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Mitch became a gifted teacher because he was a mediocre student. Despite taking seven years to graduate college, he navigated the classroom with discomfort. This unique perspective fueled Mitch’s teaching approach. Recognizing the importance of laying a foundation for learning, he created Organized Binder. This research-backed strategy empowers teachers to impart executive functioning skills efficiently, preserving valuable instructional time. By establishing a predictable routine, Organized Binder fosters safer learning spaces, shaping Mitch’s journey from a struggling student to an innovative educator.

Show Highlights

Navigate the two challenges with teaching executive functions.

“Studentness” will provide the skills and habits to be successful regardless of content and skills.

6 executive functioning skills that framework for the book, Executive Functions for Every Classroom.

“The zone of genius” is embedded in what people are already doing.

A golden opportunity critical for learning with retrieval practice tips.

Never let your teachers start the day this way or plan key concepts.

“ Your curriculum, the stuff you’re teaching.Have fun, let it be engaging, get passionate about it. Never mess with the routine. A consistent, predictable routine, because predictable learning environments are safer and we can’t underestimate for some students how unpredictable their lived experience is outside of class.”
- Mitch Weathers

Dr Chris Jones

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Read the Transcript here.

Transforming Classroom Dynamics with Executive Functions

00:02
Daniel
If you’re hearing this right now, let me say thank you. Thanks for being a listener of this show. Because of Ruckus Makers just like you, the Better Leaders, Better Schools Podcast, the original Ruckus Maker podcast for visionary leaders. Who wants to do school differently and make a legendary impact on their campus. This show ranks in the top 0.5%. Of over 3 million worldwide shows. And that’s not because of me. It’s because of you. Because you’ve listened, because you’re loyal. Most importantly, because you’re a Ruckus Maker.

00:40
Daniel
Hey, this is Danny Bauer, chief Ruckus Maker over at better leaders, better schools. And today we’re talking to my good friend Mitch Weathers. And here’s the thing about Mitch becoming a gifted teacher because he was a mediocre student. How about that? Despite taking seven years to graduate college, Mitch navigated the classroom with discomfort. This unique perspective fueled his teaching approach, and recognizing the importance of laying a Foundation for learning, he created Organized Binder. This research backed strategy empowers teachers to impart Executive function skills, efficiently preserving valuable instructional time. By establishing a predictable routine and listen to the words a predictable learning routine.

Organized binder fosters safer learning spaces, shaping Mitch’s journey from a struggling student to an innovative educator. And that predictable learning routine is unpacked in Mitch’s latest book, which I’m so proud he created called executive Functions for every classroom. It’s Ruckus Makers approved, and I highly encourage you. Check it out. So today we’ll cover topics like, what are the two challenges, teaching executive functions and how do we navigate them? How do we create predictable learning environments in the first place? And we also do a deep dive into beginning and concluding routines, what’s broken? What’s wrong, and how to fix those routines. Once again, thanks for listening. We’ll be right back after a quick.
Message from our show sponsors. Hey, Ruckus Maker, I’ll make this quick. If you’re listening to this message right now, you’re missing out. When you subscribe to the Ruckus Maker newsletter on Substack, you get access to micro books focused on how to do school different tools and other resources that will help you make a ruckus and do school different stories and case studies of the world’s most legendary Ruckus Makers of all time. Access to my calendar to schedule coaching sessions, and you’ll also get bonus podcast content that won’t be released on the main podcast feed and podcast episodes without any advertisements. So if you love this show. If it’s helped you grow and you want access to more tools and resources that will help you make a ruckus in school different, then become a paid subscriber at Ruckus Makers substack.com. That’s Ruckus Makers substack.com.

