When we spoon-feed information to students, we do the work for them. But the side effects go beyond merely handing students the solution to academic challenges. We rob them of all the long-term benefits of rigorous learning. We rob them of effort. We rob them of productive struggle and in turn, we rob them of opportunities to develop grit, perseverance, and resilience. We condition students to think if they sit there long enough, someone will eventually come along and tell them the answer and how to get it. This is dull, passive, ineffective. Our challenge is to create rigorous and relevant learning scenarios, whereby students are engaged in productive struggle in learning environments that are equal parts joyful, engaging, and successful. In this session, Weston will unlock the power of Problem Solving Teaching and demonstrate a methodology that all teachers can use to create classrooms of highly engaged problem solvers.
