Connect the Dots: The Collective Power of Relationships, Memory and Mindset

We are spoiled for choice. Educational research abounds and countless teaching tips and trends are available at our fingertips. Where do you start? Connect the Dots presents three key interconnected areas of focus that will have the most impact on teaching and learning.

1. Building Strong Relationships: creating a sense of belonging, establishing norms and high expectations; and understanding barriers, like unconscious bias and misconceptions, in order to break them down

2. Maximising Memory: managing cognitive load, using effective learning strategies, planning for long term retention and application of knowledge

3. Cultivating Learning Mindsets: building self-efficacy; developing metacognitive skills; and using feedback, goal setting and talk effectively.

Each of these three chapters lays out the research worth knowing and applies that research to ready-to-use teaching tools for real classrooms. The chapters conclude with detailed guides to support leadership in creating personalised professional learning sessions to turnkey these concepts to school staff. Connect the Dots is a book for educators by educators. Conceived by lead author Tricia Taylor, who started as a teacher in the US but has been teaching in UK schools for nearly two decades as well as running her consultancy, Tailored Practice, and co-authored by Nina Dibner a veteran US educator and founder of PowerTools, an American educational consulting firm, Connect the Dots offers a transcontinental lens. Illustrated by Oliver Caviglioli, the graphics and layout make the book incredibly accessible and a joy to read.