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  • Innovation Integrating AI, VR, and gamification to make education more interactive and impactful Redefining Education Through Online Learning

    Innovation Integrating AI, VR, and gamification to make education more interactive and impactful Redefining Education Through Online Learning

    The world is changing rapidly, and education is evolving to keep pace. At the heart of this transformation lies online learning—a powerful tool that transcends boundaries and empowers learners everywhere.

    Why Online Learning is the Future

    Flexibility: Learning anytime, anywhere, empowering individuals to balance education with life.Global Reach: Bridging gaps and providing opportunities to those previously underserved by traditional systems.

    Personalization: Leveraging technology to cater to diverse learning styles and needs.

    Innovation: Integrating AI, VR, and gamification to make education more interactive and impactful.

    A Vision for the Future

    As we embrace this digital era, I believe online learning is more than a solution—it’s a revolution. Together, we can create pathways to lifelong learning, foster global connections, and equip individuals with the skills to thrive in an ever-changing world.

    I invite fellow educators, innovators, and learners to join me in shaping the future of education. Let’s collaborate, share ideas, and continue building a world where education is accessible to all.

  • Empowering Minds Through Open Education

    Empowering Minds Through Open Education

    Education should be a bridge to opportunity, not a barrier. As a passionate advocate for open education, I believe in making knowledge accessible, inclusive, and free from unnecessary constraints.

    Why Open Education?

    It removes financial and geographical barriers, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background, has access to quality learning.t fosters collaboration, creativity, and lifelong learning in an ever-changing world It empowers individuals to shape their futures while addressing global challenges.Add a key detail about your project or vision—e.g., “Our recent initiative has already reached over 10,000 learners globally, and we’re just getting started.

    As we continue to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the digital age, I am committed to championing innovative solutions that democratize education for all. Let’s build a world where learning knows no bounds.

  • Here’s a professional and engaging post template you can use to highlight your college achievement

    Here’s a professional and engaging post template you can use to highlight your college achievement

    A proud milestone achieved!

    I am thrilled to share an important milestone in my academic journey. Recently, I briefly described your achievement, e.g., “received the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence,” “completed my thesis with distinction,” “was honoured as the valedictorian,” etc.

    This accomplishment reflects not only the hard work and determination I’ve poured into my studies but also the support and encouragement I’ve received from my professors, peers, and family along the way.

    If applicable, briefly mention any key project, challenge, or memorable moment tied to the achievement: “One of the highlights of this journey was leading a research project on renewable energy solutions, which deepened my passion for sustainability.”

    I’m incredibly grateful for this experience, as it has shaped me personally and professionally. As I look ahead, I am excited to apply what I’ve learnt and continue growing in [your field of interest, e.g., “data science,” “education,” etc..

    To my fellow students and colleagues: Keep striving, keep learning, and never underestimate the power of perseverance. Together, we can achieve great things

  • The Power of Education and Experience: A Winning Combination for Success

    The Power of Education and Experience: A Winning Combination for Success

    In today’s rapidly changing world, the phrase “education and experience” has become the cornerstone of personal and professional success. While education provides us with foundational knowledge, experience refines and enhances our ability to apply that knowledge in the real world. Together, they create a powerful synergy that can unlock countless opportunities, shape our careers, and lead to personal fulfillment.

    So, how do education and experience work together, and why are they both essential? Let’s explore the dynamic relationship between these two pillars of growth.

    The Role of Education: Building a Strong Foundation

    Education is often seen as the first step in any professional or personal journey. It gives us the tools to understand the world, solve problems, and think critically. Whether it’s formal education, such as degrees or certifications, or informal learning, like self-study or online courses, education provides the structure and knowledge base to help us succeed.

    1. Knowledge and Skills Acquisition

    Through education, we learn the theories, concepts, and principles that form the backbone of any field. For example, a computer science degree gives you the understanding of algorithms, data structures, and programming languages, while a business degree provides insights into management, marketing, and finance. This foundational knowledge is necessary to build expertise and navigate the complexities of any career.

    2. Developing Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Abilities

    Education doesn’t just teach facts—it helps us develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Whether through scientific research, historical analysis, or mathematical problem-solving, education trains us to think analytically, assess situations, and make informed decisions. These skills are invaluable in any profession and are often a key differentiator in today’s competitive job market.

    3. Networking and Exposure

    Educational environments—be they schools, universities, or online platforms—expose you to new ideas, diverse perspectives, and networks of like-minded individuals. You meet peers, mentors, and professionals who can offer advice, collaborate on projects, and share valuable insights. These connections often serve as the foundation for future collaborations, job opportunities, and career growth.

    The Power of Experience: Transforming Knowledge into Action

    While education provides us with knowledge, experience allows us to put that knowledge into action. Experience is the real-world application of what we’ve learned, and it helps us refine our skills, adapt to challenges, and build confidence. It’s through experience that we truly understand the nuances of our field and gain the practical knowledge that education alone can’t provide.

    1. Hands-On Learning and Mastery

    Experience is where the theory we learned in the classroom gets tested in the real world. It’s through hands-on experience that we develop the practical expertise that employers value. For example, a medical student might learn the theory behind surgery in textbooks, but it’s through performing surgeries under supervision that they gain true mastery.