I’m sure you’ve heard that energy flows to where attention goes, right? If you want to get more of what you want when you want it, as a school leader, I’ve got a tool for you. The secret is to celebrate the positive things happening on campus and to go multiple levels deeper, to tap into why it even matters when you do that. Anything is possible on your campus, and I mean anything. And you start to get more of what you want when you want it. If you’d like to spread more positivity and create more value for all stakeholders on your campus, go to betterleadersbetterschools.com positive and download your free tool today. IXL is a goto support for classroom teachers because its adaptive platform makes differentiated instruction easy. See for yourself and get started [email protected]/Leaders. That’s ixl.com leaders.

04:28
Daniel
How would you like to increase student talk by an average of 40%. More student ownership, more student discourse?
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05:18
Daniel
Welcome to the show. Mitch Weathers, my buddy.

05:22
Mitch
Thank you for having me. My brother and Red hat brother from Patagonia. Glad to be back.

05:34
Daniel
This should be a thing.

05:36
Mitch
Red beanie, book selfie. Thanks for having me back.

05:40
Daniel
Let’s talk about my modeling skills. I put up a pretty epic selfie.

05:46
Daniel
And then crown myself a professional book model selfie picture taker.

05:53
Mitch
I think there’s a future there.

05:57
Daniel
I think I’m getting even more handsome as I age. well. I wanted to celebrate with you. You’ve put together an incredible book, executive functions for every classroom creating Safe and predictable learning environments Grades three through twelve. And I love it. Right. And your work is really meaningful, impactful. It’s certainly Ruckus Maker approved and helping.
Ruckus Makers do school differently because we’ll get into it. But I mean, if we’re honest, there’s a lot of unpredictable quality teaching, right. And that’s not everywhere. There’s a lot of great teaching and a lot of great teachers, but we. if they like kids and just need some support, and if they’re already.
Pretty effective, they could even take it. To crazy teaching levels. Let’s start with just like how do you define executive functions? I hear that word a lot.
How do you describe it?

07:20
Mitch
It’s a good starting place. And it starts that way in the Book too, actually, right from the beginning, because it is a term that’s thrown around a lot. I like to go lo fi and Low tech on the definition and use the word that I didn’t coin. But some schools that I’ve had the Honor of working with did called studentness. And before I had the language, I was really thinking about it this way. What’s all the stuff student, all. The skills and habits, all the things students need to be able to do to be successful regardless of what they’re trying to learn. Like all that stuff that kind of surrounds and props up or lays the foundation for learning. There’s more eloquent and scientific definitions, but executive functioning is really kind of an Umbrella term or phrase. And what I try to do with the book is really unpack and make it plain, make very clear the executive functioning. Skills that research has overwhelmingly shown have an impact on student learning and academic success.

08:25
Daniel
Did you call it studentness? Is that what you said? That’s very interesting.
I will say for the Ruckus Maker listening, there’s actually a leadership lesson. There, you listen to your people. In that they will give you the words and language of the cool stuff that you’re doing. And a lot of times we’re scratching. Our heads like, how do I frame. This, talk about this, so on and. I motivate people to implement the initiative or change or whatever. They’ll show you the way. If you’re listening.

09:02
Daniel
And this might be the one thing. That people need to hear other than go buy executive functions for every classroom, for sure. Okay, so that’s a common definition. You talk about that. There’s two challenges to teaching executive functions.How do we navigate those?

09:27
Mitch
And I put up the six executive functioning skills that kind of are the framework for the book, which are goal setting, working memory, time and task management. Organizational skills, self regulation and accountability. I’ve never met a teacher or a. Parent or a leader that thinks. Those aren’t good things for young people to get practiced with and start to hone and mix around. And yet when you look at it like the research around it, and just from our own lived experiences, by and large, those skills are just left up to champions. And we also are seeing that the pandemic has certainly highlighted this fact that we can’t make that mistake any longer. We can’t just hope students pick it up.
My dad’s cousin, who is now a retired professor at University of California Davis out here where I’m at, and he taught engineering and graduate and junior and senior undergrad level. His wife bought the book and He took it from her. Got there just a couple of weeks ago.
He sent me an email earlier this week congratulating me and how much you love the book and what an impact it had. And he said that you would think Students at this university at this level. Would have these executive functioning skills. And he said, but many of them didn’t. And they struggled academically at this level, not because of their capability, but they Lack some of these skills and habits. You talk to anybody like, of course.

