Self-Talk Strategies to Increase Student Efficacy

Area(s) of Focus: math, well being, curriculum
Division(s): Primary
Level(s): Grade 2
Abstract:

The project seeks to develop learning opportunities to support students to make connections between math learning and self-talk. We developed a learning culture that fostered a growth mindset and supported students to overcome challenges.

  • Connection between math learning and self-talk (foster a growth mindset and support students to use appropriate strategies to overcome challenges)
  • Develop math learning opportunities to make student thinking visible
  • Develop students’ awareness of their own self-talk
  • Empower students to develop a deeper understanding of math and communicate their thinking  in writing and orally
  • Deepen our understanding of how metacognition affects student efficacy and achievement
  • Increase student efficacy by increasing students’ awareness of their own self-talk strategies (to support metacognition and self-directed/self-regulated learning)

Team Members

  • Holly Horton

    Peel District School Board

  • Amy Engeland

    Peel District School Board

  • Savita Saini

    Peel District School Board

Professional Learning Goals

  • Developed students’ awareness of their own self-talk
  • Deepened our understanding of how metacognition affects student efficacy and achievement
  • Explored, embedded and implemented self-talk strategies within daily math instruction
  • Interrupted/shifted negative self-talk and encouraged students to use positive self-talk
  • Connection between math learning and self-talk (fostered a growth mindset and provided students with appropriate strategies to overcome challenges)

Activities and Resources

  • Examined and taught self-talk strategies (such as growth mindset self-talk, strategy self-talk, etc.)
  • Explored different resources such as Teaching Math with Meaning by Cathy Marks Krpan
  • Developed a self-talk strategy wall to help students name their thinking
  • Explored math tools to make student thinking visible and the communication of their thinking to peers and teacher
  • Developed tasks/strategies such as “think bubbles” to encourage students to write down their thinking

Unexpected Challenges

  • Meeting the developmental needs of all students – readiness of students to share and extend their thinking
  • Reorganization of grade team

Enhancing Student Learning and Development

  • Self-talk strategies will increase student efficacy
  • Promote growth mindset through self-talk strategies
  • Students will be more aware of their thinking when solving math problems
  • Students are using vocabulary and manipulatives to explain thinking
  • Students will be open to take risk in different learning situations and share their thinking with peers
  • Involving parents in the learning process to use similar strategies at home

Sharing

  • Share with colleagues at staff meetings
  • Share with colleagues at the Peel Leadership Conference
  • Share with parents on Seesaw

Project Evaluation

  • Better understanding of collaborative inquiry and how to conduct collaborative inquiry to improve student learning
  • Great professional learning opportunity to collaborate with other teachers and deepen our understanding of content and instructional strategies
  • Explored resources such as Teaching Math with Meaning by Cathy Marks Krpan to support our instructional practices and learning
  • Students used self-talk strategies to articulate what they are thinking/feeling to support their learning (e.g., self-correction)
  • Teachers are able to recognize and be responsive to student needs and learning
  • Self-talk strategies fostered a growth mindset
  • Students are using self-talk strategies to walk themselves through a difficult math task (be more independent learners)

Resources Used

Krpan, Cathy Marks. Teaching Math with Meaning. Pearson, 2017.

Lawson, Alex. What to Look For: Understanding and Developing Student Thinking in Early Numeracy. Pearson Canada Inc., 2016.

Moss, Joan et al. Taking Shape: Activities to Develop Geometric and Spatial Thinking. Pearson, 2016.