The post Wellbeing Toolkit for Schools: Improving Social, Emotional and Physical Wellness first appeared on Just Imagination Blog.

Teachers are Optimistic About the Future of Education

In an article for Education Week, some award-winning teachers highlighted a few ways teachers are optimistic about education: 

• One teacher pointed to the clear sense of unity among teachers, “coming together to collaborate in ways that keep us in the classroom and keep us working for kids.”
• Another noted that she has found really deep and personalized ways to connect with individual students: “how to make all students feel like they have a voice in the classroom,” she said.
• One teacher said it was collaboration, teachers continuing to put their “heads together to create a common goal for our voices to be heard, for teachers to be seen.”
• In another article, teachers and education experts noted an exciting renewed emphasis on culturally responsive teaching, restorative practices, and bringing social-emotional learning into classroom practice. Our recent infographic focuses on how future teachers can prioritize mental, emotional, and physical health.

For future teachers, this shows an environment of united, collaborative teachers and other education professionals ready to shape their schools and districts in innovative ways. 

Additional Funding and Changing Education Policies to Attract Teachers

From a policy perspective, national education policy has increased funding and provided relief opportunities to schools and teachers. Of the $122 billion in funding provided to schools through the American Rescue Plan during COVID, an overwhelming majority of funds were used for teachers, counselors, academic recovery, and mental health. The Ohio Department of Education lists a number of funding and policy opportunities for those seeking to become teachers and stay teachers. 

Furthermore, those seeking to become teachers at present are met with various grant, scholarship, and student loan forgiveness opportunities, such as the federal TEACH grant, among others. While no policy is without room for growth, these show a developing understanding in investing in future and current teachers.

Become a Teacher

A graduate education degree from John Carroll University prepare teachers for licensure, as well as advanced certifications and specializations. Coursework includes an innovative understanding of not just today’s education environment but one for the future that could help shape policy and positive teacher – and student – outcomes.

The post Why is now a good time to become a teacher? first appeared on Just Imagination Blog.

School districts and education leaders across the country are looking for ways to reduce teacher turnover and many are approaching the problem as if the future of the education workforce—and the future of education itself—depends on it.

Why Teacher Turnover Rates are on the Rise

Research has revealed just how serious the teacher turnover problem has become. 

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the number of educators working in public education fell from 10.6 million to 10 million—a loss of 600,000 teachers—in the period between 2020 and 2022. And according to a 2022 survey conducted by the National Education Association (NEA), more than half of teachers said they planned to leave the profession earlier than expected. 

While the timing of the NEA survey reflected the frustration teachers felt in navigating the COVID-19 education environment, other factors were at play, as well. Ninety percent of teachers in the survey indicated they were burned out, nearly 80 percent felt they weren’t paid enough, and more than 40 percent pointed to a lack of respect from the public and from parents as a significant problem. 

In the Rand Corporation’s 2022 State of the American Teacher survey, teachers also called out the stress and disappointments of the job and lack of opportunities for professional advancement as among the top reasons they are either leaving or considering doing so.

The impact of this outflow of talented teachers is felt in multiple ways, as the turnover in the teacher ranks can disrupt student’s academic progress and, in many cases, amount to students losing valued mentors and role models in the classroom.

How to Retain More Teachers

If there is an upside to the teacher turnover problem, it’s that many of the causes are addressable. 

There have been multiple teacher retention strategies put forward for keeping teachers in the fold, including the following:

• Assigning experienced teachers to serve as mentors to those who are new to the classroom.
• Focusing on building a positive workplace culture that makes teachers feel valued, empowered, and supported.
• Providing growth opportunities for teachers, including creating personalized growth plans that address their specific professional interests and career goals. 
• Engaging teachers in retention conversations to identify—and focus on the needs of—those most at risk of leaving.
• Celebrating teaching excellence and professional accomplishments.

As for educators themselves, they can help promote their own growth, stay engaged in their jobs, and even increase their earning potential by pursuing an advanced degree.

Take Control of Your Education Career

Advance your education career with a graduate education degree from John Carroll University. Our master’s degrees (M.Ed. and M.A.) offer coursework to prepare teachers for advanced certifications and specializations and open up new career opportunities, including moving into leadership roles in schools, districts, and other educational agencies. The flexible hybrid and online format allows for degree completion in two years—all while working full time. 

JCU is a private Jesuit university located in University Heights, Ohio, near Cleveland.

The post The Importance of Teacher Retention in the Future Education Workforce first appeared on Just Imagination Blog.