    2. Developing Soft Skills

    While education sharpens our technical knowledge, experience helps us hone the soft skills that are essential for success in any profession. These include communication, leadership, teamwork, time management, and adaptability. Through experience, we learn how to manage projects, handle conflict, and work with diverse teams—skills that are crucial in a professional setting.

    3. Building Confidence and Resilience

    Experience is a great teacher of resilience. When faced with real challenges—whether it’s meeting a tight deadline, managing a difficult project, or overcoming a failure—we learn to adapt, persevere, and grow. Each challenge builds our confidence and prepares us for future success. As we accumulate more experience, we begin to understand our strengths and areas for improvement, which fuels our personal and professional development.

    How Education and Experience Complement Each Other

    The magic truly happens when education and experience come together. Here’s how they complement each other:

    1. Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice

    Education gives us the “what” and the “why,” but experience shows us the “how.” A well-educated person might have a wealth of theoretical knowledge, but without practical experience, they might struggle to apply that knowledge effectively. Similarly, someone with extensive experience but little education might lack the foundational understanding needed to make informed decisions. When you combine the two, you become not just knowledgeable but also highly effective at applying what you know.

    2. Continuous Learning and Growth

    The learning process is never truly complete. Education is the gateway, but experience drives continuous improvement. As you gain experience, you encounter new challenges, which can lead to further learning opportunities. This continuous cycle of learning and applying creates a path to personal growth and success that’s always evolving.

    3. Increased Career Opportunities

    Employers seek candidates who have both the education and experience to contribute meaningfully to their organizations. A degree alone may get you in the door, but real-world experience is what sets you apart and demonstrates your ability to excel. Combining education with relevant work experience or internships can make you a more competitive candidate in the job market.

    Lifelong Learning: The Future of Education and Experience

    In the 21st century, the line between education and experience continues to blur. The rise of online learning, virtual internships, and remote work means that you can gain experience and education simultaneously, no matter where you are in the world. Lifelong learning has become essential in today’s fast-changing job market. New skills, technologies, and industries are emerging every day, and we must be committed to continually improving ourselves.

    Whether through formal schooling, self-guided learning, apprenticeships, or on-the-job training, we all have opportunities to enhance our knowledge and experience. Embracing both education and experience will keep you adaptable, competitive, and ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

    Conclusion: The Winning Combination for Success

    Education and experience are two sides of the same coin. Education gives you the foundation, the theories, and the concepts you need to understand the world, while experience allows you to bring that knowledge to life in meaningful ways. The combination of both equips you with the tools necessary for personal growth, career advancement, and success.

    So, as you continue on your journey—whether you’re a student just starting out, a professional looking to climb the career ladder, or someone seeking to switch fields—remember this: the more you invest in both your education and your experience, the more you will unlock your potential and open doors to new opportunities.

    The world is full of possibilities—it’s up to you to learn, experience, and grow.

  • Online Learning Can Help You Realize Your Potential: A Route to Professional and Personal Development

    Online Learning Can Help You Realize Your Potential: A Route to Professional and Personal Development

    In today’s rapidly evolving world, relying solely on traditional classrooms for education is increasingly limiting. The advent of online learning has redefined the landscape, providing unmatched flexibility and accessibility for learners of every background. Whether your goal is to advance professionally, explore a new passion, or gain in-depth knowledge, online education is your gateway to a world of opportunities waiting to be tapped.

    Why Embrace Online Learning?

    1. Personalized Learning at Your Convenience

    One of the most remarkable benefits of online learning is the ability to study at your own pace. Unlike rigid class schedules, online courses let you choose when to learn, whether early morning or late at night. For busy professionals, parents, or anyone juggling multiple commitments, this flexibility is transformative, allowing you to integrate education seamlessly into your life.

    2. Global Access to Knowledge

    With online education, geographical barriers become a thing of the past. You have the chance to enroll in courses from esteemed institutions and industry leaders worldwide. Whether your interests lie in technology, the arts, or personal development, the breadth of available resources means that world-class learning is just a click away.

    3. Diverse Learning Formats to Engage You

    Online learning caters to various learning styles, featuring a variety of formats such as engaging videos, interactive quizzes, and live discussions. This means you can choose a format that captivates you, whether you’re a visual learner or prefer hands-on practice. The beauty of online education lies in its adaptability to your preferences.

    4. Cost-Effective Learning Solutions

    Traditional education can be costly, with tuition, commuting, and materials accumulating quickly. Conversely, many online courses are significantly more affordable or even free, allowing you to receive quality education without financial strain. This leaves you with extra resources to reinvest in your learning journey.

    Propel Your Career Forward with Online Learning

    1. Elevate Your Skills with Targeted Training

    In an increasingly competitive job market, cultivating new skills is key to remaining relevant. Online platforms feature courses tailored to bolster your career prospects. Whether you’re looking to master coding, digital marketing, or leadership, there’s a course designed to equip you with the skills employers seek. Earning certifications from reputable institutions can further enhance your resume and increase your employability.

