Humans make assumptions about individuals based on what we see. Although we like to say that we get to know a person first, science suggests otherwise. Experiments have demonstrated that people make trait judgments based on seeing someone’s facial features after 100 milliseconds (Willis & Todorov, 2006). That’s one tenth of
Poverty is complicated. It is a compilation of many issues, many of which have broad-reaching impact. Perhaps most critical for our education system is that research finds that many of the risk factors associated with low socioeconomic status (SES) impede brain development and functioning. And in cases of generational poverty, the impact is even greater. One of the most consistent findings is that
As a young girl, my mother introduced me to the idea of first impressions. She emphasized how my physical appearance and my first words in new interactions would cause others to form an almost instant impression of me. She also explained that it would be extremely challenging to change negative first impressions once they were
Getting students to talk with their peers about the content being learned, using academic language, problem-solving, and negotiating ideas has been a priority for teachers for many years. Tremendous progress has been made since the days of transmission schooling in which teachers talked and students
Along with the devastation of the coronavirus outbreak and widespread school closures come hopes for reimagining schools as they reopen. These hopes for the future, however, rest on making the concrete improvements in schools that we know we can make today. Despite the enormity of the challenges and
Throughout my career as a middle school principal, teachers have expressed frustration over finding appropriate reading materials for older students who read below grade level. They want students to be excited about what they’re reading – not embarrassed that they’re reading a book written for a younger child – and they want students to
Girls’ lives are hard and, let’s face it, adults don’t really understand what girls are going through. Sure, we might know what it’s like to be a teenager, to struggle with academic or family issues, or to deal with complicated friendships or relationships. But we don’t know what it is like to be a
Engagement is a fundamental goal for educators. We want our students to be engaged because we know, at an innate level, that if students are not engaged they are not learning – they can't be learning. But what is engagement exactly, and how do we