Better Student Experiences for Better Outcomes – The Next Vanguard

Spring/Summer Vanguard Magazine

Feeling connected, safe, secure, curious, encouraged, brave – these are the hopes we have for all students in our schools, and the building blocks for creating instructionally safe environments that propel student learning.

A recent Education Week survey asked students, “What, if anything, could your teachers do to help you feel more motivated to do your best at school?” The number one answer was, “Give me a chance to redo assignments if I get a low grade.” Also among the top responses: incorporate more fun and humor, more hands-on experiences, provide more feedback, get to know me as a person, stop playing favorites, control the class.

What does this tell us? That a student who feels safe about making mistakes, asking for help or clarification, who is connected with a teacher focused on growth, who feels safe in their surroundings, who is not distracted by chaos, nervousness, or uncertainty, is more likely to take educational risks and thrive academically.

To that end, this edition of Vanguard will feature strategies for creating such safe and nurturing educational spaces and examines a school’s full cultural impact on student learning.

Share your ideas and strategies with your colleagues by submitting articles to mhebert@saanysdev.ygsgroup.com by May 15. Please keep articles to 1,500 words or less.