    2. Build a Professional Network

    While online learning may feel solitary, it offers numerous networking opportunities. Many courses include discussion forums, collaborative projects, and even virtual meetups, allowing you to connect with peers, instructors, and industry experts. These relationships can pave the way for job opportunities, collaborations, and mentorships that enrich your career trajectory.

    3. Move Ahead of Industry Trends

    Industries are continuously evolving, and keeping up with the latest developments is vital for career progression. Online courses often address emerging trends and technologies that traditional programs may overlook. By engaging with online education, you can maintain a cutting-edge skillset that positions you for future success.

    Enhance Your Life with Online Learning

    1. Discover New Interests

    Have you ever wanted to delve into painting, photography, or creative writing? Now is the perfect time to explore these passions through online courses. With many platforms offering affordable or even free creative options, you can pursue these interests without pressure, embracing learning purely for enjoyment.

    2. Invest in Your Personal Development

    Online education goes beyond professional growth—it’s a powerful means for personal enrichment as well. With a wealth of courses focused on everything from mindfulness and time management to confidence-building and leadership skills, you have the tools to transform yourself into the best version of you. This ability to grow mentally and emotionally on your own terms is a prevailing advantage of online learning.

    The Future of Education is Here As technology rapidly advances, online learning will continue to shape the education landscape. The future is digital—imagine virtual classrooms, AI-optimized learning experiences, and immersive tools like gamified learning and VR. With unparalleled access to exceptional content, the freedom to study at your convenience, and opportunities to acquire essential skills, online education unlocks a world of potential. Take the leap and explore the horizons that await you today!

  • You Don’t Need to Be the Hollywood Version of a Teacher

    You Don’t Need to Be the Hollywood Version of a Teacher

    You Don’t Need to Be the Hollywood Version of a Teacher. Here’s What Motivates Students

    Everyone has had a teacher who has that special something: they are entertaining and inspiring. They draw you in and make you want to work your hardest.

    What is it, exactly, that makes those educators so engaging? And are those qualities innate or can they be taught?

    Education Week put those questions to Alex Kajitani, the 2009 California Teacher of the Year, who now spends his days training teachers on how to motivate and engage students.

    This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

    istockphoto-1054092674-612x612-1-300x200 You Don’t Need to Be the Hollywood Version of a Teacher

    Are really engaging teachers just born that way or can other educators learn how to be that person?
    I deeply believe that it really is something that can be taught. And I think that there’s this myth of the beloved teacher, that they’re always making the best jokes, and they’re always so engaging. And every lesson plan is like this Oscar-worthy performance, right?

    But in reality, the teachers who students really love, the teachers who students really connect with, are the ones who are just confident in being themselves and really just own who it is that they are. And they’re genuinely interested in the students themselves.

    They don’t need to be the Hollywood movie version of a teacher.

    Nobody needs to be like a Robin Williams character and standing on desks.

    But is that superstar, Hollywood version something educators should strive for?
    I’ve seen a lot of students who are having lots of fun in the classroom, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re engaged with the academic content or engaged in the classroom.

    They’re not actually emotionally involved with the academic content. Likewise, you can walk into a classroom that is completely silent, but you can just feel it: “Oh my gosh, every student is totally engaged and working on what they need to be working on.”

    And so engagement doesn’t need to be something that’s loud. Engagement doesn’t need to be something that’s fun, and neither does an engaging teacher. They just need to be emotionally involved. I always encourage teachers to be interested, and be interesting.

    I’ve seen many instances where the amazing, incredible beloved teacher, [their] students go on to the next level of class the following year and they really struggle academically because they were so wrapped up in how awesome and amazing the teacher was that the teacher sort of overlooked really making sure that the kids got the academic content or the skills that they needed to move on from that class.

    What are the secret ingredients for teachers to spark student motivation?
    I have a few. The first sort of secret ingredient is simply confidence. If a teacher goes from having a soft voice and standing in the same place to having this confident voice and moving around and making eye contact, you’re just going to immediately be willing to engage with that teacher. And then by default, you just become much more confident.

    And then the other ingredient that is really critical is just really being able to connect with students. You have to know if your students are into baseball or Minecraft or art or cooking or things like that.

    The stuff on the screens and the stuff on the phones is really, really engaging. … It’s hard [for educators] to compete with that.
    Alex Kajitani
    But then we fall really short a lot of times because it’s not enough to just know what your students are interested in. You have to take that and you have to bring it up from time to time.

    So to know that Sophia is really into cooking is great. But then when you’re talking about fractions and you say, “Hey, today, we’re going to talk about fractions. Sophia, I know that you’re really into cooking and fractions are a really important part of cooking so that you can get all of your recipes right. You are going to love today’s lesson.”

    Nobody needs to be like a Robin Williams character and stand on desks and things like that. (A reference to a teacher in the movie Dead Poets Society.)

    A lot of times, quite honestly, real engagement in the classroom happens in a short little sentence, in small quiet interactions in the back of the classroom or at a student’s desk. Real engagement happens when you’re walking by a student in the hallway and you ask them how their music recital went last night.

