by Nancy Motley
February can be a hard month for educators. It’s that point in the year when accountability measures seem to multiply, and the renewed energy we might have felt at the beginning of the semester has faded. This is also the time when many of us are doubling down in our efforts to support students, looking for anything that might create the spark that will ignite some momentum. We feel the grind, and so do our students.
Because of this, it might seem crazy to suggest that February is a great time to think about improving our craft, but hear me out. Two weeks ago, I was presenting a session to a group of teachers on a Saturday. Yes, a Saturday. While they were polite and compliant, there was a thick layer of second-semester exhaustion that permeated the room. They even vocalized that the idea of adding one more thing to their plates felt impossible. I’m sure you can relate…I know I can (and it doesn’t even have to be February).
After sharing my simple, two-part message with this audience, however, their overwhelming feedback was that they found that elusive spark and, more importantly, felt an injection of hope for both themselves and their students as they finished up this school year. My wish is the same for you.
So, how exactly do we focus on improving our own teaching practice when we are stretched so thin?
- Select a small move.
- Tell your students.
That’s it. This might seem oversimplified, but it works. Let’s dig a little deeper into each part.
Select a Small Move
The idea is to select something that will help you and your students but that is actually small. I define small as low to no prep, brief, and actionable. You don’t have to spend your precious planning time or your 17-minute lunch break to prepare. You can give it a try “in the moment” without much risk. Here is one example of a small move that meets this criteria:
Pick a Number
A common lament I hear is, “My students just do the bare minimum.”
This no-prep and actionable idea helps to minimize this challenge immediately. Simply pick a number greater than one for the quantity of ideas you are looking for. I like to frame the request in a way that makes it feel like a challenge or a competition. “I tried this out last night and came up with five different answers. I bet your partnership can think of at least two.”
Other examples of Pick a Number:
| Instead of… | Pick a Number |
| Turn to your partner and tell your prediction about what you think we will learn in this book. | With your partner, please discuss what you think we will learn in this book. Try to come up with at least three predictions. |
| Please write in your journal how you solved your warm-up. | I can think of three ways to solve this warm-up. Please try to write at least two different approaches. |
| Highlight examples of figurative language in this poem. | Highlight examples of figurative language in this poem. See if you can locate at least four. |
Using “pick a number” extends student-to-student conversation beyond a quick exchange. It calls students to elaborate on their ideas in writing and undoubtedly increases their engagement with any text they are reading.
This is just one example of a deliberate but small change we can make to improve learning outcomes for our students. There are countless small moves we can make in a wide variety of areas, from language acquisition to classroom management, from effective planning to providing ongoing feedback. For additional small moves, check out my book, Small Moves, Big Gains.
Once you’ve selected a low to no prep, brief, and actionable move to implement in your class, it is time for step two:
Tell Your Students
Let your students in on the secret. Sharing the small move you are working toward with your class accomplishes two very important things.
First, your class can serve as your “accountability partner” to help you remember to implement the small move frequently.
If we use the small move mentioned above, it might sound like this: “Okay, guys, I am trying something new and would love your help. Any time I ask you to talk with your partner, I’m going to pick a number, and that will be the number of ideas I’m challenging you to generate. This will help all of us think more deeply about what we’re learning. So, whenever I ask you to talk to your partner, listen for a number, and if I forget, remind me.” Disclaimer: most of your kids will not remember to do this, but we all have that one kid who will.
A second valuable reason to tell your class about the small move you are working on is that this creates a positive shift in the classroom culture.
Asking for your students’ help with something communicates that you value them in an authentic way. It also shows that you are always learning just as you expect them to be. Telling your students might just be novel enough to create a “spark” of engagement.
Improving our teaching doesn’t have to be as hard as the month of February can be. James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, often talks about focusing on getting 1 percent better each day. This feels doable. Let’s start by selecting one small move and then letting our students help us out.
For more information about bringing the Small Moves, Big Gains training to your campus or district, please contact me at Seidlitz Education.
Motley, N. (2021). Small moves, big gains: Teacher habits that help kids to talk more, think more, and achieve more. Seidlitz Education.
Clear, J. (2008). Atomic Habits: An easy and proven way to help build good habits and break bad habits. Penguin Random House.
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