Encouraging Lifelong Learning in Students

“Train-the-trainers” (TTT) is one of the most common methods used to scale up improvement & change capability across organisations, yet we often fail to set it up for success. A recent article, drawing on teacher professional development & transfer-of-training research, argues TTT should always be based on an “offer-and-use” model: OFFER: what the programme provides—facilitator expertise, session design, practice opportunities, feedback, follow-up support & evaluation. USE: what participants do with those opportunities—what they notice, how they make sense of it, how much they engage, what they learn, & whether they apply it in real work. How to design TTT that works & sticks: 1. Design for real-world use: Clarify the practical outcome - what trainers should do differently in their next sessions & what that should improve for the organisation. Plan beyond the classroom with post-course support so people can apply learning. Space learning over time rather than delivering it in one intensive block, because spacing & follow-ups support sustained use. 2. Use strong facilitators: Select facilitators who know the topic & how adults learn, how groups work & how to give useful feedback. Ensure they teach “how to make this stick at work” (apply & sustain practices), not only “how to deliver a session.” 3. Make practice central: Build the programme around realistic rehearsal: deliver, get feedback, & practise again until skills become automatic. Use participants’ real scenarios (especially change situations) to strengthen transfer. Include safe practice for difficult moments (challenge, unexpected questions) & treat mistakes as learning. Build peer learning so participants learn with & from each other, not just the facilitator. 4. Prepare participants to succeed: Assess what participants already know & can do, then tailor the learning. Build confidence to use skills at work (confidence predicts application). Help each person create a simple, specific plan for when & how they will use the approaches in their next training sessions. 5. Ensure workplace transfer support: Enable quick application (opportunities to deliver training soon after the course), plus time & resources to do it well. Provide ongoing support (feedback, coaching, & encouragement) from leaders, peers &/or the wider organisation. 6. Evaluate what matters: Go beyond satisfaction scores - assess whether trainers changed their practice & whether this improved outcomes for learners & the organisation. Use findings to improve the next iteration as a continuous improvement cycle, not a one-off event. https://lnkd.in/eJ-Xrxwm. By Prof. Dr. Susanne Wisshak & colleagues, sourced via John Whitfield MBA

As a first in family student, stepping into university life (many, many years ago) felt daunting. I didn’t know the ‘rules’ or the language, and I carried around a quiet fear that I didn’t quite belong. Over time, I found that sense of belonging, largely through my experience living on campus in student accommodation. It was there that I built friendships, found mentors, and slowly came to understand that belonging isn’t something you either have or don’t have, it’s something that can be nurtured. That's why this recent research on student belonging resonated with me. It moves beyond the usual talking points and gets to the heart of what really helps students feel they belong, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds. A few actions that stood out as both meaningful and at times overlooked: 1️⃣ Connecting students to purpose and identity Academic success isn’t just about essays and exams. When we value lived experience and non-traditional learning, students feel seen. We can do this by asking students to reflect on real-world challenges in assessments or connecting learning to their own contexts.   2️⃣ Prioritising relationship-building in the curriculum and throughout Not just during orientation, but throughout the semester via peer mentoring, collaborative problem solving in class, and structured opportunities for students to connect meaningfully with one another. 3️⃣ Making uncertainty visible Students often think they’re the only ones struggling - tutors and academics can and should talk openly about academic challenges, and leaders can acknowledge that confidence and learning those unwritten 'rules' builds over time. Staff who share their own learning journeys can have a huge impact and kindness, respect and genuine interest can go a long way.   4️⃣ Designing for diverse student needs and barriers Not all students want, or are able, to join clubs or attend social events due to work, caring responsibilities, or other factors. Offering flexible, low-barrier opportunities to connect (like online forums or drop-in chats), designing learning experiences with multiple ways to engage, and considering time-poor or commuter students in planning should be non-negotiables. As this article highlights, belonging doesn’t come from a single program, initiative or activity – and it isn’t one size-fits-all. It comes from hundreds of small cues that tell a student: You matter. You’re capable. You are welcome here. Because of this, all staff, can play a key role in facilitating micro-moments of connection. 🔗 Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/ghTeHkxg

