Monthly Meeting Prep - September
Hi there,
Welcome to our initial installment of Monthly Meeting Prep - an exclusive feature for paid subscribers but available to everyone for September and October.
The goal is to provide ready-to-use resources on a relevant topic for various professional development needs. They might serve as a “PD Moment” at the beginning of a faculty meeting, discussion material for late start or early release time, or thought-provoking content for teacher leadership meetings.
The weekly content will have some consistent features:
An editable PowerPoint file with pre-loaded prompts or discussion questions
A video that offers a unique perspective (that may or may not be directly related to education) and can always be applied in the classroom or improve professional practice
Links to resources to extend the session as needed, including things like:
relevant articles
additional videos
recommended discussion protocols
Without further delay, here’s this month’s content …
September Monthly Meeting Prep
Topic: Flow State in the Classroom
Overview: To quote Dr. Steven Kotler, “Flow state is often described as a state of ‘effortless effort.’” You’ll often hear the term used by professional athletes at the peak of their game. Time stood still, and everything just ‘clicked.’
Though this is not the video for this month, check out the story behind Elaine Thompson setting a new 100-meter dash record, defeating a thought-to-be-unbreakable milestone from 1988. It’s amazing. Definitely an example of flow.
Interestingly, the term “flow” was originally coined while observing not Olympians or NBA stars but art students at an elite art institution in the United States. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi noticed that students would get so enraptured in their work that they would forget to eat meals or attend other classes and would stay up through the night to continue creating. Researchers have continued to study the intense focus during learning, creating, and performing that Csikszentmihalyi originally witnessed nearly 50 years ago.
Why I chose this topic: I love this concept because the “motivators” and “triggers” of flow mirror what we know about challenging students. For instance, an appropriate challenge level is critical in producing a flow state (much like the Zones of Proximal Development). Curiosity and novelty, two of the most potent ingredients in student engagement, are also important elements in inducing flow.
Additionally, I’ve produced and led a lot of PD. I’ve found that teachers respond well to topics that are education adjacent. There is so much baggage about the topics we discuss in buildings daily that it can be hard to have a helpful discussion. This is why I like topics like flow. It doesn’t just happen in school - everyone experiences it. This makes it seem like a less threatening topic.
How to use this content: This month’s video is a quick but helpful introduction to the Science of Flow by Dr. Steven Kotler with some helpful tips and resources for using it with your staff.
If you’ve got 20 minutes or less:
Watch the video
Download this PowerPoint file (Note: I highly recommend downloading the file and opening it in PowerPoint rather than Google Slides. I built in some seamless transitions that should be helpful but might not work in Slides).
Peruse (including the presenter notes), edit as needed, and present away!
Resources for extensions
Understanding (Neural) Flow Triggers
Great article that talks in more detail about flow triggers. Look in the PowerPoint for more details on how to use this video to analyze how students enter flow states in the classroom.
“Eight Tips for Fostering Flow in the Classroom”
Short article with great applications for the classroom.
Scholarly article with a brief overview of flow in education, including the history of flow and some barriers to flow in the classroom.
The Neurochemistry of Flow States
Another video from Steven Kotler explains motivation, creativity, and learning as they relate to neurochemistry. “Flow … massively amplifies learning.” Very interesting and worth watching.
Possible discussion protocols:
For brevity, I recommend using a simple Think Pair Share during the PowerPoint questions (including the interview). I know TPS is overused, but it’s brief, effective, and requires little explanation.
If using one of the two articles, I recommend the Save the Last Word for ME protocol (also known as Final Word). I especially like it for the “Flow in Education” article. There’s great information in the text, but too much to digest fully as a group. Better to let folks pick out what stands out to them individually.
Good luck! If you have any feedback, please simply respond to this email. I promise to read every message and respond.
Talk soon,
Mike