A New Way to Learn

Wow. Who knew good learning has changed so much? When I was young, it was all brute memorization, last-minute cramming, and desperate avoidance. In this excellent book, Deena Kara Shaffer guides us through the best thinking - and the best practises - of a new generation of learning professionals. At the heart of this new thinking is a recognition and an honouring of our own natural rhythms and proclivities. Instead of crushing ourselves into the mould of what we imagine a good learner to be, we change the learning to fit the whole of who we are and how we show up in the world. Bonus: if you have an ADHD brain like mine, you can jump into this book pretty much anywhere and still get something out of it; no vitality-sucking Procrustean linear progressions necessary! * Jeff Warren, author of the Head Trip and co-author of Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics *
My dream book! Deena Shaffer nails it with her insights on learning, while introducing me to time management and sequencing skills I wish I had known sooner. Thank you, Deena. * Patrice M. Bain, educator, speaker and author *
In a world where so many young people are exhausted, overwhelmed, and feeling like they can never do enough, this book is both timely and deeply needed. As someone who works with children, families, and educators, I see first-hand how much pressure young people carry as they try to succeed, keep up, and figure out who they are. Too often, the message they receive is simply to ‘work harder’. A New Way to Learn offers a different path. What I love most about this book is that it doesn’t ask students to become productivity machines. It reminds them that they are human beings first. * Taes Leavitt, Big Heart Journey and Splash’N Boots *
A master educator with years of experience working with thousands of students in post-secondary education, Dr. Shaffer brings research-based but down-to-earth strategies and insights to help students succeed. As she says so clearly throughout the book, “Try this today!” I highly recommend you do. It could be life changing. * Timothy A. Pychyl, PhD, 3M National Teaching Fellow *
This book beautifully centres the experiences of modern students and turns the complexity of academia into simple and achievable steps. It serves to ‘translate’ academic expectations into understandable goals. * Meghan Bowling-Johnson, Academic Development Tutor, UK *
A New Way to Learn is packed full of practical strategies for how to study, focus, work in groups, and find motivation when it feels really hard. It’s everything you wish they taught in school, but don’t. This is the missing handbook for students. * Avery Swartz, Founder & CEO, Camp Tech *
A New Way to Learn sees the complex individual in each student and provides a multitude of strategies based in care and self-kindness to suit every and any learner. Deena’s writing is accessible and engaging as she provides modern and human-centred updates to traditional time management, goal setting, and learning strategies. This will be my new go-to recommendation for students at every level. * Carrie Hanson, Student Development Manager, McGill University, Canada *
You’re not a problem to be fixed, but a person to be understood. With A New Way to Learn, Deena Kara Shaffer has crafted a deeply human, practical and quietly transformative guide that will help you understand why what you’ve been trying hasn’t delivered what you deserve. Too many books about learning try to make you work harder. Deena Kara Shaffer shows you how to think better, laying the foundation for a lifetime of better decision-making. Highly recommended. * Drew Dudley, Founder & Chief Catalyst, Day One Leadership *
A New Way to Learn feels like a deep exhale for students and their supporters. Honest, wise, and deeply reassuring, it shows that learning is not just intellectual, but emotional, physical, relational, and deeply human. It offers a compassionate, practical path that helps students truly learn without losing themselves. This is the kind of resource that readers will return to again and again. * Dr Robyne Hanley-Dafoe, Globe and Mail Bestselling Author *
Dr. Deena Kara Shaffer does what most study guides refuse to: she treats students like whole humans, not just productivity machines. This is why her strategies work. A New Way to Learn is research-grounded, warmly written, and accessible to all. * Dr Bailey Parnell, EdD, entrepreneur, educator and speaker *

Deena Kara Shaffer, PhD, is Founder and CEO of Awakened Learning. Deena has worked with students at both York University and Toronto Metropolitan University, and she is a past president of the Learning Specialists Association of Canada.

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