to conduct research, complete projects, better understand complex ideas, examine and analyze thoughtful challenges, debate issues, plan for the future, collaborate with others, and take on leadership roles.
Develop self-reflective students.
Students are provided with opportunities to discover, develop and deepen their talents, strengths, interests, and self-understanding through classroom and school activities, enrichment options, apprenticeships, community activism and service learning opportunities, and elective courses.
Organize and plan for effective instruction.
Plan and teach units of study that, among other things, encourage curiosity and interest in learning; build a foundation of key understandings and vital skills; help develop student agency and leadership skills; foster self-reflection.
What is a “good” education?
Will she be a successful learner?
Will his learning be relevant and meaningful?
Will she be prepared for a lifetime of learning?…
That depends on us! Scroll down to discover ways to make sure that all this happens…
Learn more about these five pillars of successful teaching and learning that support lifelong learning by reading the appropriate blogs in the blog section of this website, examining the many resources suggested on the website, and reading my book:
Seif, Elliott. Teaching for Lifelong Learning:
How to Prepare Students for a Changing World
Book is also available on Amazon.
With this resource, you will:
Understand what the latest research on learning tells us about successful teaching and learning.
Understand the importance of developing learning environments that support curious explorers, independent thinkers, and growth mindsets.
Learn why and how to focus learning around key understandings and critical skill sets.
Engage students by organizing effective instruction and assessment around a four phase instructional process.
Learn how and when to use a variety of diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments, with special emphasis on formative assessment.
Explore many examples of success-oriented, lifelong learning instruction from various disciplines and grade levels across elementary, middle, and high school classrooms.
Know what to look for when analyzing, choosing, or designing a new curriculum, and how to adapt Understanding by Design to promote greater success and a lifelong learning approach.
Learn how project based learning and citizenship education fit into a lifelong learning education program.
Learn how to adapt and change classroom and school practices and programs over time to promote greater student success and a lifelong learning education.