Student Effort Enhancer #1: Facilitate Interest in Every Lesson By LeAnn Nickelsen, M.Ed. The idea of effort gets a lot of attention. We worry about how much effort our students are showing, hope they’ll show up ready to exert effort and try various tools or strategies to increase their effort. But what really is effort…
DetailsUse This Simple HOPE Tool By LeAnn Nickelsen, M.Ed. Going into the grocery store, I now have a mental checklist: Do I have my mask? Do I have the food list? Do I have the coupons? Do I have the wipes for my hands? Do I have the Rewards Card for Kroger? I don’t know…
DetailsKey to Motivation: Student Agency By Rick Wormeli and LeAnn Nickelsen, M.Ed. Note: This article was first published in the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) Magazine in October, 2020. You can also read it here. The concerns grew louder in early September of this year as many schools switched suddenly from in-person teaching to…
DetailsHow to Motivate Students to Write! By LeAnn Nickelsen, M.Ed. Start the writing process with them! Do the following to help their brains get started: list, chart, web, cluster raw ideas; draw or sketch ideas, brainstorm in small groups; free-write; read and research the topic; research student questions. Make sure there is a purpose for…
DetailsLacking Willpower These Days: What YOU Can Do! By LeAnn Nickelsen, M.Ed. It’s no secret that for many teachers, this school year has been the most challenging year they’ve experienced in their professional life. When I speak to teachers, the sense of overwhelm is palpable. Between figuring out virtual learning to asking kids to keep…
DetailsRich Relationship Building With 3 Easy Layers: Yes, Even Virtually! By LeAnn Nickelsen, M.Ed. Much of our nation is meeting, learning, communicating, and planning virtually within the educational realm. We all know the power of building trusting, positive relationships that support one another on the journey of life. Research has confirmed for years that positive,…
DetailsOne Thing You Need to Know Before the School Year Starts: Cognitive Science Can Guide This Unique School Year By LeAnn Nickelsen, M.Ed. Written with Bryan Harris, Ed.D. Most of you know that we (LeAnn and Bryan) have been deeply involved in the world of brain-based teaching and learning for a long time. For over…
DetailsThe Best End-of-Year Closure and the Most Powerful Gift for Teachers and Their Students By LeAnn Nickelsen, M.Ed. Originally written for the Association for Middle Level Education I’m sure you have heard the following statements recently: No crisis should ever go to waste. Make the most of every opportunity. Crisis either makes you or breaks…
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