Rachelle Dene Poth

"Forgive yourself for not having the foresight to know what now seems so obvious in hindsight." -Judy BelmontHow often have you caught yourself saying "I wish I knew that" or "If only they knew..."? We have all been there. We can always look back and wish that we could change something, but the key is to use that knowledge and make a difference now. We learn from reflecting on our own experiences and by connecting with other educators to learn from theirs.In Things I Wish ...] Knew, Rachelle Den Poth has brought in fifty educators with different experiences and backgrounds in education to share something they wish they or others knew. Each vignette shares an eye-opening experience, a valuable lesson learned, advice for overcoming challenges, or simply offers some inspiration or words of wisdom.Throughout this book, you will learn from educators who hope to help others make a difference, to make some changes in their practice, and to avoid missing out on opportunities. The book explores things that each educator wishes they knew when they started teaching, something they wish that administrators knew, or things that they wish all students knew. I hope that this book will lead you to reflect on your own practice and inspire you to share your story too.

Perfect for K–12 world language teachers, this book provides clear, fun and practical guidance on how to help students master language in the classroom using technology tools. Regardless of your level of technological proficiency as a teacher, this book will show you how to provide effective learning to students in in-person, online and hybrid environments and help you become more comfortable at using digital tools. With teacher vignettes sprinkled throughout, chapters are filled with ideas that will help you foster an inclusive, positive and student-centered classroom environment that supports students’ communication skills and social and emotional needs. Poth’s easy-to-use methods and strategies will help you create authentic, purposeful learning experiences that will prepare students to be risk-takers in a new language in and beyond the classroom.

Perfect for K–12 world language teachers, this book provides clear, fun and practical guidance on how to help students master language in the classroom using technology tools. Regardless of your level of technological proficiency as a teacher, this book will show you how to provide effective learning to students in in-person, online and hybrid environments and help you become more comfortable at using digital tools. With teacher vignettes sprinkled throughout, chapters are filled with ideas that will help you foster an inclusive, positive and student-centered classroom environment that supports students’ communication skills and social and emotional needs. Poth’s easy-to-use methods and strategies will help you create authentic, purposeful learning experiences that will prepare students to be risk-takers in a new language in and beyond the classroom.

In researching the top skills students need to succeed in the future, author Rachelle Dene Poth identified the following: ability to communicate, work in teams, think creatively, problem-solve and design. This book shows educators how to help students develop these essential skills through authentic, real-world learning experiences, building a pathway for the future of learning and work. In this book, educators will get the tools they need to design more purposeful learning experiences to drive student engagement and motivation, promote creativity in learning, model risk-taking and build classroom culture. Readers will discover how these activities can be woven into instruction rather than layered on existing curriculum, with ideas for getting started, suggestions in response to the statement, “If you’re doing this, try this instead,” and lessons learned along the way. The book is filled with ideas for empowering students to build confidence in sharing their learning, become more responsible digital citizens and evolve into classroom creators.

As educators, we have tremendous opportunities to create unconventional learning experiences for every one of our students. Sometimes we just need a push, some encouragement to let us know that we can do things differently, and think outside the box. Unconventional will empower educators to take risks, explore new ideas and emerging technologies, and bring amazing changes to classrooms. Dive in to transform student learning and thrive in edu

Teddy Roosevelt once said, "I am a part of everything I have read." When Rachelle read his quote, it greatly resonated with her because of her love of quotes and the impact they can have in our lives. In Other Words is a book full of inspirational and thought-provoking quotes that have pushed her thinking, inspired her, and given her strength when she needed it. The book shares stories around the importance of growing ourselves as educators, knowing our why, as well as learning from and embracing failures and taking risks with learning so we can become our best selves for those we lead and learn with. There are stories shared by educators with different backgrounds and different perspectives. Rachelle's own experiences and interpretations and the educator vignettes shared by her PLN (Personal or Professional Learning Network) will hopefully push your thinking, inspire you, and provide whatever it is that you need. Her hope is that by sharing their stories, it will inspire you to share yours.

Teddy Roosevelt once said, "I am a part of everything I have read." When Rachelle read his quote, it greatly resonated with her because of her love of quotes and the impact they can have in our lives. In Other Words is a book full of inspirational and thought-provoking quotes that have pushed her thinking, inspired her, and given her strength when she needed it. The book shares stories around the importance of growing ourselves as educators, knowing our why, as well as learning from and embracing failures and taking risks with learning so we can become our best selves for those we lead and learn with. There are stories shared by educators with different backgrounds and different perspectives. Rachelle's own experiences and interpretations and the educator vignettes shared by her PLN (Personal or Professional Learning Network) will hopefully push your thinking, inspire you, and provide whatever it is that you need. Her hope is that by sharing their stories, it will inspire you to share yours.