    Is it harder to motivate and engage students now than before the pandemic?
    It’s really tough because all of us during the pandemic spent a lot of time on our screens. And you know what? The stuff on the screens and the stuff on the phones is really, really engaging. Everything that’s gamified, it keeps us coming back for more. It’s hard [for educators] to compete with that.

    And so, finding ways to go, “OK, what is it that this technology is doing really well? How do I keep my students focused? How do I keep my students engaged and coming back for more?” Those are questions that we can be asking ourselves as educators and learning from the technology.

    The first sort of secret ingredient is simply confidence. […] And then the other ingredient that I think is really critical is just really being able to connect with students.
    Alex Kajitani
    I really, truly think that students would still rather be in a classroom engaging and collaborating and working with other students and their teacher than staring at a screen. It’s just that we’ve got to find ways to make that time engaging.

    Imagine being a student and spending a year or two on these amazing programs and apps. And then you get back to school and the teacher says, “Welcome back: Here’s a worksheet.”

    That’s a hard one for students. So, there’s a real opportunity for us to learn from what it is that keeps people hooked on these apps, and this technology, and social media and go, “OK, maybe we’re not going to replicate that precisely in our classrooms, but what can we take from the level of engagement that these things provide and use it to help teach our kids the stuff that we need to teach them?”

  • 5 Ways to Inspire a Love for Learning in Students

    5 Ways to Inspire a Love for Learning in Students

    5 Ways to Inspire a Love for Learning in Students

    Teaching strategies come and go in K-12 education. But in the ever-evolving quest to find the best way to teach elementary-age students the core skills they need to master before moving on to more advanced grades, one factor remains consistent: students learn best when they’re motivated.

    While some students come to school self-motivated and ready to learn, others seem to lack the same degree of drive. But there’s a lot teachers can do to keep the spark alive among their most self-motivated students, and to ignite it in others.

    Education Week sought input from a mix of experts—educational researchers and classroom teachers recognized for their excellence—on strategies to facilitate motivation in the youngest students for long-term academic success.

    istockphoto-1040921802-612x612-1-300x200 5 Ways to Inspire a Love for Learning in Students

    1. Give students more control, even the youngest learners
    Kim King teaches art to K-4 students in the Mansfield Public Schools in Storrs Mansfield, Conn. She’s found that giving students more control over what they do in her classes motivates them to try harder.

    “A couple of years ago, I started to gradually switch my approach from that of a traditional art teacher, where I’d assign a project for the students,” said King, who was recognized in 2022 as Connecticut’s Teacher of the Year.

    She estimated that about half of her students demonstrated self-motivation under the traditional approach. “For the others, I was doing a lot of scaffolding, re-directing, re-engaging them in the project,” she said. “I was pulling the second half of my class along.”

    King used to teach art to high school students, most of whom choose to take art as an elective and wanted to be there. That difference is key to student motivation, she said. So, King started to look into ways to give her elementary students, who were required to take her class, more choices.

    “We started to talk about what it’s like to be an artist, how [students] develop ideas. I started to see more engagement and self-motivation,” King said. “I began to realize that my focus was building creative confidence so my students could trust their own ideas.”

    For example, King’s 4th grade students created self-portraits, with a twist. They traced their silhouettes, and from there came choices.

    “They could do anything that showed something personal,” said King. Some students chose to use collages, others drew, some painted. “Everybody felt successful … That’s where you’re going to get that motivation.”

    Giving students more control doesn’t mean that the teacher is giving up control, King emphasized.
    “It’s not a free-for-all. They’re learning skills. But they have a voice,” she said.

    2. Foster students’ belief in their own abilities
    Also essential to motivation is the belief in one’s ability to master a given project or problem.

    Most of King’s former high school students decided well before they reached her class whether or not they were “good at” art, King said. She found that her students who believe they don’t possess artistic strengths usually exhibit less self-motivation to pursue artistic projects than their peers who do.

    “Kids have to feel like they’re capable of accomplishing the work at least at some level,” said Allan Wigfield, professor emeritus at the University of Maryland’s College of Education, who has co-authored numerous studies on reading and motivation in young readers.

    Teachers can influence these feelings of capability to some extent, explained Wigfield, by making modifications to assignments for students who are struggling to help boost confidence. He uses the example of having teachers provide struggling readers with book selections they can master during periods reserved for independent reading.

    From left, pre-K students, Jade Fafard, Jackson Reinhard, Luke Keefe, Oakley Parker, Cassandra Cruz, and Altair Bilal, participate in a choice-based art class at Mansfield Elementary School in Mansfield, Conn., on Feb. 13, 2023.
    Pre-K students participate in a choice-based art class at Mansfield Elementary School in February.
    Christopher Capozziello for Education Week
    Creating an environment conducive to facilitating that self-belief is important to Jessica Saum, a special education teacher in Cabot Public Schools, in northern Lonoke County, Ark.

    “When we give students multiple ways to show us what they know, we’re not just meeting the needs of struggling students; we’re giving credence to the whole gamut of students’ brains,” said Saum, the 2022 Arkansas Teacher of the Year.