We want to, but we don’t teach them. And I’ve thought a lot about this. Especially in the last two years of writing the book. And I think I’ve identified the two, or I would say, I know I’ve identified two reasons. And the first for a teacher’s reality is I call the time crunch.

Rarely, if ever, do teachers have enough time in the school year or even the school day to get through what. They want to or what they’re tasked with teaching. There’s just always this pressure, time crunch and that day to day just grind. We don’t even get to choose when. We go to the bathroom. It’s just a relentless time crunch. So where am I going to fit in? It is one part of it.
And you asked about navigating it. So I want to say this as well.

11:58
Mitch
This is why curriculums that promise to teach executive functioning skills fall flat, because where do you incorporate it? If I’m teaching fifth grade or I’m teaching 7th grade math, I don’t have enough time to get through that in the first place. So even if I want my students.to learn about organizational skills or goal setting or whatever they’re focusing on realistically, where am I going to fit the time? And so we take those curriculums and we put them in a homeroom or an advocacy room or kind of that. Where they go to die, pull out class for everyoneNot to say those homerooms aren’t important. And can be effective, but you know.As well as I do, a lot.

12:46
Mitch
And students don’t see it as a real class. So even if the curriculum is worthwhile. It’S at a deficit. So you have this time crunch. But the second is what I call The zone of genius. And the way I like to explain it is when I would walk into my mom’s second grade classroom. She taught second grade most of her career, and you could just kind of seal it. We’ve all walked into those learning spaces.

Where you’re like, this is someone’s zone of genius. Like, they got that. And that might not be executive functioning skills. And so to expect somebody that’s not my expertise, coupled with I don’t. Have any time in the first place.
To get through what I’m supposed to get through. These things get left kind of on the wayside. And I can’t tell you from my experience how many people I should have been keeping track of over the years. Come up, veteran and new teacher alike. And just, this is all the stuff. I know I need to be doing it. And I haven’t gotten around to it or I haven’t had the time or.
I didn’t know how to do it. And here it is in this routine. That I can implement that’s not going. To interfere with my instructional time. Those are the two.

13:56
Daniel
That’s a genius piece because if it’s not interfering with the time crunch and.
Feeling like what they need to cover, it’s implemented within that structure already. That’s a win for the teacher. It’s a win for the students. So that’s absolutely huge. I don’t know if you shared and I missed it, but can you maybe unpack a bit about how it’s integrated into that experience? I’m going to ask you about beginning routines, concluding routines, and why. They’Re usually done and don’t necessarily work. I don’t know if I’m asking a similar question from a different way.
If I’m not, first, just address howIs it embedded in what people are already doing?

14:39
Mitch
Yeah, because that’s a really important place to start. And for every Ruckus Maker leader out there listening, regardless of the professional learning experience or the PD or the resource or intervention, the tool that’s come into your district or campus and classrooms, if it requires an absorbent amount of time. Class time, it’s less likely to get implemented. If it requires the teacher to completely Reconfigure or largely reconfigure what they do, it’s also likely going to be left on the shelf. And so the key here, I might. Even say the thesis of my book. Danny, is that if teachers commit to implementing the predictable, consistent and predictable Learning routine, the daily routine that’s outlined In the book, it’s kind of the structure of the book, which in large part is how we begin, how we transition, and how we conclude. And if by virtue of participating in that routine, when students engage in the Routine, they get practiced with these executive functioning skills.

15:52
Mitch
But the key is, it’s within the context of whatever they’re learning. If we’re going to stick with that. 7Th grade math class example, how we. Begin, how we transition, how we end. It’S all like the routine, but it. Doesn’T interfere with my instructional time and in fact, when teachers commit to this routine and it’s shared from class to class or grade level to grade level.

