Spark Creativity, Increase Participation, and Create an Surroundings The place Each Pupil Thrives
On this episode of The Schoolyard Podcast, host Nancy Chung dives into the transformative world of collaborative school rooms with particular visitor Dr. Sue Ann Highland, a Nationwide Training Strategist from Faculty Specialty.
This episode is full of inspiring insights that may assist educators reshape their studying areas for optimum engagement and teamwork.
How can remodeling studying areas foster collaboration?
The episode kicks off with Nancy and Sue Ann discussing the idea of a collaborative classroom. Sue Ann emphasizes that collaboration goes past simply working collectively on a worksheet; it includes significant interactions amongst college students, lecturers, and the content material itself. She highlights the significance of making an setting that helps this interplay, noting that versatile seating and movable furnishings can encourage college students to interact extra actively of their studying.
What are some sensible ideas educators can take again to their studying areas?
Sue Ann additionally shares her secret weapon for fostering collaboration: involving college students within the design of their studying areas. She encourages lecturers to ask their college students what they want, as they typically have useful insights that may result in a more practical and interesting classroom setting.
How can educators embrace failure as a studying alternative?
Probably the most memorable moments within the episode comes when Sue Ann shares a humorous but enlightening story from her early educating days. She recounts a classroom challenge that didn’t go as deliberate, resulting in a useful lesson concerning the significance of scholar involvement and possession within the studying course of. This anecdote serves as a reminder that failure generally is a stepping stone to success, and that frequent makes an attempt at studying are important for development.
I want anyone would have informed me simply to leap in and take a look at it. It’s okay to have it not work. – Dr. Sue Highland
What occurs once we suppose exterior the field?
Because the dialog unfolds, Nancy and Sue Ann interact in some enjoyable hypothetical situations, together with what they’d do if they might break a legislation of physics within the classroom. Their imaginative responses spark creativity and spotlight the significance of making an inviting and interesting studying setting.
In case you’re an educator trying to revamp your classroom or just looking for inspiration for fostering collaboration amongst your college students, this episode is a must-listen! Tune in to listen to all of the insights and tales that may allow you to embark by yourself classroom revolution.

Dr. Sue Ann Highland is the Nationwide Training Strategist for Faculty Specialty. As an Training Strategist, she makes use of her experience in academic initiatives and administrative management to assist lecturers and leaders to rework educating and studying.
Along with her work at Faculty Specialty, Dr. Highland has additionally served as a change and enchancment guide to many Colorado enterprise and academic establishments since 2004. On this capability, she enhanced personnel efficiency, streamlined organizational operations, and launched course of enhancements that enhanced productiveness for corporations and colleges. She additionally has a number of years of expertise in managing a crew that transforms studying environments for districts.
Dr. Highland derives her experience from over 25 years in schooling, with half of these years in rural districts. She has labored as an Organizational Improvement Director, an elementary faculty principal, and a faculty district’s Director of Federal Applications, Curriculum and Instruction. In these positions, Dr. Highland was answerable for skilled improvement and day by day administration in addition to for main initiatives and evaluating workers efficiency and outcomes. She focuses on enchancment, turnaround, and alter administration.
Dr. Highland acquired a Grasp of Arts in Instructional Management and Coverage Research from the College of Northern Colorado and a Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Grand Canyon College.
