One of my New Year resolutions.....

MYWISHINGROCK blog is a mixed bag of whatever grabs my attention. It's a journal, if you will, of what's in my head, what I read and think about, on any given day.

My wife, Jeannine, has been up since 6 working on school stuff - particularly her teacher portfolio. I know from first hand what a successful and effective teacher she is.......I know how she motivates and engages her students (currently 5th graders) to the highest levels. I always leave her classroom thinking, "Wow!'

Well, sitting here across from Jeannine, sipping my tea, thinking hard as I look through the window that oversees the deck where tiny birds are scratting around on the bird table, I know it's time to focus my blog. It's time to focus on something I know a bit about - that is, sharing my strategies for engaging and motivating students of all ages.

I’m privileged. After 30 years of teaching and running schools, I spent the last 14 years before full time retirement directing a teacher preparation program, visiting over 40 classrooms in 14 schools, working with over 400 aspiring teachers and master teachers. I saw how they built involved and motivated communities of learners through a range of authentic and engaging activities and rituals while teaching a content-based curriculum. I saw how they valued students’ interests and passions, and I saw how the teachers created a classroom ethos that encouraged students to work collaboratively. These teachers:

·       Knew that it’s important to capture student interest and involvement by beginning a teaching session with an engaging story or activity that models the key point of the ensuing lesson.

·       Knew that students ask questions about stories, artifacts ,and activities that interest them.

·       Knew authentic discussion and inquiry are fun and enjoyable; and it matches what we know of how students learn

·       Knew that most students have a need to chatter about what they see – as talking, it seems, aids their understanding.

·       Knew that such interactions encourage students to collaborate with each other, AND have a settling, brain-break effect.

·       Knew that an atmosphere of learning may be achieved by encouraging students to bring things into the classroom and talking about them during meeting time.

·       Knew that once students are involved practically, group/class discussion will usually raise new and interesting problems, so that one inquiry leads to another, and the work continually develops.

·       Knew that when students use their own efforts to discover for themselves, the flash of insight seems to give them special satisfaction, which affects their attitude towards other activities.

·       Knew that writing is a process better understood by students if there’s a real point to it.

·       And, they knew that displaying students’ pictures and words around the classroom completes the record of ‘work’ done and acts as a reference, a resource, and a stimulus for others.

As I have constantly preached to - and learned from - teachers the importance of engagement and motivation, I have oodles of ideas..........I'm going to copy and share them here.

What do you think?

I'm going to build my post around a mythical class that contains all ages of children..........they are with me at the start and end of each day..............so I will describe what I do to build my community of learners.............help my students unwind and feel comfortable - and help me engage and build my community of learners.

This post describes some of these strategies.

You may find them helpful in your teaching.  I certainly hope so. Please feel free to adapt and adopt.    JP 

Here goes......................

Oh, a couple of quotes first that I use when teaching postgrad students:

“The opportunity to participate as a contributing member of a community is essential for children’s well-being and academic success. A classroom community enables teachers to address children’s basic needs, promote their resilience to hardship conditions, teach the values of respect and responsibility, and foster their social and academic competence. For children to participate in a classroom community – to relate positively with others and become successful learners – their basic needs for sustenance, safety, and belonging must be met. When teachers create a safe classroom community, children are able to relate positively to others, explore their environment, and engage in learning. Children acquire self esteem when they do things every day that make them feel competent.”

“Teachers build a classroom community by:

• Welcoming children to the classroom community
• Treating children with respect
• Holding daily class meetings to build a sense of community, share ideas and discuss issues of importance to group living; helping children relate positively to others; and
• Teaching children to solve problems and resolve conflicts peacefully.”

 Bickart, T, Jablon J, & Lodge, D,  Building the primary classroom, Heinemann, 1999

“Every classroom, like every community, has its own distinct culture, values and rules. By building a community in the classroom, the teacher creates a common and predictable cultural experience that helps children feel connected to others. A community is a place where individuals share common values, goals and activities. In communities, everyone does not do the same thing at the same time, but groups work together to achieve common goals. A community is a place where social bonds are established and individuals can flourish”.        

Bredekamp & Rosegrant, Developmentally Appropriate Practice, Varsity Books, 1992.