When a school commits to it. Teachers report back that they have more.
Instructional time because they’re really starting to paint those undefined, or what I call gray areas, black and white in the classroom. The whole thing is predicated on routine and model, which brings about clarity. And those are the three keys to teaching executive functions.

The onus is on the teacher, it’s quite liberating. It’s like it doesn’t have to be my zone of genius. What I’m going to do is commit to this very simple routine and I’m going to keep a class sample of what students have. I’m constantly modeling it for them and I’m going to get to work.
And doing whatever it is, whatever grade.

Level or subject I’m teaching. So that’s where I don’t want to say super easy to implement, but it is quite easy, especially if you’re committed.
To and see the need for developing these executive functioning skills in students.

17:11
Daniel
Let’s go to the beginning routines. I think we’re making the case of why the executive functions matter and how you can create this consistent, predictable learning environment. But why do old and sort of traditional beginning routines fail and what should we do to replace them?

17:37
Mitch
And without being able to model this and just talk about it, hopefully I’ll be clear on this one. But what I most will do is either there’s an absence of a routine, a beginning routine. And teachers sometimes have told me over the years they need to feel the need and the desire to be creative, to do something new every day. And I say, yeah, do that with. Your curriculum, the stuff you’re teaching.Have fun, let it be engaging, get passionate about it.
Never mess with the routine. A consistent, predictable routine, because predictable learning environments are safer and we can’t underestimate for some students how unpredictable their lived experience is outside of class.

18:23
Mitch
So that it has a profound impact on, like this is a safer environment.
And we also know that inherent to learning is risk taking and inherent to risk taking is failure. So the safer I feel, the more. I’m going to lean in and be willing to take and try some of those risks as opposed to very chaotic.

18:43
Mitch
Learning environments where I’m used to navigating when I kind of have this protectiveness. Shell or lack of engagement.
18:52
Mitch
No starting routine. I’ve had teachers tell me I don’t have one and I always respond and.
Say, yes, you do, that’s your routine. Students will adapt the absence and respond. To whatever it is. So the absence of routine is your routine.

19:08
Mitch
So do you wonder why it takes five minutes to start class and you often have management issues and a lack of engagement. We can paint that gray area black and white. Common starting routine is to let me back in. Up a little bit.
In the absence of the real cognitive issue there is, teachers might reference or mention what they did previously, but oftentimes we’re moving on. We’re introducing ourselves to what we’re doing today.
19:40
Mitch
But we’re not pausing to make a connection with what I’ve previously learned and experienced, what we’re going to do today and how it connects to where we’re going and each time when we start taking a moment to do that is. Really critical for learning. Because if I start by saying, just asking, questioning, probing about things we’ve previously.
Learned or experienced, it gives students a.
Moment to practice something called retrieval practice.

20:09
Mitch
Which is going back and retrieving and interacting with things we’ve learned or experienced previously. Maybe that was the last time I saw you, in the last lesson. Maybe it was last week sometime. There’s different names for these different retrieval Practices, but retrieval practice requires something called working memory. I unpack all this in the book. But think of working memory as your short term memory.

20:31

It’s the engine for learning and more interaction. Marzano and lots of others have shown this in research. The more interactions and more exposure I have to the things I’m learning. The more likely I’m going to move. It is that ultimate destination we want. It is a long term memory. But that back and forth with retrieval. And interacting with it and getting messy with it.

20:53
Mitch
I’m not talking about right or wrong answers here, either. I’m just talking about cognitive processes. So there’s a golden, literally a golden opportunity every time we begin to pause and look back from where we came and allow students to practice retrieval practice. Just giving them chances to interact, hopefully. In a no stakes way. Some of the other reasons why beginning routines can fail. A lack of one.