Bringing Mental Health into the Classroom

Importantly, the pandemic brought on unprecedented levels of mental health needs for children, teens, and those working in education. It brought to light, and exacerbated, many mental health issues that were already existing before the pandemic began, and they will surely continue after it ends.

Increased funding for hiring mental health workers, trauma response and mental health training for teachers in the classroom, and more create an opportunity for all stakeholders – communities, school districts, families, teachers, and more – to prioritize and address mental health issues both in the short and long term. In addition to several proposed pieces of legislation supported by the American Psychological Association (APA), “psychologists are committed to finding new ways to address children’s mental health, not only for their own well-being but for the common good” said one article published by the APA. For example, offering continuing education programs for teachers on trauma-informed practices and Mental Health Primers, which help teachers understand how to identify behaviors in the classroom that may be related to underlying mental health conditions, along with more examples in the article.

Many educators quickly realized there was additional education and deeper skillsets that they needed to better address and understand the mental health and wellness of their students. Programs like John Carroll’s Master of Education (M.Ed.) program in Advanced Studies with a specialization in Child and Adolescent Health and Wellness help classroom teachers build this understanding for themselves and their students. The program includes an overview of healthy development, and includes an exploration of how to handle mental health issues in productive ways and be proactive in their classrooms.

A Chance to Prioritize and Optimize

For years, educators and education researchers have highlighted growing disparities and increasing needs for updates in delivery methods, organizational structure, and teaching as a whole. As one Washington Post article put it, the pandemic “tested basic ideas about instruction, attendance, testing, funding, the role of technology and the human connections that hold it all together.” School districts, schools, and teachers had to take a step back, then prioritize and optimize the work they were doing, highlighting student wellness and equity, remaining flexible, involving the community, and blending learning materials. 

We’ve talked before in this blog about culturally responsive classrooms, competency-based education, and how the role of the teacher is changing. Each one is important in overcoming barriers brought on by the pandemic.

A New Look to the Classroom

Another potential concept in this reshaping and reframing is the idea of the “powered-up school,” wherein a public school leverages community partnerships to supplement education and bring in new experiences.  This may include bringing students into outdoor spaces or introducing professionals from various fields into the curriculum. 

The pandemic also brought on the idea of the blended learning classroom, which combines various technologies, including remote learning, to offer flexibility and more opportunities for customizing a child’s education to meet their specific needs. 

Your Future Begins at John Carroll

An advanced degree in Education, including the Master’s of Education at John Carroll University can help teachers fill Ohio employment gaps for those with unique education specialties, such as literacy, mental health and wellness, and others. Each one plays a crucial role in helping education come back from COVID-19 strong.

JCU is a private Jesuit university located in University Heights, Ohio, near Cleveland.

The post Shifting Priorities and the COVID-19 Pandemic’s Effect on the Education Field first appeared on Just Imagination Blog.

While the best teachers are always learning, it isn’t just the mark of a good educator, it’s also a requirement. Teachers in Ohio must complete continuing education hours to renew their teaching license.

But many professional educators don’t stop there. They take the step of pursuing a master’s degree—at a college or university specializing in “teaching teachers”—a decision that can have several advantages when it comes to their careers. 

Benefits of Teachers Pursuing Master’s Degrees

Here are some of the benefits teachers can realize by pursuing a master’s degree.

They become more employable. 

A teacher with a master’s degree is typically seen as more favorable by school districts as they not only have an advanced degree but also have received more hands-on training in a classroom setting than a recent graduate with a bachelor’s degree.

They can earn additional income. 

Many school districts in Ohio and across the country pay teachers more if they have a master’s degree. In fact, the potential bump in salary is one of the top motivators for teachers to return to school to pursue an advanced degree. 

They gain additional experience in the classroom. 

Beyond helping them earn more money, the additional experience in the classroom gained by those pursuing an advanced degree can prove invaluable. That experience can help educators better master the teaching of the subject matter and build their communication skills to interact more effectively with students and peers.

They open up career options. 

A master’s degree is required for teachers in Ohio to qualify for a Senior Professional License, but it can also prepare them for additional graduate work and research and put them on track to pursue a doctoral degree. An M. Ed. degree in educational leadership, for example, can also position educators to move into a variety of leadership positions within the field.

Never Stop Learning: Pursue a Career in Education

Take your education career to the next level with a graduate education degree from John Carroll University. Our master’s degrees (M.Ed. and M.A.) offer coursework to prepare teachers and other educational professionals for career opportunities in leadership roles in schools, districts, and other educational agencies. The flexible hybrid and online format allows for degree completion in two years—all while working full time. 

