17. PBL, Assessment & Connection, Oh My!

Gianni’s on Mindset: If you haven’t yet seen this young Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo talk about how he approaches the mental aspect the game of basketball and his life, you need to do so now! In less than 2 minutes, Giannis talks about the importance of being present-minded, eliminating ego and avoiding pride.
Slidesmania’s Planners: Each year I tell myself that this is the year I will do better at organizing my plans and materials so that I can be better-prepared next year–and each year I fall short. That said, I’m hoping that I can do a little better at staying organized with a little help from Slidesmania. Here’s a look at what I’m trying to use for this school year and maybe you can find something that will fit you.
Matt Miller’s 18 underrated Google tools: We all know about some of the amazing things you can do with Google’s most popular tools–but what else? In this blog post, Matt Miler explores and explains some of the most underrated Google Tools that you might not know about that could be a great resource!
Creating a Class Identity: I have been a fan of James Sturtevant for quite some time now & when it comes to helping you connect with students, I don’t know that there’s a better person. Check out this blog post from James to help you foster a class identity to deepen connections.

Here’s a list of some of the resources I discussed in my reflection in case you’re interested in learning more about any of them.

You’ve Gotta Connect: Building Relationships that Lead to Engaged Students, Productive Classrooms, and Higher Achievement. Reading this book truly helped me to better-connect with my students as it forced me to be intentional with my thoughts and actions
The Hacking Engagement Podcast: This podcast has been one of my “go-to’s” for years now. James Sturtevant and his guests (often students) will give you a variety of great ideas and tools you can use in your classroom right away.
Hacking Project Based Learning: 10 Easy Steps to PBL and Inquiry in the Classroom. I am a huge fan of the Hacking Learning series and this book is a tremendous help to anyone looking for tips on implementing PBL in your room.
Project Based Learning: Real Questions. Real Answers. How to Unpack PBL & Inquiry: Great book here that answers real questions with practical tips to help you fully implement PBL in your class.
The Grid Method From the Teach Better Team: This brief intro will explain the Grid Method to you–you can also sign up for their free course, it’s awesome!
Going Gradeless, Grades 6-12: Shifting the Focus to Student Learning : This is a great book to get you thinking about assessment more than grades in the secondary level.