21:22
Daniel
Don’t put a pin in what you’re going to say about why it also doesn’t work. But my aha that I just want to unpack For the Ruckus Maker, listening is, oh. Let’S do this at the sustainable school Leadership on day two. Like, let’s start day two reviewing some of what we learned and did on day one. And then that would be a nice bridge and set you up for whatever talk that you’re building to help Ruckus Makers have sustainable solutions within their school. But I wasn’t even thinking of that until we started recording.
We’ll open that way. Great idea. Pretty cool.

21:59
Mitch
You’ve heard this saying, like, in the Old traditional classroom where kind of a didactic lecture based teacher is talking, students are passively listening, but whoever’s doing the Talking is learning, retaining more information And I’ve heard it as much as like 90 ten, right?

Mitch
Why do teachers know their content so well? They’re doing it year after year, but they have to go back and think about it. Read up on here. What’s the strategy? All of that is retrieval. It’s going back and interacting with things.That we’ve learned, and it helps us remember it. We retain it.

So this golden moment is so often missed because, one, there’s nothing happening. Two, we start with the quiz. Horrible idea. Do not start class with a school. Day with a quiz, period. It just should be outlawed. It makes no sense. And Ruckus Makers hear that loud and clear because it does one of two. Things depend on the students in the room. One, it brings up anxiety, so we don’t even have to mention test anxiety. But if I have the opportunity to fail, the moment I show up.Class every single day, I’m going to be less engaged. I don’t want to fail. Every time I start something, eventually I’m. Going to be like, this is not for me. I’m not getting it right. And it does nothing to guide a teacher’s instruction.

23:21

All it does is it says, who got it? Who didn’t. Now what? The kids who got it feel good.About themselves and are more likely to engage with me. And the students who didn’t probably don’t. Feel super good about themselves or confident, and maybe less likely. So they’re leaning back. So get rid of the quiz.

Start with some type of prompt, or like I said, anything you want to. Do to just have that reflection.The other thing I see, and it’s not so much around cognition, it’s around. Classroom management and time management.
Teachers will have some type of beginning prompt. We call it a kickoff, an organized binder. I don’t care what name you call.
I unpack. Why do we call it that? And I’d love for you to read about that because I think it’s really important.

But the mistake that teachers make is that they prompt students when they walk into the classroom, whether or not class has begun.
And so what that creates is an.Environment where, because everybody shows up at a slightly different time when class actually does begin.
And I’m going to say, I’m that 7th grade math teacher still, and I. Have 30 students in the room. I’ve Created nothing the students are doing. I’ve created a scenario by simply having that prompt up where class has begun.
But we’re all in slightly different places of completion, so I can’t really begin.
Because maybe Danny showed up three minutes ago. Ago and he’s done with it because his class was around the corner. Someone else was coming, a further part.

On campus, or maybe they had to stop in the restroom, or if it’s. A school with lockers. So now this person shows up. Let’s even say they’re still on time. They’re already feeling like they’re behind. So there’s this anxiety that can be around that. And then as a teacher, I get.

To wait for one to two to three. I’ve been in classrooms and watched it, and even the most well intentioned students left with nothing to do, sitting idle at a minimum, are going to be. More likely to pull students off task. And there can be this massive waste of time. And you’ve heard me say this before, Danny, that 1 minute in a classroom equals 3 hours. So 1 minute in 180 day school.

Year, if I take 1 minute, class starts, it takes me 1 minute to get everyone together, and we’re kind of engaged. If that’s my routine, I’ve just wasted.
180 minutes, which is 3 hours of instructional time. And I’ve seen classrooms where it’s as far as 20 minutes routinely wasted, just. That, trying to get going.

Now, that’s an egregious example, but if we could just simply and please read the book and see this same prompt. It’s just how you use it. Instead, have some type of cueing, nonverbal. Visual cueing that in order to be ready to go when we begin or on time, is you just need to. Be in your assigned seat or lab table or workstation, whatever the learning environment is. And my argument is with your binder. Open to this page. And then when we begin, I start class. I’m the teacher of record. We begin when I start, not the bell. And then I reveal the prompt, and we all engage together. No one’s feeling left behind, no one’s feeling. it is a simple adjustment, but.

