What This Is

Learning Goals

I don't have a laundry list of learning objectives that I hope we'll achieve together. (Oops?) That's because I want you to take the content of this course and make it your own. Each of you is a unique person who will one day be teaching unique learners in a unique situation (whether that be in a classroom, in a field, in a workshop, on a stage, as parents, etc.). Because of this, it's simply not possible for me to develop a one-size-fits-all class that teaches everyone everything you need to know from the world of educational psychology. I mean, that'd be super cool, but it's just not a thing.

So, I hope you are prepared to do what I'm asking of you — to be a critical consumer of the content we're going to be thinking about this semester. To constantly be asking, how can I use this in my future teaching? Can I use this in the exact way she's explaining, or do I have to tweak it a little to make it work for me? And if I do tweak it, will I still be using a strategy that counts as evidence-based (meaning "has been shown to work"), or will my tweaks accidentally modify it into a format that no longer works for my students at all?

This is honestly the entire task of being a teacher—to mix what research says works for learners with our own practice-based insights to create a valuable learning experience for everyone involved. (There's also a side task of learning how to tear down and rebuild systems that don't help us to do our best work, but we're gonna do that one on the down-low 😎 )

So although I don't have specific content-based learning objectives for this class, I do have 12 different questions that I hope you'll have an answer to by the end of the course. These questions line up with each week we'll be working together (check out the course schedule in the When Stuff Is tab to see what I mean), and are organized into three units:

Unit 1

The word "teachers" is displayed on a green chalkboard. A desk beneath displays a cup of pencils, some colored chalk, a pear, a small plant, and an apple sitting on a book.

  • What makes a good teacher, and how do we know?

  • What do good teachers understand about the thinking and learning process?

  • What do good teachers understand about supporting student behavior?

Unit 2

The word "students" is displayed on a gray chalkboard surface. A variety of brightly colored pens, markers, and paints are arranged around the word.

  • How do students build their understanding of the world?

  • How does student development affect learning?

  • What is the role of intelligence in student success?

  • How can we support students with a variety of learning strengths and challenges?

Unit 3

The word "systems" is superimposed over a diverse group of individuals in professional dress, each individual smiling and raising one hand in a fist.

  • How do our families affect our educational experiences?

  • What role do social identities play in the learning environment?

  • What do we need to know about peer pressure and bullying?

  • How do teacher choices affect student motivation?

  • How can teachers tell whether students learned anything?