    For instance, Saum said that if she is assessing spelling and not writing, she will allow a student who has difficulty with written expression to instead spell the word orally. Or she’ll let a student work with a partner on a project to demonstrate mastery.

    3. Practice the ‘art of questioning’
    Young children are innately curious. Cultivating that curiosity is key to enhancing students’ self-motivation, say experts. David Bell, the director of academic programs at Utah’s Western Governors University and a former K-12 teacher, refers to this skill as the art of questioning.

    “As educators, it’s very valuable that we help students unpack and dissect what they’re learning,” said Bell.

    Too often, said Bell, educators focus on having students summarize what they’ve learned as opposed to encouraging them to elaborate on concepts, which can occur even at the youngest grades through exploration of something as simple and concrete as a picture book. “As a teacher, I can ask: How do you know? Prove it.”
    .

    “We have to cultivate early an environment where students ask ‘why,’” Bell said. “Create a culture where asking why is the norm.”

    4. Model enthusiasm for learning
    Teachers have enormous influence over their students—more than they may realize. Bell recounts a personal experience as a classroom teacher in Chicago that demonstrates this point.

    “In the wintertime, I wouldn’t wear my shoes. I’d wear boots and carry my shoes,” he said. He soon noticed that many of his students began to do the same. “I didn’t realize they were trying to mimic my behavior.”

    It makes sense, then, that students whose teachers demonstrate enthusiasm for their subject material are likely to feel the same way.

    “My passion is reading. When you put emphasis and joy in that, and model that, [students’] motivation starts to build,” said Leah Porter, a 3rd grade teacher at Wilcox Elementary School in Holt, Mich.

    Porter recalled how she built excitement for reading among her students, several of whom told her in the beginning of the year that they didn’t like to read. She began by sharing her own enthusiasm for reading and explained how she logs the books she reads for pleasure. Then she structured a readers’ workshop for her students, where they could choose what they read.

    Initially, it took some time to generate enthusiasm among students who were reluctant to read. But that eventually changed.

    “It’s been amazing to see how, just by me modeling the joy of reading and reading to them with the joy of intentionality … they get excited about it too,” said Porter, the 2022 Michigan Teacher of the Year. “Some students who were barely reading are now begging for more reading time.”

  • How One School’s Mentorship Program Paid Off Big in Academic Gains

    How One School’s Mentorship Program Paid Off Big in Academic Gains

    How One School’s Mentorship Program Paid Off Big in Academic Gains

    Phil Yordy, left, works with freshman Derek Shallow, 15, right, during the Hawks Take Flight mentorship program after school at Oregon High School in Oregon, Ill., on Feb. 15, 2023. Yordy teaches world history, civics, and freshman seminar and volunteers as a program mentor.
    Teacher Phil Yordy, left, works with freshman Derek Shallow, 15, right, during an after school mentoring program at Oregon High School in Oregon, Ill., in February. Yordy teaches world history, civics, and freshman seminar and volunteers as a program mentor.
    Laura McDermott for Education Week

    Fifteen years ago, educators at Oregon Junior/Senior High School in northern Illinois realized something needed to change: Too many of their 9th graders were floundering academically and socially.

    istockphoto-1025842842-612x612-1-300x200 How One School’s Mentorship Program Paid Off Big in Academic Gains

    The class of 130 freshmen had a collective 273 Fs in their classes. And the stakes were high—grades and attendance during students’ freshman year are critical indicators of on-time graduation. Studies have found that when freshmen are disengaged, missing school, and failing classes, they’re more likely to drop out or not graduate in four years.

    Oregon’s principal at the time enlisted Kimberly Radostits, a Spanish teacher at the school, to help find a solution. She put together a small group of educators to pilot an after-school program where struggling freshmen students could receive support, guidance, and connection.

    In just a couple years, the school started to see indicators that the program—named Hawks Take Flight, after the school’s mascot—was working. The school’s on-time graduation rate was increasing, and student attendance had improved.

    “Many of those students didn’t really need homework help,” said Radostits, who is now the Illinois Teacher of the Year and a finalist for the national award. “What they needed was just an adult who believed in them.”

    That’s the power of mentoring. Research shows that when students have an adult in their school building who they can trust, they have better attendance, better grades, higher test scores, a sense of belonging and connectedness at school, and belief in themselves as learners.

    Each year, Oregon identifies the 15 percent of the freshmen class that is most at-risk for not graduating, according to early indicators from middle school. For example, educators will look at absences, missing work, and even the number of visits to the nurse’s office to see if students are going to school but missing copious amounts of class time.

    Then, educators will meet with the students’ parents to explain the program and its benefits. The decision to be a part of the program is ultimately left up to students and their parents, but most participate.

    “That is why it’s successful: No one is forced to be in it,” said Heidi Deininger, who is in her fifth year as Oregon’s principal.

    By 2019-20, the number of failing grades in the freshmen class had dropped to 16. When the program was scaled back in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years due to the pandemic, it didn’t yield the same results, Deininger said, adding that it’s back to normal this year: “It works best when it’s in its truest form.”

