NAESP Radio: Timing Matters

Daniel Pink explains how principals can use the science of timing to set up students for success.
Communicator
August 2018, Volume 41, Issue 12

The latest edition of NAESP Radio is available on the NAESP website. In “Timing Matters: Making Better, Smarter, and Shrewder Decisions,” NAESP Executive Director—and NAESP Radio host—L. Earl Franks, Ed.D., CAE, talks with Daniel Pink about how principals can use study results to be more deliberate with their scheduling and set up students for success.

Studies show students’ cognitive abilities change throughout the day.

For example, one study in the Los Angeles school system shows that students who study math earlier in the day have better grades and perform better on standardized tests than those who have math class later in the day.

Another survey, in Denmark, shows a similar pattern: Students who take standardized tests in the morning score higher than those who take them in the afternoon.

Knowing this, what can principals do to better set up students for success? Pink suggests they schedule analytical subjects earlier in the day. And when that’s not possible—because it’s not always possible—providing students with 20-minute breaks in the afternoon before they take tests helps them achieve higher scores.

Listen to the full interview for more ideas.

Pink is an author of bestselling books about business, work, and behavior. His books include When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, and To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others.

Copyright © 2018. National Association of Elementary School Principals. No part of the articles in NAESP magazines, newsletters, or website may be reproduced in any medium without the permission of the National Association of Elementary School Principals. For more information, view NAESP’s reprint policy.