One of the biggest barriers to children reaching their potential in school, whether academically, socially, emotionally or even physically, is fear. The problem with fear is that we think we can predict somebody else’s fear. As adults, we can usually name what scares us. Trying a new food. Skydiving. Public humiliation. Failure. For children, some fears are obvious. Being bullied. Being publicly humiliated by a teacher. Scoring low in a test. These are visible and easier to mitigate. Yet in many schools around the world, they are still happening. But the deeper issue is this. There are countless small occurrences, or even potential occurrences, within schools that create low level anxiety. A gentle hum in the background. On its own, one small anxiety seems insignificant. But when they accumulate, we see children pretending to be sick. Crying at the school gates. Saying they hate school without really knowing why. Often they cannot articulate what is making them scared. Because it is subtle. It is the possibility of something happening, not necessarily the event itself. And if it cannot be articulated, it cannot be solved. So I began developing what I call the Safe School Framework. It asks schools to examine the underlying anxiety provoking elements within their culture. Tone of voice. Public comparison. Sarcasm. Unpredictability. Subtle shaming. The uncertainty of what will happen next. Even if these things rarely occur, the potential that they might is enough to keep a child’s nervous system on alert. And we know this from neuroscience. A dysregulated brain cannot learn. When the survival part of the brain feels threatened, higher level thinking shuts down. Children freeze. They disengage. They survive. Learning simply cannot occur in survival mode. I am not suggesting we shield children from the real world. But school should not be a place of background threat. It should be a place where mistakes are encouraged. Homework is practice, not proof. Invisible children are noticed. Sensory needs are anticipated. Praise builds confidence without comparison. Our goal is to move children into the Green Zone. Calm. Curious. Connected. Because this is where learning happens. I have identified 50 key practices that schools can implement to dramatically reduce this low level anxiety across an entire campus. They are practical, cultural and human. If we change the way our schools operate and clearly communicate to students and parents that certain things simply do not happen here, that background fear can quieten. These four slides might just be the most important four slides your school receives this year. If you would like formal training for your teachers on this framework, I would genuinely love to hear from you. gavin@upschool.co #education #school #teacher #teaching #children #montessori

Let kids be kids. They need to have FUN. Listen, I understand as much as the next parent just how much we want the absolute best for our children. And often people think that means that they need to push their kids with more activities, more studying, and more structure. But really, what they need the most when they are young is PLAY. Nothing activates those developmental mechanisms in the brain more powerfully than play. During play, multiple brain regions communicate simultaneously, creating rich neural connections that form the foundation for future learning. What's more, letting kids engage in unstructured "free play" allows them to release a perfect cocktail of neurochemicals—dopamine (motivation), oxytocin (social bonding), and BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which promotes neural growth). This creates the ideal conditions for neuroplasticity - aka: the brain's ability to reorganize and adapt. Different types of play stimulate different neural networks: • Physical play builds motor cortex connections and cerebellar development • Pretend play strengthens prefrontal cortex functioning and theory of mind/self • Social play develops emotional regulation circuits in the limbic system • Exploratory/sensory play enhances spatial awareness and problem-solving networks Most importantly, play provides a low-risk environment for children to experience stress in manageable doses. This allows them to learn to calibrate their stress response systems from a young age and in-turn enables them to be more resilient later in life. As parents, many of us instinctively know this - kids who have never been told "no" or have never had to share their toys etc. tend to struggle regulating themselves as they enter adolescence as these kinds of emotional experiences become more common. It's nice to have the science to back up what we see all the time. We live in a world that puts a lot of pressure on results, outcomes, and productivity. This trickles down into how we raise our kids. It's important to remember that structured activities can't replace the neurological benefits of unstructured play. The next time you see children seemingly "just playing," remember they're actually engaged in the serious work of building their brains! What was your favorite play activity as a child? When you think back on it, how do you think the benefits from that translate into your life today? #NeuroscienceOfPlay #ChildDevelopment #BrainScience #FunPerformanceSmart

𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠—𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧’𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧. 𝑰𝑭 𝑷𝑳𝑨𝒀 𝑳𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻𝑺 𝑼𝑷 𝑴𝑬𝑴𝑶𝑹𝒀, 𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑩𝑳𝑬𝑴-𝑺𝑶𝑳𝑽𝑰𝑵𝑮, 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑬𝑴𝑶𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵𝑨𝑳 𝑪𝑶𝑵𝑻𝑹𝑶𝑳 𝑨𝑻 𝑶𝑵𝑪𝑬, 𝑾𝑯𝒀 𝑫𝑶 𝑾𝑬 𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑳𝑳 𝑻𝑹𝑨𝑫𝑬 𝑰𝑻 𝑭𝑶𝑹 𝑾𝑶𝑹𝑲𝑺𝑯𝑬𝑬𝑻𝑺 ? Research from Dr. Sergio Pellis (University of Lethbridge) shows that rich, social play recruits multiple brain systems and helps wire the prefrontal cortex—planning, flexibility, self-control. In other words: play wires what drills only hire. Drills can automate skills; play integrates them so children know when and how to use them. 𝐃𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊: 👍 Protect daily unstructured, peer play (even if it’s messy). 👍 Offer open-ended materials and let kids set rules. 👍 Be a guide on the side, not the director. If we want curious, resilient thinkers, we must let play stay play—not a reward after “real work,” but the engine of learning itself. #PlayMatters #ChildDevelopment #ExecutiveFunction #NeuroscienceOfPlay #EarlyYears #InclusiveEducation

