Video Transcript
This is Rex. He’s a high school teacher, and in this video, I’m going to show you how Rex solved a small but persistent problem in his classroom using an evidence-based approach. Make sure you stay tuned to the end to hear how Rex uses his research skills to empower others as well.
Hi friends, I’m Matthew Courtney, and here we talk all about education research and data. If you’re into that, make sure you like and subscribe, and come be a part of our community!
Now, let’s dive into Rex’s story.
Rex, like many teachers, was dealing with a common yet frustrating problem: his students weren’t bringing pencils to class. This might sound like a minor issue, but in Rex’s classroom, it was causing constant disruptions, leading to lost instructional time and frustration for both him and his students.
Rather than relying on the typical reminders or punishment strategies, Rex took a different approach. He turned to education research literature, searching for strategies that could help him solve this problem once and for all. Through his research, Rex found studies suggesting that students who associate value with classroom materials, like pencils, are more likely to remember and care for them.
Armed with this insight, Rex decided to create a simple but effective intervention. He introduced a system where students would swap something of value in exchange for borrowing a pencil. Whether it was a keychain, a small item from their pocket, or something they cared about, like their cellphones, students placed their items in a pocket chart that held the pencils.
As a result, the disruptions in Rex’s classroom started to decrease almost immediately. The act of trading something valuable for a pencil encouraged students to recognize the importance of having their supplies ready. After just two weeks of using this system, Rex no longer needed to swap items—the students had learned to take responsibility for their pencils on their own.
This simple evidence-based solution had a significant impact. What started as a small adjustment created a more seamless classroom experience for both Rex and his students.
But Rex’s story doesn’t end there. As a bonus, Rex went on to teach his daughter, who was a first-year kindergarten teacher, how to use research to resolve her own problems too. She was struggling with student disruptions and over the dinner table they perused the research literature together to find a solution that she could deploy. Now, she’s an evidence empowered educator too - using research to solve her problems in real time.
Rex’s experience is a powerful reminder that even the smallest classroom challenges can be addressed through research. By using evidence-based approaches, Rex was able to improve his classroom environment and teach others to do the same.
So, what can you take from this? Whether you’re facing small day-to-day challenges or larger issues in your school, the key is to rely on research, test different strategies, and make informed decisions that best fit your unique context.
If you found value in Rex’s story, don’t forget to like and subscribe, and be sure to check out other videos on my channel. I’ll see you next time.
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