Do you feel like you are teaching to blank stares? Are you spending time and energy on planning, but your students aren’t interested in what you are presenting? Do you ask yourself, “How do I improve student engagement in my classroom?”
You are not alone. Teachers all over the world, feel the same and ask the same questions. Sometimes, you need new ideas and strategies to help you think it through. We have a new book. It is titled, Meet Them Where They Are gives you 10 tips to jumpstart student engagement. It is written by educator, Cassandra Washington and edited by Fabia Fuenzalida. Here are some example topics.
· Create a Vision for Your Classroom
· Plan It Like You Mean It
· Stop Teaching to the Test
· Let Them Talk
Think and Reflection
Meet Them Where They Are: 10 Tips to Improve Student Engagement helps teachers to think and reflect about their instructional practice. This book gives prompts and practice situations to apply the tips in their classrooms. It is an easy read and packs in great information and advice for teachers of all levels.
Find out how to improve student engagement. Photo by Eye-On-Ebony
For ten chapters, you will discover the possibilities of meeting our students where they are and reflect on your practice. This book helps you consider how to implement new or different strategies in classrooms and make some shifts in the way students think and learn. Like our students, educators are continuous learners, too. We search for new ways to engage and push our students’ level of thinking.
Easy to Read
Please note this book is in everyday language. You will see some educational jargon, but the pages do not have hard-to-pronounce words or much education jargon. Who wants that stress? Although the book contains quite a bit of educational information and quotes from professional articles, you can easily read the book. Take it all in like we are having a professional yet friendly conversation. Now, let us see how to teach and meet your students where they are and include additional options into lessons and activities.
Purchase books for your favorite educators or colleagues. Don’t forget to buy one for yourself, too. Teachers read it with your grade level or subject area teammates. Principals and instructional coaches, Meet Them Where They Are: Ten Tips to Improve Student Engagement is great for starting a book club of PLC. The book is available on Amazon.com. The cost is $15.
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Stamp Out Racism
I recently saw a video on Twitter of a woman screaming at the top of her lungs, “I will teach my grandchildren to hate all of you!” She was wrapped in a confederate flag and was yelling at a group of mostly Black and peaceful protesters holding Black Lives Matters signs. As a human being, I was disgusted at the woman’s words and hate. Then I thought the teachers of her grandchildren would have to undo the damage of the racism and hatred instilled into them at an early age. Imagine something so deep-seated coming into the sanctity of space for teaching and learning. Once it enters, how do you stamp out the racism in classrooms?
Hate and racism are equal opportunists, and both cross many lines between cultural and ethnic groups. People of all races have racist moments. To display hatred or racism is inherently wrong and demonstrates one of the worst human flaws. Racism is deeply entrenched in the United States and not easily fixed. It is a social ill of the worst kind. Somehow, teachers have become the de facto fixers of social ills. It is not what teachers train to do, but it often falls into our laps. While we cannot fix all of the world’s burdens, we can try to make things better. In this post, we will explore some things we can do to stamp out racism in classrooms.
Internal and Interpersonal
First, let’s talk about two types of racism you may see displayed in classrooms. You may witness internal racism. It is basically who you are and what you believe. Then there is interpersonal racism. It is how you interact or do not interact. More complex types of racism exist, but we will focus on internal and interpersonal in this post. Also, we will focus on how to teach our children not to harbor racism and hate.
While we look at ways to stamp out racism in classrooms, here are a few other ways it may appear in schools. Racism exists in textbooks, novels, curricular activities, behavior management, discipline, and school funding. These may not be at the forefront of your mind, but all have adverse effects on teaching and learning.
In your classroom, most likely, racist behavior will be internal and interpersonal. Most importantly is when you witness racism, make it clear the behavior is unacceptable. Also, every teacher must model the conduct and habits that you expect. Furthermore, stop for a moment and reflect on your own beliefs and attitudes about race. Look at the students sitting in front of you. Here are some questions to ask yourself.
Modlily
Reflective Questions
How do you treat students of color in your classroom? Think about how you speak or respond to Black, Latino, or Asian children. Do you discipline them more harshly than White students? Are most of your behavior referrals for Black or Latino students? What are your academic expectations for the non-White students? How do you communicate with parents of color? Write down the answers to these questions. Next, challenge yourself to make changes as needed.
Classroom Environment
Now let’s look at some tips to help stamp out racism in classrooms. You are starting with the classroom environment. Walk around and observe classroom posters, pictures, textbooks and classroom library books, music, and other materials. Do these items reflect the diverse races, ethnicities, gender, and age group of the students? If you do not have varied representations in the classroom, you need to make changes to the environment. Children need to see themselves represented in the resources and materials. Check with the principal to see if funds exist to purchase new materials.
Use Unbiased Language
Another tip is to make an effort to use unbiased language. Your words must be inclusive and not divisive. Sometimes the way we speak to our students is unintentional but pays close attention to what you say to students. Compliment students equally about appearance and achievement. Find a way to encourage all students.
