Why Teacher Appreciation? Do I even have to ask?Teachers do the most difficult and important work in the world, and in May, we all get to show our gratitude. As the school year approaches its end, teachers are working their hardest to help students succeed during that final push, all the while motivating, grading, closing … Read more

Why Team (Teen;) Toxins? Perhaps the better questions are: What ARE team toxins and why should we be proactive in overcoming them?To an Agilist, the idea of Team Toxins comes from the research of Dr. John Gottman and his observations of the Four Toxic Communication Patterns adapted for team communication settings (Hooper, et al., 2017). … Read more

Why Fun & Games in Learning? It’s pretty obvious to children of every age that learning is hard work, and hard work is better when we’re having fun. In fact, researchers agree that games and play increase student engagement from K-12 through higher education, improving learning and achievment outcomes through interactivity (Oblinger, 2004). Kelsey Skaggs … Read more

Why FORCE? Undeniably, the forces of nature impact our lives, from climate to catastrophe and all the little things in between. To an engineer, Force is the very foundation of movement and dynamics, as forces are external agents of change, pushing and pulling on one another. To Agilists, FORCE is similarly foundational to effective team … Read more

Why Commitment? In welcoming a brand new year, many of us are making commitments to ourselves: to improve, to be healthier, to act with intention, to grow in some way. Discipline and commitment to goals and each other may very well shape the upcoming year for many of us, our teams, our students. Blueprint Education’s … Read more

Why Retrospectives? As we approach the end of the semester and calendar year, reflection is a useful skill for students to learn and utilize, a tool to curb vacation learning loss. Moreover, reflection is key to students understanding not only WHAT they are learning but HOW they learn best. Agile “Retrospectives” are collaborative (and fun!) … Read more