26:35
Mitch
It’S these little, in fact, the beginning and concluding routine. There’s a lot of similarity in the Book, and at first I put them. All in one chapter, but there’s so much to be said for the beginning Routine because the first two minutes set the stage for the whole lesson, right? So I really kind of unpack that.
To take a deep dive of how we utilize those first few minutes.
I think they’re the most important in class to set the tone, and we.
Need to pack as many celebrated victories into those moments humanly possible so that. Students feel good about themselves and want to engage with me and maybe feel safe enough to take some risks.
29:57
Daniel
Mitch Weathers, who wrote a fantastic book. That’s ruckus. Maker approved executive functions for every classroom, creating safe and predictable learning environments, grades three through. And we just finished talking about beginning routines. We’re going to move to concluding routines. Just quick question the acknowledgments.

31:10
Daniel
Beginnings and endings are like those parts that really matter. Our conversation around how do we begin class? How do we end class?
Say about concluding routines?

31:28
Mitch
I Made the case for retrieval practice. And what I say in the book is students getting the opportunity to flex their working memory. The more opportunities that I get, the more exposures I have to what I’m learning, the more likely I am to retain it.

31:42
Mitch
Just like anything we’re trying to learn, repetition, repetition.
Right? So the beginning routine is about rubber reflection on what we’ve learned or experienced. Previously in this learning community. What I advocate for in the concluding. Routine is taking two or three minutes.
At the end of class or the.
School day to just have a quiet time of reflection. And there’s research around that of just.

32:09
Mitch
Okay, putting all the pieces in place.

32:11

Before we leave, as opposed to doing.

32:14
Mitch
What I did as a new teacher.

32:16

And defining success whether or not I.

32:18
Mitch
Got to my lesson plan.

32:19

So as I got to the end of the lesson, if I wasn’t where.

32:23
Mitch
I thought I needed to be, I.

32:24

Started rushing, and then kids would be packing up and I’d be giving announcements.

32:29
Mitch
As they’re leaving the class. And it just felt very hurried at that.

32:32

And so I advocate for saying, put.

32:37
Mitch
A timer on your phone and wherever.

32:39

You are, pause and have students reflect.

32:44
Mitch
Not on what we’ve learned previously, but.

32:45

What we’ve learned and experienced today, and.

32:48
Mitch
What that does for students are for teachers. We’ve all heard the phrase begin with the end line. I refer to it as the target.

32:55

Like, what do I hope you do at the end of this?

32:58
Mitch
What do I hope you can demonstrate? What do I hope you can make connections to?

33:02

What can you articulate at the end of this lesson?

33:05
Mitch
Whatever. However long that is, whatever we’re learning, but just beginning with the end in mind, where do I hope we go?

33:11

Do we always get there?

33:12
Daniel
Of course not.

33:13

Do we hit the target? Of course not. But lots of times you do if you’re aiming for it. And as you start to get more familiar with who’s in the room, what.

33:23
Mitch
You can plan, how you plan, and then giving students that time to just.

33:26

Think about and articulate what they’re learning.

33:29
Mitch
Or maybe what’s confusing to them. From the last you’ll see in the book that I absolutely recommend that students.

33:36

Write this down and give it back to the teacher.

33:40
Mitch
I advocate for the end of the week, not the exit ticket.

33:43

Every day teachers, it’s not a sustainable practice.

33:46
Mitch
They don’t have enough time every day to do that. But they can at the end of.

33:50

The week, and they could read them every day.

33:52
Mitch
But if we capture that all one piece of paper and it comes to the teacher at the end of.

33:56

The week, then I can carve out.

33:59
Mitch
Some time after school at the end.

34:00

Of the week or over the weekend, and I just read these reflections. And the way I sell it in.

34:05
Mitch
The book, the way we sell it to students, is saying, this is a.