    Students get both academic and social-emotional support
    This year, seven educators—teachers, school counselors, and a paraprofessional—meet with 17 students every Wednesday after school. They talk as a group as well as one-on-one (each adult has about two students as mentees). Mentees are encouraged to contact their mentors outside of the designated program time, too, and Radostits said students will confide in their mentors about personal problems, as well as academic ones.

    Caelyn Langley, 17, went through Hawks Take Flight as a freshman. She had struggled in middle school, and she didn’t expect to do well in high school—but the educators in the program pushed her to keep on top of her assignments and put effort into her work. She ended up doing well in her classes and is now a senior, with plans to pursue a degree in psychology at Loyola University Chicago in the fall.

    Having a supportive relationship with a teacher—in her case, Radostits—was key, Caelyn said. She has stayed connected with Radostits throughout her time at Oregon, sometimes stopping by her classroom for an hour after school, just to chat.

    “Someone who means something to you is telling you that you can do it and is pushing you to do your best,” Caelyn said. “Mrs. Rad was the first teacher I’ve had a relationship like that with. She really gave me advice and helped me figure stuff out.”

    Many of those students didn’t really need homework help. What they needed was just an adult who believed in them.
    Kimberly Radostits, a Spanish teacher at Oregon Junior/Senior High School
    At one point during her freshman year, Caelyn had a loss in her family. “Mrs. Rad called me and really comforted me,” she said. “It was one of the best things I’ve had happen to me, teacher-wise.”

    Each week, the mentors with Hawks Take Flight will help students set an academic goal and a social-emotional goal, which could be something like having a conversation with the cheerleading coach about tryouts or sitting with a different group of people during lunch if they’re having trouble with their friend group.

    The mentors will also help break down big assignments into manageable chunks, provide feedback on schoolwork, and celebrate any successes. Each week, students also get to enter a raffle, with small prizes—like a donut or a day pass to a local gym—that are paid for by community donations and by the educators, who do this work on a volunteer basis.

    Kimberly Radostits works with students in the Hawks Take Flight program at Oregon High School in Oregon, Ill., on Feb. 8, 2023.
    Kimberly Radostits works with students in the Hawks Take Flight mentoring program at Oregon High School.
    Courtesy of Heidi Deininger
    “I really try to accentuate the positives because I don’t think they always see that in themselves,” Radostits said.

    Whenever she hears something good the students did, she’ll leave her mentees a sticky note of praise that they can pick up at the school office. The notes may say something like, “I heard you got an A on your Algebra 1 quiz—I’m so proud of you!” or, “I heard you helped a peer through a sticky situation in the cafeteria, thank you for doing that.”

    “We spend the year just building up their confidence, and we’ve found that when you do that for a student, it motivates them to work harder in the future,” Radostits said.

    Added Deininger: “For some of them, it’s the first time in their school career they feel like, with a teacher, they’re known, they’re seen, and they’re valued.”

    Student Mentoring Student Motivation & Engagement After School Programs High School Illinois
    Coverage of whole-child approaches to learning is supported in part by a grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, at www.chanzuckerberg.com. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.
    A version of this article appeared in the March 01, 2023 edition of Education Week as How One School’s Mentorship Program Paid Off Big

  • Every Student Needs a Mentor. How Schools Can Make That Happen

    Every Student Needs a Mentor. How Schools Can Make That Happen

    Every Student Needs a Mentor. How Schools Can Make That Happen

    That’s why it’s important for schools to be intentional in facilitating opportunities for school staff to develop mentorship relationships with students, experts say—especially now, amid the academic and social-emotional fallout of the pandemic and the youth mental health crisis.

    While some students and educators form strong connections organically, that doesn’t always happen. And students from marginalized groups—who often benefit the most from having a trusted, supportive relationship with an adult at school—are less likely to report having a mentor, research has found.

    But to foster these relationships, educators often need special training in how to build strong, non-academic relationships with young people, experts say. About half of teachers said they do not have a mentor relationship with a student at their school, according to a nationally representative EdWeek Research Center survey that was conducted early this year.

    “We know that when there’s a trusted adult in a young person’s life, it pretty much improves everything, academically and socially,” said Torie Weiston-Serdan, a clinical assistant professor at Claremont Graduate University who studies youth mentoring. “It provides them an opportunity to have a sounding board, someone who can provide guidance and wisdom.”

    A body of research shows a laundry list of benefits that come from students having an adult in their school building who they can trust: increased attendance, better grades, higher test scores, a sense of belonging and connectedness at school, and belief in one’s self as a learner.

    “School-based mentoring is something that turns around a young person who’s disengaged, disconnected,” said Mike Garringer, the director of research and evaluation at MENTOR, an organization that works to expand mentorship opportunities for young people. “The first step to getting that academic achievement is the belief that you can do it.”

    In January, the EdWeek Research Center asked a nationally representative sample of more than 1,000 middle and high school students if they had an adult mentor at school, defining that as someone who provides one-on-one help with schoolwork, advice on future college or career plans, guidance on social or other personal issues, and/or a sense that students can confide in them if need be. Eighty-one percent of students (who are not homeschooled) said yes.

    istockphoto-1008909476-612x612-1-300x199 Every Student Needs a Mentor. How Schools Can Make That Happen

    Making sure all students have access to a mentor
    But it’s that 1 in 5 teens who say they don’t have a mentor relationship with an adult at school that experts worry about. When young people already feel like they don’t belong at school, they’re much less likely to be comfortable asking adults for support, Garringer said.