Answer Students’ Questions
If students have questions about discrimination, prejudices, and racism, answer their questions. Do not sidestep or change the topic. Children are curious, perceptive, and intelligent. Use it as a teachable moment and make time for student-to-student discussions. When questions arise, it is a perfect time to facilitate and discuss racial and cultural differences. It is also an excellent time to review how harmful racism is to people and the country. It is not time to pretend not to see differences in race or culture. Acknowledge the students’ observation and explain not to put negative judgments on the differences.
Anti-racism must become a cause we work towards each day.
Photo by Zach Vessels on Unsplash.com
Communicate With Parents
Inform parents of the discussions and any possible projects. You may have some parents who do not want their children to discuss racism. Be very specific to describe what types of questions students asked. Also, explain the answers you gave or will give based on the students’ questions. Ask parents if they have any objections because you do not want children to have mixed messages. Perhaps, parents will reinforce the discussion at home with their children.
At some point, you will have to deal with racist behavior. Do not ignore it! Avoiding racism will not make it disappear. Silence is not golden when you observe a racist act. Your silence can be interpreted as approval; therefore, send a clear message that racism is not tolerated. Explain why the action is not appropriate.
Remember, the racist act by a student is learned behavior. This type of action does not disappear immediately. It must be unlearned over time. You have to try to undo what the child learns at home or in the community. It is not easy to repair the damage. Also, do not disgrace or embarrass the student who commits the racist act. Talk to the student to identify where the problem exists and how to refrain from having future or similar episodes.
Teaching Empathy
Throughout the school year, teach lessons of empathy. Students can be taught empathy through activities involving role-playing, town-hall meetings, peace circles, and collaborative projects. Do not forget to reflect on your level of empathy. You may need some lessons, too. Remember, everyone is a work in progress, but teachers are role models. Teachers must demonstrate the acceptable behavior and expectations of their students.
Anti-Racism is a Cause
To stamp out racism in classrooms is not an easy task or burden. Yes, your job is very stressful. Nevertheless, teachers, we are on the frontline of the battle. It is not a chore that we desire; however, we must be a catalyst for change. Anti-racism must become a cause we work towards each day. If it becomes a cause, we can guarantee all of our students an equal opportunity to live and work in a better world.
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Effective Teaching
“What is effective teaching?” This question generates a variety of answers from teachers and administrators. Most educators have their perception or definition. Despite one’s opinion, teaching is a process and has several components and principles.
To become a certified teacher, one must attend a teaching program at a university or college. While participating in a teacher education program, future educators must take methods courses in the core subject areas and their area of certification. Future teachers learn theory, best practices, instructional strategies, lesson planning, and more. Then, they complete a semester of student teaching in a controlled setting with a cooperating teacher for support. Afterward, the real-world awaits in real classrooms with real students. In other words, welcome to the trenches.
Teaching is not an Easy Process
Experienced and new teachers search for effective and engaging strategies to ensure that their students successfully learn new skills. Teaching is not an easy process, and it takes much thinking and preparation to create great lessons for students. In this chapter, we will explore how effective teaching begins with planning. As educators, we subconsciously know some of these things, but it is good to refresh our memories.
Qualities of Effective Teaching
According to Qualities of Effective Teachers, 3rd Edition by James H. Stronge, 2018, “Effectiveness is an elusive concept when we consider the complex task of teaching. Some researchers define teacher effectiveness in terms of student achievement.
Others focus on high-performance ratings from supervisors. Still, others rely on comments from students, administrators, and other interested stakeholders. In fact, in addition to being uncertain how to define effectiveness, we vacillate on just how to refer to successful teachers.”
If you ask a variety of teachers and administrators to define teacher effectiveness, you will hear many different interpretations. Our perceptions and opinions are different based on our education, experiences, school population, and expectations. However, despite our perceptions and views, we can agree that effective teaching begins with lesson planning.
Strategic and Effective Planning
Effective teaching, along with a great and engaging lesson begins with strategic and effective planning. During the planning stage, effective teachers recognize how to reach their students best and being intentional. Jeff C. Marshall in Highly Effective Teachers states, “When we focus more on the why and thus the intentionality of our teaching, we begin to ask richer questions that guide our instruction, such as: How can I better engage the learners who appear to mentally check out? How can I make sure that my lessons are aligned so that the learning matches my goals/objectives? How can I create a learning environment that challenges all while providing scaffolding for those who need it?
Successful Teaching
Successful teaching cannot occur without effective planning. As educators, we learned to write lesson plans using formulas and templates. The procedure we are very familiar with is Students Will Be Able To (SWBAT) – Skill (Verb) – Concept – Context. The skill is “What am I going to do? The concept equals the topic, big idea, or strategy. Lastly, the context is the specific condition, what are you using, and how will I get there. Here are two examples.