34:08

One one private conversation between you and the teacher.

34:12
Mitch
And think about what that says, danny.

34:13

Because it’s different than grading homework.

34:16
Mitch
When I say, just talk to me, I really want to know where this.

34:19

Is landing with you because I care about you.

34:23
Mitch
And I’m going to read these and.

34:24

I’m going to comment back on you, to you, and I’m going to give them back to you next week. It’s the only place I dare teacher.

34:31
Mitch
To try it because you’ll walk into class on Monday or the following week.

34:35

Whatever the first day is for you.

34:37
Mitch
And it’s like having a pulse on.

34:38

Every student in the room in a very powerful way. But it really communicates to students that they’re cared for. Like, I want to hear from you individually, right?

34:49
Mitch
It’s different than an average of a test score.

34:52

It’s different than grading homework. And what it does for the teacher is it makes Bell to bell instruction a reality which is so hard to do.

35:01
Mitch
It’s almost impossible every day to plan.

35:04

A lesson that maximizes time. And we also know from research, Steve Parr says it in his know, effective.

35:13
Mitch
Teachers utilize every single second for teaching and learning. Not in some authoritarian way, but it’s that important.

35:20

Time is that important. So how do we maximize the entire thing? And teachers do a great job with that.

35:27
Mitch
Most teachers do a great job with.

35:28

That middle spot like their lesson.

35:31
Mitch
What I’ve seen is some of the most underutilized school time are the first.

35:35

Few moments and the last few moments. So instead of just suggesting something for teachers in the book, you’ll see it’s like, do this, iterate on it eventually, but do this at the beginning, do.

35:49
Mitch
This at the end. And now think about, let’s step back.

35:52

Right? I give my lesson, whatever it is, my first lesson of the day, first time I’m introducing a concept, students first exposure to it. At the end of class, we reflect.

36:03
Mitch
On that, kind of digesting it, we’re working with it.

36:05

Second exposure, if I give any next.

36:07
Mitch
Steps or practice or homework outside of class, that could be students third interaction. And when you come back to me.

36:13

24 hours later, within moments of us beginning, guess what? We go right back to that concept. So teachers are not doing anything else.

36:23
Mitch
In terms of content.

36:24

Keep teaching your lesson, but implement this simple routine, beginning and concluding routine, and you could have as many as four exposures. I use the word marinate.

36:34
Mitch
I always tell my students, I’m just.

36:35

Going to marinate you in the content.

36:37
Mitch
And it’s just going to seep in. You’re not going to be able to forget it.

36:41

And the science of that, the science of learning and cognitive, it’s these interactions, it’s retrieval practice that moves it into long term movement. There’s a lot with that beginning and concluding routine.

36:53
Daniel
Yeah, for sure. Those are good parts.

36:55
Daniel
And listen, I wish we had more time to cover all the great content.

36:59
Daniel
And executive functions for every classroom. But just again, Ruckus Maker approved, and.

37:05
Daniel
We’Re going to strongly encourage you to go out and pick up a copy today. All right? So in conclusion here, like I said, there’s too much to cover.

37:14
Daniel
So pick up the book.

37:16
Daniel
I think, correct me if I’m wrong. In March, is Corwin doing some kind of special for people that order, or.

37:20
Daniel
Is that just for authors?

37:22
Mitch
Authors, yeah, that’s coming through. Authors, different.

37:25
Daniel
Okay, so forget what I just said there, listener.

37:27
Daniel
All right, anyways, pick up the book.

37:29
Daniel
But we’ve got a pretty cool little special for you.

37:32
Daniel
A competition. A contest, so to speak.

37:35
Daniel
And you’re invited to speak.

37:38

This is a legitimate competition, right?

37:42
Daniel
Can you dethrone me as the number.

37:45
Daniel
One most liked professional selfie book model?

37:49
Daniel
And here’s the rules, okay?

