Creating a Classroom Culture that Embraces Worthy Challenges, Problem Solving, and Self-Reflection

Cheri Gardner joins the podcast to talk about how Elementary and Adolescent Guides can create a classroom culture that embraces worthy challenges, problem solving, and self-reflection.

Cheri talks about the importance of Guides designing follow up work and projects that are "rich tasks." Rather than being procedural or routine, rich tasks are both engaging and challenging. They provide opportunities for problem solving and critical thinking, apply to other areas of the curriculum, and are culturally relevant and meaningful to students.

Cheri advocates for teaching problem skills directly and creating opportunities for students to practice them in isolation before expecting students to be successful with problem solving during rich tasks. Cheri also discusses with her students the learning and work habits necessary for learning, such as thinking flexibly and perseverance. She defines these traits with her students, gives examples, and then names them in action. This provides a framework for students to know what it looks like to be a problem solver. She encourages her students to embrace the discomfort of challenging work because this is when real learning happens!

Cheri provides her students opportunities for self-reflection and self-monitoring by asking questions like, "What did you learn? How do you know you learned it? What would you do differently?" She works with her students on setting goals and discussing their own growth.

Cheri advocates for creating a classroom culture that celebrates risk taking, rather than being right. She explains that confidence doesn't come from getting the right answer. It comes from being successful in a challenge!