Well... slow down. How will you accomplish this? Have you ever really asked yourself how you will get students engaged in what you're teaching. This isn't college you know... this is public education. A world where student motivations for attending are as positive as some students attending because they want to be academically successful to some students attending because they know they will eat that day. How will you engage this wide range of learners? HOW?
I'm not trying to scare you. I'm trying to prepare you. My first couple years of teaching... there were things I didn't know. Why? No one told me. How are teachers supposed to how to engage students? My professors of Ferris State University ensured I knew what I was doing; however, on the job essentials like: cultural proficiency, student engagement, managing discipline... these things you master, hopefully, as you grow into your learning as a teacher.
Ask yourself these questions to get you started with student engagement:
Do your students know what they're learning and why? There is no magic.
Think back to any memorable lessons you've learned. Did you seek them out or were they mandated lessons? I'm not saying students "can't" learn anything from daily lessons but there is no magic in teaching. So often I hear teachers saying "then the lightbulb went off..." I ask you, why wait for a lightbulb? Provide the insight in the beginning. Do you think telling students what they're learning that day will have them make less connections in your lesson? Oh no... I know, I've been there, you're waiting for them to say "oh, I get it, wow, this is amazing." I can tell you nine times out of ten, this doesn't happen unless YOU tell them upfront the discovery they will make. Why is this helpful you ask, well, for one, students can check their own understanding of learning. If a math teacher says "by the end of this lesson you will be able to compute derivatives", students will know at the end of the lesson if they've mastered it or not. Also, students can create a sense of purpose around their lessons. You remembered when your professors told you to create a "hook" or "anticipatory set" in your lesson? Well... screw that, that's right, in my best offensively stereotypical Italian impression "Fuhgetuhboutit!" You can create meaning to the student's lives AFTER you have explicitly told students what they're learning. Try it, it helps and I promise you students will still make connections forever changing their paradigms of your content area. They will grow, but not through "magic lessons."
Do students know how to access your classroom environment to maximize learning?
If I were to walk into your classroom and asked a student to take me on a tour, could they do it? Students need to know where they can look in your room for rubrics, for purpose of learning, for exemplars on current assignments due, and reading libraries. If you have all of these components, that’s great, but make sure students know what is in your classroom and its purpose. Being transparent in our teaching and student’s learning is helpful to having students authentically learn content. During the first week of school, explain to students the layout of your classroom. You may ask, “How does this help students learn?” The answer to that question is simple: familiarity. Think of your own learning experiences. In college, professors often pass out a syllabus on the first day to create an understanding about what the assignments, expectations and readings will be in the class to lessen student anxiety. We need to provide that same learning confidence to our students. When students walk into your classroom and know what is expected of them to be successful and know how to self navigate to obtain answers to questions they may have, we are teaching students to be independent thinkers and observers. Ensuring students know how to utilize environmental supports to maximize learning means all learners are in the driving seats on their journey to success and puts us one step closer to closing that achievement gap that is evident by our testing results and grades.
Are your students involved in discussion?
As educators, we are a group of continuous learners. In your school, you may have constant discourse around our school’s mission and focus to improve student achievement. In your professional developments, you may exchange ideas to increase your own capacity… are your students involved in this same interaction? I encourage you to create time in your lessons for student discussion. Students who are involved in peer interaction during classroom time can check their own understanding in a small group setting. Additionally, students who can orally present concise ideas with fluidity are able to clearly justify the meaning behind their thoughts. This can help you greatly as a classroom instructor to uncover where a student is in their understanding of a lesson. As an English content area teacher, I found a correlation between writing and speaking with my students. If you can create a connection in reading, speaking and writing with your students, you will find students are better able to write their thoughts with the same concise fluidity they do in discussion. Mastering dominant discourse is an important tool that all of our learners need, but especially the ones who do not frequently utilize it among their family and peers once they leave school grounds. Teaching students the rules to the game of success can help us further close the achievement gap.
Try these and tell me what you think? This is me my first year of teaching...notice the blackboard, LOL
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