37:51
Daniel
They’re very simple. And number one, buy Mitch’s book. Right?

37:55
Daniel
So go to organizebinder.com book.

37:59
Daniel
Go to Amazon.

38:00
Daniel
Go to Amazon.

38:02
Daniel
Sorry. Go to Amazon, everybody get it in two days.

38:05
Daniel
Because Mitch takes 20 days.

38:07

I signed them. If you want a signed copy, go.

38:10
Mitch
Through organizedbinder.com book otherwise, and that’s cool. I appreciate the support. Amazon free shipping, all that.

38:16
Daniel
Okay, go ahead.

38:17
Daniel
So get the book.

38:19
Daniel
This is coming out mid March and.

38:21
Daniel
We’Re going to run the contest through.

38:23
Daniel
The end of March and pick a.

38:25
Daniel
Winner by April 1, I think. But here’s how to play. So buy the book. Tag at organized binder. Right.

38:35
Daniel
Tag me at I am Danny Bauer because sometimes Mitch misses stuff and I’m.

38:40
Daniel
Going to help him not miss things.

38:42
Daniel
So tag us both on Instagram.

38:45

Instagram. We’re going Instagram.

38:47
Daniel
It’s a picture place.

38:49

Yes.

38:50
Daniel
So at organized binder at I am Danny Bauer.

38:52
Daniel
Give us both a follow as well and take an incredible, energetic, super great looking professional book selfie.

39:03

Right, professional.

39:04
Daniel
I don’t know what’s going to happen. Yeah, and by professional I mean give.

39:09
Daniel
Your phone to your partner and then take a picture.

39:11
Daniel
Okay. But anyways, by April 1 we’re going to pick the best selfie, right? It’s subjective.

39:18
Daniel
Mitch is the author, so he’ll pick his favorite one.

39:20
Daniel
Maybe he’ll pick more. I don’t know.

39:22
Daniel
But if you didn’t know this, he actually has an executive functions online course, has a bunch of modules, that kind.

39:30
Daniel
Of stuff, but it takes the learning even deeper.

39:32
Daniel
And so he’s generously said he’ll give away a bundle of those for your.

39:37
Daniel
Teaching staff and he’ll also make time for you for an individual live call. So buy the book tag at organizedbinder.

39:47
Daniel
At Imdanny Bauer on Instagram in your post.

39:50
Daniel
Follow us both. And then by April, while Mitch will pick a winner and you might get that time with him and those executive function courses. So Mitch, listen, happy birthday.

40:02
Daniel
It’s your birthday.

40:03
Daniel
So happy birthday today in advance.

40:06

Thank you very much. Looking forward to the next trip around the sun.

40:11
Daniel
Brilliant. Thanks for sharing this time with me.

40:14
Daniel
Like I said, this is a really great book. Ruckus Maker approved. I always find it as a plus one to my day if I get to connect with you.

40:23
Mitch
Yeah, me too, man. Absolutely. Thanks for having me on the show. Always fun to be here.

40:30
Daniel
Thanks for listening to the Better Leaders Better Schools podcast. Ruckus Maker, how would you like to lead with confidence, swap exhaustion for energy, turn your critics into cheerleaders and so much more? The Ruckus Maker mastermind is a world class leadership program designed for growth minded school leaders just like you go to betterleadersbetterschools.com/mastermind learn more about our program and fill out the application. We’ll be in touch within 48 hours to talk about how we can help you be even more effective. And by the way, we have cohorts that are diverse and mixed up. We also have cohorts just for women in leadership and a BIPOC only cohort as well. When you’re ready to level up, go to better leadersbetterschools.com/mastermind and fill out the application. Thanks again for listening to the show. Bye for now and go make a ruckus.

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ORGANIZED BINDER

Why do students struggle? I’d argue that they lack access to quality instruction, but think about it. That’s totally out of their control. What if there was something we could teach kids there was something within their control that would help them be successful in every class? It’s not a magic pill or a figment of your imagination.

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