JCU is a private Jesuit university located in University Heights, Ohio, near Cleveland.

The post Why Teaching Teachers Matters: The Importance of Professional Development for Teachers in Ohio first appeared on Just Imagination Blog.

Educational psychologists work to find out the answer to this. Educational psychology is the study of behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social processes that occur during learning. Psychologists use this knowledge to improve the learning process.

How Teachers Use Psychology in the Classroom

Many educational psychologists specialize in children and youth education, working mostly in schools and educational settings. Other settings include behavioral health organizations, government agencies, or anywhere people are engaged in some type of instruction and learning. They help design curricula and create programs that address different learning needs.

Educational psychology is informed by other disciplines including behavioral sciences, school psychology, and clinical psychology.

In schools, educational psychologists help create classroom environments where students can learn at the best of their abilities. They do so by supporting the communication skills and team dynamics necessary to develop students and teachers.

Educational psychologists use extensive research methods and quantitative analysis to form a picture of why an education program is successful or not. Their findings are used to recommend improvements to current learning programs.

Here are some of the areas educational psychologists may focus on in schools:

·   Curriculum design—examine programs and lessons to find out what is working and what needs to improve.

·   Conduct assessments and tests—schools seeking to address gaps in their educational programs work with educational psychologists who conduct detailed research and analysis to determine an organization’s needs.

·   Adapt teaching for special needs—educational psychologists can help develop new teaching methods, including for individuals with special needs.

Teachers benefit from educational psychologists’ viewpoints when seeking to refine learning methods to complement the material they are teaching.

What Educational Psychologists Do

Among their many responsibilities, educational psychologists develop plans and provide the learning tools necessary for students to achieve learning goals. By specializing in education, psychologists delve into how people gather and process information.

There is plenty of variety in educational psychology. Duties depend on current areas of focus and workload, with common responsibilities including:

·   observing student learning and behavior patterns

·   studying the most effective methods for teaching people with specific learning needs

·   testing the effectiveness of different learning approaches

·   researching how people learn in different settings

·   referencing research about child and adolescent psychology, cognitive development, and learning disabilities

·   recommending learning plans based on research findings

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of training and development specialists will continue to grow and they work in nearly every industry.

Obtain the Skills Required to be an Educational Psychologist

There are many skillsets educational psychologists need to excel in their careers:

·   analysis and assessment

·   understanding of school-wide practices

·   behavioral and mental health interventions

·   instructional support

·   collaboration and consultation

·   research and program evaluation

These skills can be developed with the right mix of education and experience. A graduate degree program offers a specialized focus on educational psychology for teachers or individuals with social sciences backgrounds. John Carroll University’s M.Ed. in Educational Psychology is an excellent choice. This master’s degree program focuses on learning theories, human development, research methods, assessment, and measurement—relevant skills for outcomes-based practice in many of today’s fields.

The post What Is Educational Psychology And How Can You Enter The Field first appeared on Just Imagination Blog.

A Program for Entrepreneurship Educators

The entrepreneurship program has been at the forefront of experiential education for almost a decade, and the COVID-19 pandemic pushed JCU’s Dr. Doan Winkel, the John J. Kahl, Sr. Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship, to experiment with different ways of sharing his pedagogical approach with educators.

As part of the TeachingEntrepreneurship.org (TE.org) Summer Summit, Dr. Winkel, conducted a live entrepreneurship exercise in JCU’s Burton D. Morgan Foundation Entrepreneurship and Creativity classroom. 

Nearly 350 professors from more than 100 countries attended the TE.org Summer Summit! They observed and interacted with Winkel and JCU students via Zoom and a Double robot that Winkel’s TE.org cofounder, Justin Wilcox, was driving around the classroom from his home in California.

The Value of Experiential Learning in Entrepreneurship

Professional development for entrepreneurship educators usually happens through passive learning at annual conferences or a variety of webinars and online courses. These formats are woefully inadequate, so Winkel, Wilcox, and another TE.org cofounder, Federico Mammano, decided to create an interactive experience in one classroom from which teachers anywhere in the world could learn through live observation. 

As one teacher mentioned, “I loved watching other teachers and students — it is the best way for me to learn.” Another shared that, “The live [demonstration] was invaluable, even down to room arrangement.”

