Our friend and partner in learning, Trevor Ragan, recently shared some articles and videos for the start of the school year.  In one post, he compared the space for learning with repetitions when working out.  When we are spotting someone, we do not jump in and do the work when it gets hard.  But we are tempted to do this in learning in the name of supporting our students. 

"Obviously this wouldn’t be a very effective approach. If you step in and rob me of the most important reps every time, progress will be limited.

We would never do this in the weight room, yet we do it all of the time when it comes to learning."

His full post can be found below:

Robbing Reps

by Trevor Ragan

I’m squatting, you’re spotting.

The goal: 12 reps

Reps 1-3: no prob

Reps 4-7: not bad either, but I’m starting to feel it

Rep 8: It gets hard and I start to struggle a bit

You jump in and do the last 4 reps for me.

I feel better, you feel helpful… but my reps have been robbed!

Obviously this wouldn’t be a very effective approach. If you step in and rob me of 4 of the most important reps every time, progress will be limited.

We would never do this in the weight room, yet we do it all of the time when it comes to learning.

We finish their sentence, give them the answer, solve the problem, and remove them from the challenge.

Just like muscles, skills are built. They’re built through reps and practice – especially the ones that challenge and stretch us.

Problem solving
Bouncing back from adversity
Dealing with change

Are three important muscles (skills) that we all need to develop.

But it’s impossible to get good at them without practice:

I can’t get good at solving problems if you solve them for me.

I can’t get good at bouncing back from adversity if I’m never allowed to fall.

I can’t get good at dealing with change if I’m not allowed to experience it.

Coach me, support me, cheer for me – but please don’t rob my reps.

Below are some additional posts and videos related to learning, reflection, and mindsets.

Robbing Reps: A Cautionary Note for Leaders
A quick reminder for anyone in a leadership role.

Improving Leadership, Communication, Connection
Sometimes the more experienced we are, the harder it is to connect with, coach, and teach someone who is not on our level. The good news: this can be fixed.

Building a Better Learning Environment with Psychological Safety
Psychological safety is essential for better learning. It's important to understand what it is, why it matters, and how to build it.

How Our Mindsets Impact Others - The Pygmalion Effect
Our beliefs about the people we work with can impact their learning and performance.

The New Era of Growth Mindset
An overview of the latest updates from some of the original researchers. Also, for all of our growth mindset content you can go here: growth mindset toolkit

Improving How we Think and Talk about Stress, Fear, and Discomfort
Minor changes in how we discuss stress can enhance learning and performance under pressure for those we work with.

The Surprising Power of Reflection
Building in time for our people to reflect on what they're learning is a really good idea.

TIME Hours for November payment are due NOVEMBER 10th

Credit-Bearing Course Opportunity

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, K-12 teachers face the crucial task of reimagining their classrooms to support students' emotional well-being while fostering active engagement in learning. This 15-hour course integrates trauma-informed instruction with effective engagement strategies to help educators create a nurturing and empowering classroom environment. Participants will gain insights, practical tools, and strategies to enhance their teaching approaches and support their students in a post-pandemic world. For additional information, the learning map is linked below.

Creating a Resilient Classroom Environment: Trauma-Informed Instruction and Student Engagement Strategies for PK-12 Teachers

Many of the strategies for this course are from the book "Confronting the Crisis of Engagement: Creating Focus and Resilience for Students, Staff, and Communities" by Doug Reeves, Nancy Frey, and Doug Fisher.  Those who take the course will receive a copy of this book.  

This is a hybrid course that includes face to face opportunities, synchronous online opportunities, and asynchronous opportunities. 

• Week of November 6th: 2.5 hours asynchronous
• November 14th: Face to Face, 4:30-6:30
• November 21st: Online synchronous, 4:30-6:30
• November 28th: Online synchronous, 4:30-6:30
• December 5th: Online synchronous, 4:30-6:30
• December 12th: Online synchronous, 4:30-6:30
• December 19th: Face to Face, 4:30-6:30

Key Points

• Credit bearing course (1 hour graduate or relicensure)
• Eligible for TQ funds
• Course text will be provided
• Face to face sessions will be held in the district board room. 
• There is a capacity of 30 students for this session. 

Course Sign-Up

If you are interested in taking this course, please complete the form below. This must be submitted by OCTOBER 31 so we can get books ordered.  Please note that there is a capacity of 30 students for this session.  

Course Sign Up

SEP University--New Course Catalog

As we continue with the launch of Southeast Polk University, we have a new catalog where you can review and register for courses. 

All SEP University content and information is housed on the Southeast Polk Professional Development site.  The link to the new catalog may be found at the top of the SEP University page. 

Southeast Polk Course Catalog

Once you click on the link, you will see the courses that are currently available.  These courses are self-paced, online learning opportunities.

If you want to learn more about a specific course, click on the arrow at the bottom right hand corner of the course tile. 

This will bring you to the course map where you can review the purpose and learning goals of the course. 

If you decide to take the course, you may click on the title to enroll. 

This will then take you directly to the course in Canvas. 

Each module* in a course is designed to take 1 hour to complete with an additional hour for planning and implementation. (*Please note that the course catalog refers to modules as 'points')   SEP University courses may consist of 1-4 modules. Participants may earn 1 credit if they take a combination of 6 modules.

• These modules may be taken beyond the contract day and are eligible for TQ funding*.

• These modules may be used as a part of building professional development.

• These modules may be used as a part of learning for collaboration teams.

*TQ funding only applies to modules taken outside of the school day.

We appreciate your ongoing commitment to learning. Please contact members of the Teaching and Learning team for any questions regarding Southeast Polk University.