Engaging Learners in Today’s Classrooms

In my service learning my cooperating teaching engaged the students in tactile learning by having the students cut out and glue a bat together which will be hung in the classroom for the month of October.  The students learned and practiced their cutting skills and creative skills.  they choose how their bat was glued together and what face they drew on their bat.

A second example is collaboration.  As a class the students worked on a math sheet.  In class the students are working on tallies and how to count them.  They had to count three different dogs and make tallies next to a picture of the dog.  After all the dogs were counted the students had two math problems.  One was addition and the other was subtraction.  The students came up with the answer on their own then as a class they answered to help others. All the students were engaged and participating.

The third example is presentation.   For getting the wiggles out she presents the students with Go Noodle.  She puts it on the overhead screen.  The students LOVE it!  They all dance and participate.  Their favorite is Pop See Ko.  She is teaching them how to dance and to exercise in a fun and interesting way.

The one time the students were disengaged is when the students were on the rug and the teacher was explaining how to do a sentence worksheet.  The students were wiggly and talkative that day.  They were talking and not paying attention.  She got their attention by saying "Marshmallows!"  where the students stop talking and focus on her.  It lasted a moment.  Then she said, "1,2,3.  Eyes on me."  The students respond by saying, "1,2, Eyes on you."  This is another technique where the students know to stop talking and focus on their teacher.  This time it worked.  The lesson could be more engaging by changing up the way the material is presented.  Some ideas are doing the assignment as a class and students participate by writing on their own paper, or having students take turn writing on the board.  The idea that the kids know when to listen with key words is a good way for the class to get in control in a short amount of time.