Embracing Productive Struggle to Enhance Teaching and Learning | Bob Schaffer | TEDxMission College

TL;DR

Creating comfortable learning environments and fostering confidence can enhance the teacher-student relationship and promote transformational learning.

Transcript

in 2014 I was teaching a graduate engineering class at Santa clar University and had a dedicated student who frequently came by my office we were chatting and he said I often try to figure out if my professors are actually professors instructors or teachers I asked him what he meant by that and he assured me he'd tell me at the end of the quarter I... Read More

Key Insights

• ♻️ Creating a comfortable learning environment and fostering confidence are essential for productive struggle and transformational learning.
• 😨 Society's conditioning and fear of failure often hinder students' willingness to engage in productive struggle.
• ⌛ Grades and time constraints can pose challenges to productive struggle, but focusing on independent learning and confidence can overcome them.
• ❓ Impostor syndrome and stereotype threat are significant barriers to productive struggle and learning.
• 🔨 Peer mentorship can be a powerful tool in promoting confidence and independent learning.
• 🥶 Training programs that emphasize academically risk-free environments and mistake-friendly learning can lead to positive learning outcomes.
• ❓ Catalyzing serendipity and effective networking can create opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Questions & Answers

Q: What are the differences between professors, instructors, and teachers?

Professors tend to focus on lecturing and showcasing their knowledge, while instructors prioritize instructing students. Teachers genuinely care about whether their students are learning.

Q: How does productive struggle enhance learning?

Productive struggle creates extra synaptic connections in the brain when learning from mistakes. By fostering a comfortable environment, learners can focus on learning rather than the struggle itself.

Q: How does fear of failure manifest in the classroom?

Students often avoid asking questions or answering them due to the fear of appearing incompetent. This fear can hinder their learning and prevent them from fully engaging in the classroom.

Q: How can teachers strike a balance between providing support and promoting independent learning?

Teachers should make space for mistakes and celebrate them as part of the learning process. They should also know when to intervene and when to allow students to figure things out on their own.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Teachers should prioritize creating a comfortable learning environment where students feel comfortable making mistakes and reflecting on them.

• Society's conditioning and fear of failure often hinder productive struggle and learning.

• Grades and time constraints pose challenges to productive struggle, but confidence and independent learning can overcome them.