    “The young people who need that support the most are least likely to ask for it because they’re not sure they’ll get it when they ask,” he said. “It’s very easy to float through and not have adults notice you.”

    One recent study found that Black and Latinx students, as well as students from low-income families, were less likely to report having a school-based mentor relationship that developed organically.

    “Young people who grow up in more well-resourced households [are] used to asking adults for help a little bit more—it feels more comfortable to them,” Garringer said.

    Also, research has found that mentors and mentees often share similar backgrounds, and the teacher workforce is comprised mostly of white women who often come from middle- and upper-middle-class backgrounds.

    “If you’re navigating an institution that doesn’t feel welcoming, that doesn’t feel safe, it’s not going to be the best place for you to identify a mentor,” Weiston-Serdan said, adding that students of color have to navigate their teachers’ stereotypes about them.

    “It’s a two-way process: Adults pick young people as much as young people pick adults,” she said. “As a former teacher, we have the same sort of blind spots that everyone else does. We’re identifying young folks that by our perception look coachable, look like they have promise.”

    Past research finds that adults are more likely to mentor adolescents whom they see as being academically gifted, physically attractive, outgoing, and easy to get along with. Yet teachers often have implicit racial biases, and studies have shown that many perceive Black students as angry when they’re not.

    Hiring more teachers of color could help, experts say. In the meantime, Weiston-Serdan said that many students of color rely on support from their community, including extended family, churches, and Black-led organizations that volunteer to help youth.

    Having a structured mentorship program at school—rather than letting these relationships develop organically—can also help make sure students aren’t slipping through the cracks, Garringer said.

    Among the 19 percent of students in the EdWeek Research Center Survey who said they don’t have a school-based adult mentor, just a third said it was because they don’t need or want mentoring from anyone. Fifteen percent said they wouldn’t feel comfortable being mentored by any adults at their school.

    Others said it was because they weren’t sure how to connect with a mentor: A quarter said they didn’t really know any adults at their school very well, 24 percent said they weren’t sure how to start looking for a mentor, and 12 percent said no one seems interested in mentoring them.

    The young people who need that support the most are least likely to ask for it because they’re not sure they’ll get it when they ask. It’s very easy to float through and not have adults notice you.
    Mike Garringer, the director of research and evaluation at MENTOR
    When those students were asked what kind of help they would want if they had a mentor, the top responses were: assistance with schoolwork, guidance on career plans, and advice on applying to college. And 38 percent said they wanted someone to listen when they needed someone to talk to.

    Building a culture of mentorship at school
    Any school employee can fill that role in a student’s life, experts say, but they should get targeted professional development on how to be an effective mentor.

    When asked by the EdWeek Research Center who in their school building students would consider to be a mentor, the most common responses were teachers, school counselors, and athletic coaches. But students also pointed to their principal, paraprofessionals, school security guards, community volunteers, and school nurses as mentors.

    “Just because you’re a teacher or an educator doesn’t mean you know how to be a mentor to those students,” said Tracy Terranova, MENTOR’s director of education partnerships. She manages a network of trainers who facilitate PD sessions for school districts on how to be more relationship-centered so that every student can identify an adult in their school lives who they can reach out to if need be.

    Weiston-Serdan also offers coaching to mentors through her work as the chief visionary officer at the Youth Mentoring Action Network. Here are some of her key dos and don’ts:

    Do focus on building a relationship with your mentee. “You’re not mentoring a young person if they don’t like you,” she said.
    Do provide support, affirmation, love, and care—especially for teenagers, who might not ask for it but need it nonetheless, Weiston-Serdan said.
    Don’t try to have power and control over the relationship. She said it’s important for mentors to listen to their mentee and be more of a collaborator than a dictator.
    Of course, being an effective mentor takes time, and teachers’ plates are already very full. School leaders should consider how they can embed mentoring into the day-to-day schedule without it overwhelming anyone, Terranova said. Paying educators a stipend to participate in a formal mentorship program can be a good incentive, she said.

    These relationships can be extremely rewarding, said Kimberly Radostits, a Spanish teacher at Oregon Junior/Senior High School in northern Illinois and a finalist for the 2023 National Teacher of the Year. Radostits spearheaded a mentorship program for struggling freshmen at her school 15 years ago, which has yielded great academic and social-emotional success.

    The relationships she’s formed through that program have been the highlight of her career, Radostits said. She keeps in touch with her mentees long after they move on to 10th grade or even graduate from high school.

    “Truly, this is my life’s work, and I believe that this can make a difference in every kid’s life,” she said. “Every student in the country could benefit from just having an adult who checks in on them.”

