Student Engagement

1. Student Engagement Summer 2009

2. Warm Up • You will be working in groups of 2 or 3. • Choose your partners. • On one piece of paper, number 1-6. • You have 2 minutes to prepare.

3. A teacher has two jobs; fill young minds with knowledge, yes, but more important, give those minds a compass so that that knowledge doesn’t go to waste. Hi. I’m Bill Rago. I’ve never taught before and you’ve never thought before. So good luck to all of us. I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way. It’s less trouble to feel sorry for her than it is to teach her anything better. It's not that they're stupid, it's just they don't know anything. So long as we learn, it doesn’t matter who teaches us, does it? Dead Poets Society Miracle Worker Mr. Holland’s Opus Renaissance Man Stand and Deliver To Sir With Love Match the Quote to the Movie

4. The Answers • Mr. Holland’s Opus • Renaissance Man • Dead Poets Society • Miracle Worker • Stand and Deliver • To Sir With Love

5. Reflection • Most of us have experienced such moments of “student engagement” when every learner seems utterly focused on the task, and time seems to stand still. They are what teachers live for. • Turn to a buddy and share such an experience.

6. Sharing Let’s chart the teaching strategies that you used in that dynamic lesson that engaged all the students.

7. Small group Physical Activity Choral responses Socratic questioning Think aloud Pair-share Visual aides Classroom culture of open dialogue Pacing Action zone awareness Proximity Relationship building Reading aloud Wait time Address questions randomly Teaching StrategiesUsed During This Presentation

8. Student Learning • Research shows clearly that a person must be engaged to learn. • Students learn by • Actively participating in observing, speaking, writing, listening, thinking, drawing, and doing. • Learning is enhanced when a person sees potential implications, applications, and benefits to others. • Learning builds on current understanding (including misconceptions!).

9. Setting the Stage for Student Engagement • Like the successful director of a movie, they consider myriad contextual factors to be important as well as: Issue of time Issue of space Issue of materials Issue of relationships

10. Is the length of time for this lesson appropriate to your students’ age Are you talking too long, not noticing that eyes are wandering and students are shifting restlessly? Too much information in one block of time? Short break or change of location will keep momentum going. Do you strive for a balance among cognitive, social, & kinesthetic experiences? Have you anticipated the time involved for each part of the lesson? Are you planning to give this lesson at an appropriate time of the day, week or year? Issue of Time

11. Does your arrangement of desks encourage on-subject conversation? Can students move easily from facing you for instruction to a group formation? Wasted time spent moving chairs can break the flow of engagement. Are there sufficient walkways between desks and groups? Be aware of the “action zone” – those students located in the center front of the room who participate most. Groups that fall outside this zone often will be less engaged. Problem solved by moving around to talk from various spots in the room during the lesson. When children experience close proximity, they are more inclined to stay engaged. Issue of Space

12. Are all needed materials ready and available when the lesson begins? Having to stop and look for papers tends to break the smooth flow you are after. Time invested in planning well, doing trail run on the experiment, or making sure you have supplies will keep your positive momentum going. Use hands-on materials and manipulatives when possible and appropriate. The more students are involved firsthand, the higher the student engagement. Smooth procedures for passing out and gathering materials can also enhance student engagement. Issues of Materials

13. Issues of Relationships • Most powerful influence you can have on your students is realized through your personality: your smile, your humor, your praise and caring. • Part of this “Connecting” with students is through your words. • When students believe that their teacher enjoys teaching and genuinely likes them, they are more willing to put effort into their own learning. • Teachers who care about their students are remembered, effect change, stimulate growth, and are more likely to be successful at teaching their students.

14. Issues of Relationships • Quote from Wong and Wong 2001 • “The relationship between children and their teachers is not incidental, but rather is the central component of their learning. Human development occurs within the context of real relationships. We learn from whom we love.”

15. Issues of Relationships • Many of our student have obstacles to overcome: economic disadvantages, racial discrimination, or academic weakness. • Your attitude of enthusiasm, acceptance, and encouragement can go a long way toward keeping them engaged in their pursuit of lifelong learning.

16. Create classroom culture open to dialogue. Use both preplanned and emerging questions Select an appropriate level of questions based on learners’ needs. Avoid trick questions and those that require YES/No response. Phrase questions carefully, concisely, and clearly. Address questions to the group or to individuals randomly. Use sufficient wait time, at least 5 to 10 seconds. Respond to answers given by students. Deliberately frame questions to promote student interest. Use questions to identify learning objectives for follow-up self–study. Inviting Student Engagement with Questioning

17. Our Campus Focus on Student Engagement This presentation has modeled several different strategies and discussed several issues relating to student engagement. As a campus, let’s identity 3-5 strategies that we all will use within our classroom to promote 100% student engagement.