LIMIT YOUR INTAKE

Three Tips for Adopting a Minimalist Mindset

2/23/2022

Christine and I were super excited when Naomi of Growing Minds Consulting asked us to write a guest post for her blog. Naomi's area of expertise is in in UDL in math and we have had some conversations about the cross-over we see in the principles of UDL and minimalism. This piece though, isn't in that lane yet (it's coming, we promise)! This piece showcases three tips that can get you started when adopting what might be a new mindset for you!

"Educators can make up to 1,500 decisions per day. Adopting a minimalist mindset in education means that we are working towards keeping our minds clutter-free. For our minds to remain in optimal problem-solving and decision-making shape, we must have some strategies in place for clearing out what’s irrelevant, to make way for the tasks in our proximal priority zone.
If you are someone who can easily and quickly navigate working through a list of tasks, keep tuned into what’s most important at the right times, and maintain a clear line of focus most of the time, you’re already on the right track. If you are someone who needs reminders and a consistent flow of ways to keep yourself sorted out, we’ve got some ideas for you."

Click here to read the full post with the three tips on Naomi's site.

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Human Connection

2/10/2022

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I was a bit reluctant to click on an Uber Business blog post when I was doing a search for the benefits of working in-person versus remote.

I'm happy to report that the first item on their list of why returning to a workplace is important was what I hoped it was... for human connection. But the second point really caught me - optimal workspaces! Hello! Speaking my language!

There are studies that show both benefits to going to a workplace and working from home, but I wanted to focus in on the benefits of getting back out into live collaborations as I head into some starting this week.

I've spent the good part of this last couple of years in transition between countries, condos, and now home office spaces. I've finally got something set up that I think will help me stay as productive as possible. But... even having our designated workspace at home can mean there are some blurred lines.

This week I am looking forward to some in-person work time with teammate, Nicole. We have done all our collaborations online, much like Christine and I as we wrote our book and continue our work together, however this dedicated work time and separate space is going to bring our productivity to a new level, allowing us to reduce a list of items that we kept adding to in a shorter amount of time than when we work online.

We've got a lot to do, and I am confident that we will get our work lists sorted out, completed, and still get out to ... goat yoga.

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Not all questions

2/3/2022

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300 questions. That’s how many questions a four-year old may ask in a single day according to some studies. How many questions do you think adults ask per day? We can be sure that it’s not 300. It’s not even 100, or 50. Some studies report that adults ask less than 20 questions per day. We can formulate some ideas for why this is.

As we gain knowledge and understanding we may start asking less questions, it would benefit us to start asking more.

Here’s why.
Good questions can help us clarify our purpose.

Not all questions are created equal, but they all have a purpose. Sometimes we ask questions to gather basic information needed to be able to get from A to B. Sometimes we ask questions for attention. And sometimes, we ask questions to gain clarity about something we are trying to learn, understand, and live.
Good questions create clarity and support understanding. When we have clarity, there is little room for confusion.
In practice: One of the most powerful questions we can ask ourselves and each other is: “What’s the purpose of this?” Answering this question with some ease means we are on track for our […] of success.

Inquiry cycles can help us broaden our perspective.

Inquiry cycles are a way for learners to formulate questions about what they wish to gain more insight into.
In an inquiry cycle, we can use question starters like ones created by Project Zero out of Harvard's Graduate School of Education. Using starters that differ from the way we would normally start a question can offer us a new perspective on what we are learning or insight into a problem we are solving. For example, we may often ask questions beginning with “Why did we…?” or “why are we…?” - more often that we realize. When we ask similar types of questions, we limit our responses. Asking ‘why’ in this way can also add a feeling of judgement. However, by shifting the language slightly, we can gain further insight into a different perspective by asking “What if we knew… about…?”
In practice: I’ve used these question starters with adults and younger learners, and I am always amazed at the questions asked and how those questions lead to such rich discussions.

The right questions can help us move past obstacles.

In her post about leadership and asking questions on Vistage.com, Beth Miller wrote that, “[G]reat leaders respond in a more value-adding way: by asking the right questions and helping the employee find the best solution themselves.”, rather than simply answering questions of employees. “Leaders, who lead by questioning, rather than needing to always be in control, will see improvements in many areas.” One of these areas? Problem solving.
In practice: Both when coaching adults and facilitating conversations with younger students, I ask what I think will be “the right” (and perhaps unexpected) question, that can help someone break through a barrier. I’ve asked young learners questions like: “What makes you say that?”, or “Can you tell me why you think that is true?” to uncover some ideas I wanted to learn more about. Alternatively, I have asked teachers, “What did the student say when you asked them about…?” I have found this to be a groundbreaker! The response I hear once I’ve asked that question… “I haven’t asked them.” Sometimes obstacles remain as such because we haven’t asked questions.

Spending more time intentionally inquiring about our tasks and challenges would yield more refined and targeted outcomes, allowing us to tackle obstacles and move forward with our individual and communal successes.

This is post was originally written for and posted on ResonanceEd.com/blog. To learn more about Resonance Education. Consulting and bringing sustainable social emotional learning systems to your school, click here.

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Three Tips for Adopting a Minimalist Mindset

Human Connection

Not all questions

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