The gradual release model, developed by Pearson and Gallagher in 1983 is a transformative instructional approach that nurtures student independence while reinforcing comprehension. Rooted in scaffolding, it begins with direct teacher-led instruction, transitions into guided collaboration, and ultimately empowers learners to apply concepts independently. This intentional progression ensures students build confidence, deepen their understanding, and take ownership of their learning journey. Lesson Plan Examples Using the Gradual Release Model: 1️⃣ Reading Comprehension : Main Idea & Details - I Do: The teacher models identifying the main idea in a passage, highlighting key details. - We Do: Students work in pairs to analyze a new passage, discussing their findings. - You Do: Students independently read a text and summarize the main idea with supporting details. 2️⃣ Writing (Narrative Structure) - I Do: The teacher walks through a story outline, explaining key elements like character, setting, and plot. - We Do: Students brainstorm and co-write a short paragraph, exchanging feedback. - You Do: Each student crafts their own story, applying the structure independently. 3️⃣ Math (Word Problems) - I Do: The teacher models solving a multi-step word problem, verbalizing reasoning. - We Do: Students collaborate to solve similar problems, checking each step together. - You Do: Students attempt word problems independently, using strategic scaffolding as needed. Best Practices for Implementing the Gradual Release Model: ✅ Use clear modeling ensure teacher demonstrations explicitly show thought processes. ✅ Facilitate interactive collaboration engage students in peer discussions and guided practice. ✅ Provide timely feedback adjust support based on student needs and misconceptions. ✅ Balance structured guidance with autonomy gradually reduce teacher-led instruction while increasing student agency. ✅ Encourage metacognition help students articulate why they made certain choices. By systematically easing students into independent learning, the gradual release model not only strengthens their comprehension but empowers them to take ownership of their growth.

Children are natural-born scientists, constantly observing, questioning, and experimenting with the world around them. But how do we harness this innate curiosity to foster real cognitive development? The answer lies in visual experiments—powerful learning tools that go far beyond textbooks. When kids see an experiment unfold before their eyes, it transforms abstract concepts into tangible experiences, strengthening their ability to think critically, solve problems, and develop logical reasoning. Unlike passive learning, visual experiments engage multiple senses, reinforcing memory retention and deepening understanding. They stimulate both the left and right hemispheres of the brain, encouraging creative thinking alongside analytical skills. Moreover, these hands-on experiences cultivate perseverance—when an experiment doesn’t work, children learn to analyze, tweak, and try again, instilling resilience and a growth mindset. Studies consistently highlight that children who engage in visual learning activities show significantly higher retention rates, enhanced comprehension, and a stronger interest in STEM subjects. From a simple baking soda volcano to mesmerizing magnetic field patterns, these experiments act as stepping stones, helping young minds grasp complex scientific principles effortlessly. The impact doesn’t stop at intelligence—collaborative experiments promote teamwork, communication, and confidence, essential life skills for the future. As educators and parents, integrating visual experiments into a child’s learning journey isn’t just an option—it’s a necessity. By making science come alive, we’re not only shaping smarter thinkers but also inspiring the next generation of innovators, problem-solvers, and leaders who will drive the future of technology, medicine, and engineering. Feel free to share your thoughts 💭 #whatinspiresme

A teacher doesn’t just deliver lessons. They shape the emotional and social climate of the classroom. Whether you're teaching early grades or older students, the way you think about your role and your space can deeply influence how children learn and grow. Here are 7 powerful questions to help you reflect on the kind of learning environment you want to create: ➨ Atmosphere: • What kind of feeling do I want students to have when they walk into the classroom each day? • Do the physical space, light, seating, and wall displays affect that feeling? • And what about my own mindset? What do I need to do emotionally or mentally before stepping into the room? ➨ How learners see me: • Do I want to be seen as an authority figure? A mentor? A friend? A co-learner? • How do my age, gender, background, or personality shape their perception? • Is there a gap between how students see me, how the school expects me to be, and who I truly want to be? ➨ My role as a teacher: • What does “teacher” mean to me? • Am I here to organize? Encourage? Explain? Set goals? Validate? Maintain discipline? • Or maybe a mix of all these? Which parts feel most natural to me? ➨ Relationships in the classroom: • How do I want people in the room to relate to each other? • Should learners see each other as teammates? Should I relate to them as a guide, a leader, or a fellow explorer? ➨ Ownership of the space: • Is this “my” classroom or “our” classroom? • Do students feel a sense of belonging here? • How does that ownership show up? Through student work on the walls? Through shared rules? Through how we use the space? ➨ Decision-making and democracy: • Who gets to decide what happens in the classroom? • Do I set all the rules, or do we co-create them? • Do I expect students to follow instructions without question, or do I invite their input and ideas? ➨ Respect: • What does respect look like in my classroom? • How do students show respect to me? How do I show respect to them? • And how do they show respect to each other? These aren’t checklist questions with right or wrong answers. They’re invitations to reflect, to grow, and to teach with more intention. Because when we think deeply about the environment we create, we don’t just teach better, we build spaces where children feel safe, seen, and ready to learn. Salma Zerin

