Student Engagement

As our members may have guessed by now, through attending our PDs, we place a high priority on teaching methods revolving around student engagement.  There are many studies floating around out there showing statistical links between successful Student Enagament and improved classroom behaviour.  Google will show you many if you look and sometimes it seems like the "new fad".

My Personal Story.

Many of you may know that in 2011 I spent a half a day a week in a Special Development School teaching Literacy.  For some of you this may sound like a nightmare and, believe me, for a little while there it was!  I spent a lot of time concentrating on student behaviour techniques up front to try and come to grips with my VCAL class.  This turned to student engagement as I slowly found ways to  keep the students busy and focused so they had far less "idle" time to think up new ways to misbehave.

"New fad" or not, student engagement works as a way of reducing classroom misbehaviours!   On a personal note, there is nothing like walking in the front gate of a school, seeing students just brighten up because they know they are in for an afternoon of literacy lessons!

The strategies I learnt when teaching that class works in mainstream schools too.  I am able to take on the most difficult classes with minimal fuss compared to many other CRTs.  Occasionally I even get reports back that students were disappointed when they found out they didn't have "Mrs L" while their teacher was away!

So I thought for this week's content-related post I'd steer you towards all the things I read and watched in my journey figuring all of this out!

Student Engagement Articles.

 I have always found that the best way to learn about things isn't to try and find any one particular document I agree with and stick to it.  I like to read widely and just let all the different things I agree with stick and let the rest drift away.  It's led to my own particular style which suits the way I function as a teacher, and relate to students, down to a T.  It makes me somewhat unique in the classroom which the students find engaging in itself!

Here's some of the things I've read or watched over the last year or so which I found quite useful in understanding how to use student engagement to improve behaviour and learning in the classroom;

http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/school_education/publications_resources/schooling_issues_digest/schooling_issues_digest_motivation_engagement.htm

http://www.inspiringteachers.com/classroom_resources/tips/curriculum_and_instruction/involve_engage_students.html

http://drpfconsults.com/10-easy-strategies-to-engage-students-in-every-classroom/

http://www.humanconnections.com.au/human-connections-conscious-classroom-management/

These articles or videos are nice jump-off points and many have additional links in their sidebar to continue on with.

Types of Learners.

The other thing that has really helped me to grab student's attention is to learn to identify the different types of learners and how to best convey information to them.  Understanding just the basics of dealing with Visual, Auditory and Kinesthenic learners helped me to present information in a way that keeps them all engaged and focused on learning.

http://www.tecweb.org/styles/gardner.html

http://lyceumbooks.com/pdf/HowToTeachEffectively_TypesofLearners.pdf

http://webhome.idirect.com/~kehamilt/spklearn.html

A small piece of wisdom.

Here's a quote I found that I live by;

Individuals diagnosed with learning disabilities are not "stupid." In fact, to qualify as having a learning disability, you must have average intelligence. This means that you have to be at least a little bit smart.

Never forget this.  If you do, what you will end up with is students, not just a student with learning disabilities, using their underachievement as a weapon.  A weapon against themselves, a weapon against you, a weapon against their classmates.  They will use it to justify their lack of input and effort.

Get at that "smart".  Find the way to prove to them that they DO, in fact, have smart in there somewhere.  Students thinking that they are chronicly "stupid" is one of the biggest roadblocks to student engagement.  Find out what engages them.  Use it in the classroom.  They will begin to understand that they can do it.  Through that they will begin to want to.

Mel.