How To Develop a Culture of “Can” In Your Classroom

It’s an age-old saying, “Give a man a fish, and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and feed him for a lifetime.”

What separates good teachers from the excellent ones? The excellent ones are handing out fishing poles; creating a culture in the classroom of independence and self-reliance. These students don’t just recite facts or regurgitate information- they have learned how to learn. They know that if the answer isn’t in front of them, they have the tools to do the investigation and research.

So how do you cultivate a culture of “I can…” in your classroom?

1. Make It a Safe Place To Fail

The more I study education and psychology, the more convinced I become that failure is one of the most important tools for learning. As children, we try to…