Forest Schools: Teaching Trust, Teamwork, and Responsibility with Tools

Developing effective study habits at an early age helps children build focus, confidence, and a love for learning. Simple practices like setting a daily routine, creating a distraction-free study space, breaking study time into manageable sessions, and using active learning techniques can make a big difference. When kids stay organized, balance study with rest, and practice consistently, they not only improve their academic performance but also develop lifelong learning skills.

Creating safe, supportive school environments starts with equipping staff with the right tools. CCESA is excited to offer RIGHT RESPONSE, a comprehensive, evidence-based training program designed to help school staff de-escalate challenging behaviors, reduce conflict, and manage crisis situations safely. With tiered training options ranging from a 5-hour primer to a 14-hour advanced course, RIGHT RESPONSE ensures that every staff member—from those with limited student contact to those working closely with students in crisis—receives the level of training best suited to their role. ✅ Evidence-based strategies ✅ Practical de-escalation tools ✅ On-site training available year-round For more information or to schedule training for your school or district, please contact Cassidy Welch at cwelch@coconino.az.gov. Together, let’s make schools safer and more supportive for students and staff alike.

🚸 Should road safety be part of every school curriculum? With road accidents among the leading causes of death for young people aged 15 to 24, the need for early education on this topic has never been clearer. The Department of Transport and Main Roads, in collaboration with the Australian Road Safety Foundation, has launched a free, online, interactive learning program for Year 5 and 6 students. Designed to build lifelong safety habits, this engaging resource empowers students to make smarter choices on and around our roads—before they even get behind the wheel. 🧑🏫 If you're a teacher or school leader, this is a valuable opportunity to embed real-world safety education into your classroom. Read more on School News here: https://lnkd.in/gk7deEGu #SchoolNews #EducationNews #RoadSafety #DriverSafety #EducationNewsAU

The reality is: giving teachers new materials without meaningful training is like handing someone a power tool with no instruction manual and expecting a masterpiece. We need to stop confusing "access" with "implementation." Teachers don’t just need materials—they need the why, the how, and the confidence to make it their own. That’s when instruction sticks—and student learning actually changes.

Inclusive learning means ensuring that learners see themselves reflected in the content and experience, placing them at the center of the process. When learners recognize themselves in what they are learning, it becomes more personally relevant, making it easier to contextualize, retain, and apply the information. https://bit.ly/48dSHys

Trainers and instructors, how can you keep learners engaged and involved with remembering the content and applying the content in relevant ways? 🗨️✒️💡🙌👀🧠👍🗣️🚶📷📝🪧✍️🧭🗺️ "Training from the Back of the Room" - a two-day workshop will teach you how to easily design and deliver a plan that does all that. After implementing the concepts, tools and activities in "Training from the Back of the Room, the learners you're teaching will be engaged as they write, talk, move, draw, experience a variety in learning modalities and contribute as part of a learning community.

Interleaving learning is a pedagogy and study strategy that mixes unrelated or related subjects, skills, or topics within a single learning-practice session, rather than focusing on one at a time. This strengthens the learner's ability to retrieve information, form connections, and adapt to new problems, leading to deeper understanding and better long-term retention of knowledge. It can supports **transfer**--the process of applying knowledge or skills learned in one situation to a new and different situation.

How much of your training really sticks? If you're a training provider, you've probably heard the age-old stat that learners lose around 70% of new information within 24 hours. In our latest article, we explore how training providers can strengthen delegate's knowledge retention using learning science techniques such as: 📚 Spaced repetition to strengthen memory 🦜 Retrieval practice to boost recall 🧠 Active learning to turn concepts into action 🤯 Managing cognitive load to avoid overwhelm Read the full article here https://hubs.ly/Q03L_VBX0

This week, I led a presentation during the education services team meeting at the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety on learning myths and the science of learning. We tackled some of the usual suspects and looked at the scientific evidence against myths such as learning styles, the 70-20-10 model, and the cone of learning. The presentation was mostly based on information from three (excellent) books: - Urban Myths about Learning and Education, by Casper Hulshof, Paul A. Kirschner, and Pedro De Bruyckere - Millennials, Goldfish & Other Training Misconceptions: Debunking Learning Myths and Superstitions, by Clark Quinn - Evidence-Informed Learning Design: Creating Training to Improve Performance, by Paul A. Kirschner and Mirjam Neelen Looking at their interpretation of learning myths as a complex phenomenon, something that stands out is the human aspect behind it. There's a little bit of truth behind every myth, which is filtered through personal experience (with a dash of confirmation bias) and not challenged because it's already there. This can be an explosive cocktail when handed out indiscriminately, without looking at the actual science and questioning old ideas. At the end of the day, it will just amount to bad learning, which will scare learners away and leave a sour aftertaste for future experiences.

🔍 Lost Learning Opportunities: Time to Reclaim the Magic of Teaching One of my biggest bugbears in education is the idea of lost learning opportunities. I was fortunate to train with teachers who had honed their craft long before the National Curriculum was ever introduced. They had an incredible ability to find a learning opportunity in everything — a conversation in the corridor, a question asked in passing, a child’s interest or story brought into the classroom. They saw learning as something living, not limited to lesson plans or schemes of work. Every moment was a chance to spark curiosity, deepen understanding, and build connection. I can’t help but wonder: in our drive for data, coverage, and accountability, what have we lost? What rich, meaningful opportunities are we overlooking — not because we don’t care, but because we’re so focused on outcomes that we miss the process? I would love to see schools run a “Lost Learning Opportunities” INSET. A space to reflect on: What great practice do we already have in place? But also — what have we missed? Where have the margins of creativity, connection, and spontaneity been squeezed out? Let’s make time to bring those moments back into the heart of teaching. Because sometimes, the real learning happens in the spaces we’re not measuring. #Education #TeachingAndLearning #ProfessionalDevelopment #LostLearningOpportunities #PrimaryEducation #ChildCentredLearning #ReflectivePractice #INSET #TeachingInspiration