Reaching a Global Audience from Cleveland, Ohio

Chetan Kapoor, JCU’s Director of Instructional Technology, worked tirelessly to build a seamless technological experience for the international audience. The TE.org team is at the forefront of experiential learning, but they are always pushing the envelope to empower more educators to deliver a richer learning experience to students around the globe. 

One of the JCU entrepreneurship students observed that, “[The students participating] seemed to take the class more seriously. I could tell there was a lot more energy in the room than in most of my classes. I think it was because we knew people from around the world were watching. It made me pay more attention, and I really enjoyed the experience!”

Your Future in Education

John Carroll University (JCU) offers an Educational Leadership program that prepares working educators for a master’s degree in education (M.Ed.) and to earn their Principal Licensure. This degree program, which can be completed while working full time, provides a broad range of knowledge related to becoming an education leader who can support their staff, students and community at large.

JCU is a private Jesuit university located in University Heights, Ohio, near Cleveland.

The post Program for entrepreneurship educators delivers experiential learning to global audience first appeared on Just Imagination Blog.

Trends in Education

The changes to education largely reflect the traits of the youngest generations. For example, Generation Z were born into a digitally advanced world with information available at a keystroke. Thus, they process information quickly and their attention spans might require interactive classroom environments. They also expect digital learning tools to be a regular part of their education.

Meanwhile, collaboration has become critical in K-12 education. Teachers will not only be providers of knowledge, but simultaneously learn with students. They are adapting their roles to become co-learners in order to effectively communicate with students.

Here are more trends that will continue to impact the future of education:

• Personalized learning—lessons are adapted to the capabilities of each student. Learning environments will need to adhere to student needs.
• E-learning platforms and the option of homeschooling means physical classroom presence is not required.
• Project-based learning that allows for more creativity and practical skills development.

The New Roles of Educators

Educator roles are adapting to education and technology transformation. An education workforce report from KnowledgeWorks describes potential educator roles of the future:

• Learning pathway designer—creates the learning goals needed to move students along a path of educational achievement.
• Competency tracker—helps organize the value of learning experiences by tagging them according to the competencies they address.
• Pop-up reality producer—develops multimedia to integrate play and learning into an experience to help students.
• Social innovation portfolio director—connects student problem-solving groups with local community challenges.
• Learning naturalist—designs and delivers assessment protocols that capture evidence of learning in students’ diverse learning environments.
• Micro-credential analyst—provides research-based evaluations and audits of micro-credentials (badges, certificates, and other mechanisms that demonstrate mastery of skills) in order to provide learners and institutions with comparative metrics.
• Data steward—acts as a third-party information trustee to ensure responsible and ethical use of personal data.

These roles reflect a growing need for more data-based and technology-driven education. Teachers and administrators might incorporate aspects of the roles into their work in order to stay relevant in a changing education environment.

Your Future Begins at John Carroll University

Educators who will make an impact on the future need to make data-based decisions to assess educational effectiveness.  They can learn the skills to do this with a graduate education degree from John Carroll University. Our master’s degrees (M.Ed. and M.A.) offer coursework relevant for today’s and tomorrow’s educators. Programs are available in flexible hybrid and online formats that allow students with full-time work commitments to complete their degree in two years. 

JCU is a private Jesuit university located in University Heights, Ohio, near Cleveland.

The post How the Role of a Teacher is Changing first appeared on Just Imagination Blog.

Traditional Approach to Education

Some context: Most of us have memories of school days spent learning math, reading, science, history, and other subjects. Each school year was made up of a set number of days. Along the way, through the accumulation of those school days, we learned what we needed to advance to the next grade level. 

But this approach, steeped in tradition as it is, doesn’t work for every student. Not all students learn the same amount or achieve subject-matter proficiency at the same rate. As a result, some students may not emerge at the end of the school year with the same grasp of the subject matter. 

In recent years, however, those who design school curricula have begun to acknowledge that instructional days are not the best measure of learning. The result is a movement toward competency-based education. 

If you are considering pursuing a career as an educational leader—including at the elementary level—

competency-based education is a concept with which you should be familiar.

What Is Competency-based Education?

The biggest differentiator of competency-based education is a focus on mastery instead of on time spent in the classroom. Students learn at their own pace and don’t advance until they show they have mastered the subject matter and can demonstrate they have met the specified learning outcomes. 

A big advantage of competency-based education—a concept that dates back more than half a century— is that it promotes equity for students. Indeed, many may come from different backgrounds and circumstances that did not prepare them for academic success in an educational environment that emphasizes seat time over mastery.

