I think to get kids engaged we need to try and make what we are teaching relatable to them. Fun is good but it has to be something that is going to affect them.
Competition can be a big motivating factor. I have some studnts that are very difficult to engage - until I give them a ball to shoot. It's amazing how much math they can do with a ball in their hands that was impossible without it!
There's also a lot to be said for just showing interest in students personally. Some kids will respond with much more effort when they feel I care about them - not just about how they perform.
Relevance seems to be an underlying factor for engagement. We tend to assimilate more easily those concepts and facts which we feel have applicability to our lives and career aspirations at a given point in time. However, determining what data are relevant for a student to master poses a unique situation which often reflects generational differences. Ultimately, those areas of our curriculum which are truly relevant for ALL students are: 1) the ability to read, 2) the ability to write a coherent sentence, and 3) sufficient mathematical skills necessary to add, subtract, multiply, divide, and find the occassional percentage. Beyond these three basic areas, is it necessary and relevant to create a curriculum which overlooks the importance of the student's concept of relevance?
I recently wrote teaching philosophy which relates student engagement to literature and composition (my subject-area). First, I relate my authentic world exposure, understanding, and experience to help me foster a productive, compassionate, and equitable learning environment. Second, I apply and make connections from the literature to the real world. Third, I discuss realistic scenarios where students will apply different writing genres in both their education and career.
I think to get kids engaged we need to try and make what we are teaching relatable to them. Fun is good but it has to be something that is going to affect them.
ReplyDeleteCompetition can be a big motivating factor. I have some studnts that are very difficult to engage - until I give them a ball to shoot. It's amazing how much math they can do with a ball in their hands that was impossible without it!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great point. Getting the students to get involved in class and have them think that they are just playing a game. They seem more relaxed.
ReplyDeleteThere's also a lot to be said for just showing interest in students personally. Some kids will respond with much more effort when they feel I care about them - not just about how they perform.
ReplyDeleteRelevance seems to be an underlying factor for engagement. We tend to assimilate more easily those concepts and facts which we feel have applicability to our lives and career aspirations at a given point in time. However, determining what data are relevant for a student to master poses a unique situation which often reflects generational differences. Ultimately, those areas of our curriculum which are truly relevant for ALL students are: 1) the ability to read, 2) the ability to write a coherent sentence, and 3) sufficient mathematical skills necessary to add, subtract, multiply, divide, and find the occassional percentage. Beyond these three basic areas, is it necessary and relevant to create a curriculum which overlooks the importance of the student's concept of relevance?
ReplyDeleteI recently wrote teaching philosophy which relates student engagement to literature and composition (my subject-area). First, I relate my authentic world exposure, understanding, and experience to help me foster a productive, compassionate, and equitable learning environment. Second, I apply and make connections from the literature to the real world. Third, I discuss realistic scenarios where students will apply different writing genres in both their education and career.
ReplyDelete