The Phenomenal Student: Efficacy

What is efficacy? Miriam-Webster defines it as the ability to produce a desired result.

As teachers, is that not what we want…for our students to produce a certain result. (i.e.: High Test Scores)

There are five traits that a student, any person, must have to achieve optimal efficacy.

• Work with prompting: It’s simple. Does the scholar need the teacher to tell them to get to work? If you don’t have to coach effort, then you’re on to something. The Phenomenal Student doesn’t need prompting.

• Show work/evidence: If you’re a teacher reading this, how many times a day do you tell a kid(or multiple kids) to show their evidence(Reading) or work(Math)? I’m sure several times. A Phenomenal Student shows their work.

• Completes Tasks In Timely Manner: Students will complete a task just because it’s required. Do they complete in when they’re supposed to, though? The Phenomenal Student completes 15-minute tasks in 15 or fewer minutes.

• Do more than asked: All the greats—child or adult—do more than asked of them. Most people will do what’s asked of them, but The Phenomenal Student will do more than asked…possibly creating new structures in the process.

• High Expectation Level: There’s nothing wrong with doing poorly or failing an assessment but is the child comfortable with failing? It speaks to their expectation level. The Phenomenal Student accepts nothing less than excellence.

Does your student have a Phenomenal Efficacy?

Here’s a sample rubric to determine if they do.

Tomorrow: The Phenomenal Student(Behavior)

Jeremiah Short, Influencer/Teacher