By Bryan Goodwin
In my presentations and conversations with educators around the country and the world, I often share my conviction that there’s never been a better time to be an educator than now.
Truly.
Yes, I hear from teachers (including many experienced ones) that today’s students appear to be more challenging to teach than ever before—their attention spans are fractured, their engagement at an all-time low, and mental health issues at an all-time high.
So why is it a great time to be a teacher?
Because we know more about how the process of learning works—what we call the science of learning—and the teaching strategies needed to lift all learners—what we call the science of teaching—than at any point in human history.
For us here at McREL International, that’s incredibly exciting. It gives us hope that better days are ahead for all of us in education.
We’re not alone in our optimism. A recent article in The 74, “What happens when a 48-K-student district commits to the ‘Science of Learning’,” shows the power of designing and delivering student learning experiences that better reflect how our kids’ brains work.
For years, Frederick County Public Schools, a diverse district 50 miles west of Baltimore, had struggled to close achievement gaps until it made focusing on the science of learning a centerpiece of its systemwide improvement efforts. It is now seeing significant and sustained improvements for students in disadvantaged groups in both math and reading. We’ve seen similar improvements in student learning with the schools and districts we’ve partnered with to embed the science of learning and teaching into all classrooms.
Even though cognitive science (the science of learning) has been around for decades and its application can have powerful effects on student learning, it’s rarely taught in teacher education programs. As a result, many teachers don’t understand how to guide the process of learning—so they’re unable to make adjustments when students struggle to learn.
The great thing about the science of learning is that its principles are simple and intuitive for teachers. For example, The 74 article also features a collaboration between a small rural district in southwestern Colorado and Deans for Impact to use high-level questions that reflect the science of learning principle of “effortful thinking.”
Teachers have long asked questions in the classroom, of course. The key is asking the right kinds of questions. Deans for Impact’s Jim Heal and I shared how to use questions and other strategies to engage students in deeper thinking in a recent Educational Leadership article titled “Moving from Engagement to Deeper Thinking.”
For us, we’ve noticed two things happen when school and districts focus on the science of teaching and learning. First, as teachers better understand how learning works, they often experience a breakthrough moment in their careers—when they become intentional with their practice, understanding not only what to do, but when and why to do it.
Second, as we begin to design and deliver learning experiences that better reflect how our students’ brains work, learning becomes easier and more joyful for them—and for us as educators.
These resources from McREL can help you and your colleagues bring the power of the science of learning and teaching to your students.
- Learning that Sticks (professional learning services, book and online course)
- The New Classroom Instruction that Works (professional learning services and book)
- Unleashing the Power of Best First Instruction
- Breakthrough Teaching Quick Guide: A Reflective Teacher’s Guide to Planning for Learning
This post originally appeared in our October 2024 McREL Monthly newsletter. Click here to sign up to receive McREL’s free monthly newsletter.
Bryan Goodwin, president and CEO of McREL, thrives on translating insights from education research into practical strategies and professional learning for effective teaching and school leadership. He is the author or co-author of several McREL books, including The New Classroom Instruction That Works, Learning That Sticks, Building a Curious School, and Instructional Models. Before joining McREL in 1998, Bryan was a college instructor, a high school teacher, and a business journalist.