Lesson Plan Formula and Templates
1. SWBAT state the characters, plot, setting, and theme for a story.
2. SWBAT compare measurements made using different units.
It takes professional development, practice, and experience to learn to create lessons with intentionality. Always keep the learning outcomes in mind in all of the stages of designing a lesson or unit. Indeed, you want your assignments and activities to be engaging, effective, and relevant for the students. Let’s explore backward design, strategies, and questions to ask to help you create lessons that meet your expectation and students’ needs.
Planning Process
Whether you teach children or adults, keep these ideas in your mind. As part of your lesson planning process, ask yourself these four questions.
1. Who are your learners? Understand the learning characteristics, styles, and needs of your students.
2. Why is this lesson or unit necessary? Students, want to know, “Why do I need to know this? What’s in it for me?”
3. What do learners need to be able to do?
4. How can the students best learn the subject or skill?
Think about using the backward design method to create your lesson and keep the learning outcomes in mind. Also, it helps to keep your lesson relevant to the needs of your students. Now let’s begin with steps to get you started with your design.
Strategic and effective planning is the starting point for a great lesson.
Photo by Nils Stah on Unsplash.com
Begin with the End in Mind
1. Imagine what students will say and be able to do at the end of the lesson.
2. Think and reflect on how to imagine the end.
3. Build your beginning with your end in mind.
4. Plan with students’ needs in mind. Will the lesson satisfy their needs?
From Imagination to Reality
Now you are ready to head to the next step by moving from imagining what the lesson looks like to the beginning to make it a reality. Begin to ask yourself more in-depth questions for students, materials, resources, and instructional strategies. Here are a few questions to ask yourself. Reflect and answer the questions in a way to help you stay focused on the learning outcomes. Remember always to keep the learning outcomes in mind.
1. What prior knowledge or skills do students need to be successful?
2. What vocabulary, terms, information, or skills do you need to introduce to participants?
3. What materials and resources are best in building the desired skills and knowledge?
4. What instructional strategies are most likely to result in your desired outcome for your students?
5. How can you progress monitor or check for understanding along the way? What type of assessment tools will you use?
Discount Supplies
Understanding by Design
A great resource to review is In Understanding by Design by Wiggins and McTighe. They state that “backward design is focused primarily on student learning and understanding. When teachers are designing lessons, units, or courses, they often focus on the activities and the instruction rather than the outputs of the teaching.
Therefore, it can be stated that teachers often focus more on teaching rather than learning. This perspective can lead to the misconception that learning is the activity when, in fact, learning is derived from a careful consideration of the meaning of the activity.”
For more information on backward design, check out Three Stages of Backward Design.
1. Identify the Desired Result
2. Determine Acceptable Evidence
3. Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction
Let’s quickly take a look at three stages of a road trip to the learning outcomes you desire.
Stage 1 of Backward Design
Stage 1: Desired Results
Here is where you establish the goals and enduring understandings of the lesson. You will think about: Acquisition, Understandings, Essential Questions, and Transfer.
Acquisition
What key knowledge or skill will students acquire during the lesson or unit?
Understanding
What big ideas or specific understanding will students have upon completion of the lesson or unit?
Essential Questions
What questions will provoke inquiry, understanding, and transfer of the knowledge? The essential questions usually frame the lesson. If your students attain the goals of the lesson, they should be able to answer the essential questions.
Transfer
How will students transfer the knowledge from the lesson or unit? Then, how will they apply the information or experience outside the context of the class?
Evidence and Assessment
Stage 2: Evidence and Assessment
You must decide what you will evaluate students on or what is the evaluative criteria. Will you use performance tasks, projects, papers, quizzes, tests, homework, or other evidence?
Students must demonstrate that they attained the goals of the lesson. They must show their level of understanding, and you must determine how students will do so.
Learning Path
Stage 3: Learning Path
Summarize key learning events and instructional strategies. Will you present key learning events via individual learning activities, lectures, discussions, problem-solving sessions, or other techniques.
You must decide the individual learning activities and instructional strategies to use during the lesson or unit.
Successful lessons begin with strategic planning and backward design is thorough practice. It takes time to master; however, time and with practice, it will become normal to you. The steps for using backward design allow you, the teacher, to be more reflective when creating lessons. The process makes you clearly think about the students’ needs, learning styles, resources, materials, and assessments. More importantly, the backward design allows you to plan and teach with intentionality. Remember effective teaching begins with effective planning.
Resources
Qualities of Effective Teachers, 3rd Edition by James H. Stronge, 2018
Stronge, J., 2018. Qualities of an Effective Teacher. 3rd ed. United States: ASCD.
Jeff C. Marshall in Highly Effective Teachers: 7 Classroom Tested Practices That Foster Student Success
Marshall, J., 2016. The Highly Effective Teacher: 7 Classroom-Tested Practices That Foster Student Success. 1st ed. United States: ASCD.
In Understanding by Design by Wiggins and McTighe
Wiggins, G. P., McTighe, J., Kiernan, L. J., Frost, F., & Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. (1998). Understanding by design. Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
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