James Anderson: How Do We Teach Students to Become Better Learners

What if improving schools isn’t only about improving teaching but also about teaching students how to learn?

John talks with James Anderson, author of Learnership, about shifting from teacher-dependent learning toward independent and agile learners. They explore productive struggle, students’ relationship with challenge, the difference between performance and growth, and why mistakes should be treated as information.

James also explains how teachers can help students recognize their “learning zone” and develop the capacity to take greater ownership of their growth.

In this episode:

• What “learnership” means
• Why good teaching alone isn’t enough
• The progression from dependent to agile learners
• Challenge, mistakes, effort, and productive struggle
• Teaching students to recognize when they are actually growing
• Moving from teacher as instructor to teacher as coach
• Building genuine learner agency

James Anderson LinkedIn Page

Learnership Website and Book

Music by Aylex