    Freshman Lily Beitel, 14, left, works with Joanna Cermak during the Hawks Take Flight mentorship program after school at Oregon High School in Oregon, Ill., on Feb. 15, 2023. Cermak is a school counselor who volunteers as a mentor for the program.
    Freshman Lily Beitel, 14, left, works with Joanna Cermak, a school counselor at Oregon High School who is a volunteer mentor.
    Laura McDermott for Education Week

  • Educators and Researchers Don’t Always Speak

    Educators and Researchers Don’t Always Speak

    Educators and Researchers Don’t Always Speak the Same Language. Here’s How
    to Change That

    Morgan Polikoff is an associate professor of education at the USC
    Rossier School of Education. He is writing his second book, aimed at parents,
    critiquing bad ideas in education policy and pointing the way toward more
    productive forms of parent engagement in state and local policymaking:

    One
    of the reasons I enjoy being an educational researcher so much is because it
    really is an incredibly applied field. Yes, there are important theories to be
    tested and there is a place for more conceptual or “basic” research. But if
    you are someone who cares about real-world impact, there are few fields where
    you can achieve that as concretely as you can in education. As someone who
    reads application essays for graduate school, this feature—the ability to
    affect education at a higher level than the individual classroom—is one of the
    main drivers of folks who choose to do education research.

    istockphoto-1250037717-612x612-1-300x200 Educators and Researchers Don’t Always Speak


    And yet, once prospective researchers get to the academy, many of them
    end up doing work that, for a variety of reasons, doesn’t really achieve much
    impact. Some of this is simply about the incentives of academia, but some of
    it is also about choices that researchers make in the research they do or the
    way they talk about their work.

    I think most in the field would
    agree that there is a spectrum in the education academy from public-facing to
    researcher-facing, and that I am pretty far toward the public-facing end. I
    think about my work and my identity as a scholar a lot and I make lots of
    choices—some of them conscious, some not—about how to position myself and my
    work to achieve impact. I recently wrote a Twitter thread about these issues,
    and Larry saw it and asked if I’d turn it into a blog. So here is my attempt
    to distill a few (noncomprehensive) thoughts about how scholars can achieve
    more public impact, if that’s something they want to do.

    Have a
    message, stick to it. The reality of the universe is that most people don’t
    listen. The consequence of this is that if you want people to hear your
    message, you have to say things over and over again. The particulars of your
    message may of course change over time, but it’s good to have a few core
    messages that drive your work forward and that you emphasize in your
    communication. For me, two messages that I return to a lot these days are
    “Teachers’ jobs are too hard, and we keep making them harder” and “There are
    13,000 school districts in the U.S.” I think many policy problems in education
    are tied to these two points (certainly they play a prominent role in my book,
    Beyond Standards). I also think people start to pick up your framing if it
    resonates with them—certainly I hear more people talking about 13,000
    districts than I used to.


    Be more prescriptive. Academics in general are loath to offer specific
    recommendations about what policymakers and practitioners should do. Too many
    of us apparently think that it’s the job of the reader to discern the
    implications of work. This is unfortunately a recipe for your work not to
    matter, because if you don’t offer specific, actionable guidance, someone else
    (probably someone less informed than you) will do it. This means not only that
    you should offer concrete guidance when you’re speaking to nonresearch
    audiences, but you should also use language that is direct and clear (watch
    the jargon!).
    Contextualize your work but not too much. Closely related
    to #2 is that researchers tend to want to nuance and contextualize their work
    to an excessive degree. And, of course, it’s true that every child is
    different and every school is different, so no one intervention is going to
    work in every context. But the reality is that research is never going to be
    sufficiently contextualized for every individual setting and what works “on
    average” is, in most cases, going to work in individual settings, too. Nothing
    works 100 percent of the time—not in education and not in medicine—but
    something that is effective on average is good, and we should do more of
    it.


    Write for the people you want to reach. One of my earliest memories as a
    professor was attending a workshop in D.C. for early-career education
    researchers focused on impact. The main memory I have of that meeting was
    someone saying “policymakers don’t read journal articles.” This is in some
    sense obvious—I don’t even think many academics really read journal articles,
    but policymakers clearly don’t have the time or inclination—but it’s also
    something I never learned in graduate school. The reality is that if you want
    to influence policy or practice, you have to do a substantial amount of
    communication aimed at nonacademic audiences. And this doesn’t mean a 15-page
    white paper. It means 700-word commentaries, podcasts that reach
    practitioners, and interviews with any journalist who wants to talk to you.

    istockphoto-1224919869-612x612-1-300x200 Educators and Researchers Don’t Always Speak


    Stop ignoring political realities. I have been fortunate to study a
    range of highly relevant policy issues over the years, from standards to
    testing to COVID. Americans have views about many of these issues, and those
    views matter. You can’t simply will away people’s views or force reforms upon
    them. And this means that you have to understand people’s views in order to
    influence reform. Half the voters out there vote primarily for Republicans. I
    do not, nor do my friends or colleagues. But I have to be able to understand
    what Republicans think if I want my work to play in places where Republicans
    have power. Of course, the same goes the other way, but in the education
    academy, it is almost always extremely liberal folks trying to get their ideas
    implemented in more conservative places.
    Your mileage may vary on any of
    these ideas, but I have found them to be really helpful to me over the years
    as I’ve thought about how to do work that matters.

    Please wait a second…..