Competency-based education has taken hold in colleges and universities. A 2020 study by the American Institutes for Research and the Lumina Foundation reported that 128 institutions had implemented a total of more than 1,000 competency-based programs. The study also found that 82% of post-secondary administrators expect the number of competency-based programs to grow by 2025.

This growth may eventually extend to secondary and even elementary education, as well. 

Is Competency-based Education Effective?

While many point to the benefits of competency-based education, especially in light of the shortcomings of the traditional seat time-based approach, surprisingly few research studies confirm its effectiveness. 

Still, as a principal or administrator, you may be involved in implementing or executing on some version of competency-based education—or at least evaluating it as a viable option for your school or district. 

The big takeaway, however, is that whether competency-based education grows in prominence and adoption, there is little doubt that the future of elementary education will likely look very different than its past. 

Pursue a Career in Educational Leadership

Take your education career to the next level with an M.Ed. degree in educational leadership from John Carroll University. The program prepares teachers and other educational professionals for career opportunities in leadership roles in schools, districts, and other educational agencies. The flexible hybrid and online format allows for degree completion in two years—all while working full time. 

JCU is a private Jesuit university located in University Heights, Ohio, near Cleveland.

The post Is Competency-based Curriculum the Future of Education in Ohio Elementary Schools? first appeared on Just Imagination Blog.

Culturally Responsive Classroom

In a culturally responsive classroom, responsibility is placed on the teacher to adjust lessons according to students’ cultural norms. The more educators know about their students, the better they can fit instruction to their individual reading and writing levels, interests, and needs. Therefore, teachers must learn more about students’ personal and family lives and educational goals, considering ways to build positive relationships. Moreover, a personalized approach to lessons has a greater impact than a one-size-fits-all approach.

Tips for Educators

An important first step for teachers is examining and educating themselves. They can ask:

• What do I know about my students’ backgrounds and communities?
• Do I understand issues involving racial equity, socioeconomics, and those of non-native English speakers?
• What are personal biases that shape what I value and teach?
• How are diverse voices encouraged in my classroom?
• Do my students see themselves reflected in curricula?

Part of self-reflection requires educators to open themselves up to receiving feedback from students, colleagues, administrators, and student families. This exercise leads to considering whether the structure of curriculum needs to be adjusted and developing a writing program that accommodates diversity.

Strategies for Teaching Culturally Responsive Writing Skills

Writing is crucial for all students’ development. It is an engaging and interesting activity that strengthens communication and self-expression. Teachers help students become better writers by teaching a variety of strategies that support the writing process.

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) offers recommendations on effective writing instruction, particularly in the elementary school setting.

• Provide daily time for students to write. IES recommends a minimum of one hour a day devoted to student writing, beginning in 1st grade. Writing practice can occur in the context of other content-area instruction.
• Teach students how to apply the writing process, and teach them to write for a variety of purposes.
• Teach fluency in handwriting, spelling, sentence construction, and typing.
• Include opportunities for students to choose their own topics to increase engagement and motivation.

In general, writing instruction should focus on consistency. A consistent routine allows students of all backgrounds to feel comfortable and practice writing while receiving feedback and support from their teachers.

Customizing the Learning Environment For Diverse Learners

Considering the needs of diverse learners, educators may customize the learning environment, instructional materials, and teaching strategies for writing instruction. They make an even more powerful impact when they accommodate students’ diverse needs. Teachers seeking to be culturally responsive should consider these accommodations in the K-8 classroom:

• Learning environment—include more time for writing; provide a quiet area for students; allow students to select meaningful reinforcements for achieving writing goals.
• Instructional materials—simplify language of writing prompts; develop individualized spelling lessons; highlight key words and phrases.
• Teaching strategies—focus on writing mechanics; provide physical assistance in handwriting instruction; teach students to adjust their writing behaviors and habits.

Teachers Helping Students Improve Literacy and Writing Skills

If you are a teacher seeking to improve the reading and writing abilities of your students, a graduate education degree may be for you. John Carroll University (JCU) offers a Master of Education (M.Ed.) program in Advanced Studies for experienced teachers and other educational professionals. You can develop your unique interests by choosing from six areas of specialization, including Literacy. The Literacy specialization offers in-depth preparation in literacy, reading assessment, and diagnosis of reading problems. This track may lead to recommendation for the State of Ohio Reading Endorsement.

JCU is a private Jesuit university located in University Heights, Ohio, near Cleveland.

The post Using Culturally Responsive Strategies For Teaching Diverse Learners first appeared on Just Imagination Blog.