Throwing AI tools at your team without a plan is like giving them a Ferrari without driving lessons. AI only drives impact if your workforce knows how to use it effectively. After: 1-defining objectives 2-assessing readiness 3-piloting use cases with a tiger team Step 4 is about empowering the broader team to leverage AI confidently. Boston Consulting Group (BCG) research and Gilbert’s Behavior Engineering Model show that high-impact AI adoption is 80% about people, 20% about tech. Here’s how to make that happen: 1️⃣ Environmental Supports: Build the Framework for Success -Clear Guidance: Define AI’s role in specific tasks. If a tool like Momentum.io automates data entry, outline how it frees up time for strategic activities. -Accessible Tools: Ensure AI tools are easy to use and well-integrated. For tools like ChatGPT create a prompt library so employees don’t have to start from scratch. -Recognition: Acknowledge team members who make measurable improvements with AI, like reducing response times or boosting engagement. Recognition fuels adoption. 2️⃣ Empower with Tiger Team Champions -Use Tiger/Pilot Team Champions: Leverage your pilot team members as champions who share workflows and real-world results. Their successes give others confidence and practical insights. -Role-Specific Training: Focus on high-impact skills for each role. Sales might use prompts for lead scoring, while support teams focus on customer inquiries. Keep it relevant and simple. -Match Tools to Skill Levels: For non-technical roles, choose tools with low-code interfaces or embedded automation. Keep adoption smooth by aligning with current abilities. 3️⃣ Continuous Feedback and Real-Time Learning -Pilot Insights: Apply findings from the pilot phase to refine processes and address any gaps. Updates based on tiger team feedback benefit the entire workforce. -Knowledge Hub: Create an evolving resource library with top prompts, troubleshooting guides, and FAQs. Let it grow as employees share tips and adjustments. -Peer Learning: Champions from the tiger team can host peer-led sessions to show AI’s real impact, making it more approachable. 4️⃣ Just in Time Enablement -On-Demand Help Channels: Offer immediate support options, like a Slack channel or help desk, to address issues as they arise. -Use AI to enable AI: Create customGPT that are task or job specific to lighten workload or learning brain load. Leverage NotebookLLM. -Troubleshooting Guide: Provide a quick-reference guide for common AI issues, empowering employees to solve small challenges independently. AI’s true power lies in your team’s ability to use it well. Step 4 is about support, practical training, and peer learning led by tiger team champions. By building confidence and competence, you’re creating an AI-enabled workforce ready to drive real impact. Step 5 coming next ;) Ps my next podcast guest, we talk about what happens when AI does a lot of what humans used to do… Stay tuned.

🌱 “𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰. 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.” This line hit me hard—because that’s what great teaching truly is. I once had a student who struggled not with ability, but with fear—fear of making mistakes, of raising their hand, of being wrong. Traditional instruction kept nudging them to “speak up more.” But what actually worked? Giving them a safe space to think quietly, letting them submit reflections anonymously, then slowly offering low-stakes speaking opportunities. They bloomed—on their own terms. 🔍 This is what barrier-free learning looks like. Not pushing students harder, but asking: What’s in their way—and how do I remove it? Some powerful methodologies that support this mindset: ✅ Inquiry-Based Learning – Let curiosity drive the lesson. ✅ Scaffolded Instruction – Support step-by-step until confidence builds. ✅ Metacognitive Reflection – Teach students to know how they learn. ✅ Growth-Oriented Assessment – Focus on progress, not just performance. 🌿 Students don’t need force. They need conditions to thrive. #LearnerCentered #Pedagogy #InquiryBasedLearning #GrowthMindset #TeachingStrategies #HolisticEducation #Scaffolding #ReflectivePractice #BarrierFreeLearning