Discussion Question 1: Of the various student quotes in the Schussler article, which connected with you the most regarding engaging disengaged students?
The student quote that I identify with the most is that of James who is in 11th grade. James opines that “High school isn’t all about necessarily learning facts: [Teachers] are so concerned with ‘Am I going to meet my deadline? Are my standardized tests going to be up to par?’ that they don’t have time to stop and think about it” (Schussler, 2009). The reason this quote connects with me is the fact that it points out a problem that I believe is responsible for most of the student disengagement but receives the least attention in terms of policy and appears to be a blind spot in the development of education policy. James points out that our education structure is more of a system placing emphasis on timelines and deadlines rather than a holistic and immersive learning experience.
Discussion question 2: What three techniques in Lemov’s "Teach Like a Champion" do you feel most confident in implementing in your future classroom?
The three lessons I would implement in a classroom given opportunity include: No Opt Out, Right is Right and Format Matters (Lemov, 2010). The practice of No Opt Out policy requires learners to know the answer to a question and not setting it aside to check it later or simply forget it was ever there. The Right is right policy encourages involves approving the right answers only. Format Matters policy encourages students to present their information in the correct manner by only approving answers that adhere to the correct formats and standards.
#1: Peer Response to Brittany
Britany’s response was quite enlightening as it brought out the need for creating a connection with learners to create an effective learning experience. It is critical that learning processes and curricula connect with students and taps into their interests and obsessions. On this foundation, information can be relayed effectively to the students. She also adds that she is reading a book that advocates for engaging the interests of learners and it cites that such practice is successful for autistic children. However, one cannot help but see that the implementation of such a policy will weaken the framework that guides education and learning which exists for a reason. As such a middle ground has to be established in theory but in practice, a suitable compromise would be difficult to achieve.
#2: Peer Response to Melinda
Melinda’s response revolves around the issue of inclusivity and learning and takes into account the varying levels of intellect, retention, and comprehension among learners. This is a crucial issue as teachers tend to proceed at the pace of their most elite students leaving the rest to trail behind. Melinda mentions that some students require one on one tutorship to increase student engagement and improve academic outcomes. This issue of inclusivity in learning regardless of the individual’s learning difficulties ought to be reflected in education policy to make classrooms more inclusive (Ashman, 2014).
#3: Peer Response
This response aims to debunk the misconception that explaining several problem-solving strategies confuses students. The practice of demonstrating several problem-solving strategies and allowing students to decide on which they want allows them to develop confidence and their powers of deduction. Additionally, this makes learning a more interesting and immersive experience (Intaros, Inprasitha " Srisawadi, 2014).
#4: Peer Response to Emily
Emily speaks setting high expectations for students by implementing the aforementioned No Opt Out policy which is a well-intentioned gesture that should be moderated to ensure it does not send the wrong message. Learners may view the teacher implementing such a policy as a perfectionist and the fact that this policy forces engagement rather than encouraging it may make learners uncomfortable.
Emily view of using a ‘hook’ to inspire interest in the topic of the classroom is a well thought out and effective tool for learner engagement and is highly encouraged.
Emily’s interest in the Exit Ticket policy that entails asking questions at the end of the lesson to quickly assess the success of the lesson based on the correctness of answers. Emily is correct in her desire to implement this policy as it can give valuable feedback to improve subsequent lessons.
#5: Peer Response to Quote
The picture in question has a line that says “If the plan doesn’t work change the plan but never the goal”. This quote seems to advocate for a single-mindedness to achieving a goal while still using any and all resources and strategies at one’s disposal to achieve the stated goal. It seems to advocate that the means needed to achieve a goal vary considerably and one has the prerogative to select one suited to their needs and if it does not work one can use another resource or strategy. However, the goal is to remain immutable.
#6: Peer Response to Andrea C
Andrea speaks of noting the passive non-verbal cues of learners as a lesson progress to assess their understanding. This strategy holds great appeal as it is a proactive approach to teaching and it gives real-time feedback that the teacher can use to adjust the lesson to be more comprehensible to all the students. Such a measure is advisable and easy to implement with great returns in terms of learners’ comprehension and retention.
References
Ashman, A. (2014). Education for inclusion and diversity (p. 133). Pearson Australia.
Intaros, P., Inprasitha, M., " Srisawadi, N. (2014). Students’ Problem-Solving Strategies in Problem Solving-mathematics Classroom. Procedia - Social And Behavioral Sciences, 116, 4119-4123. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.901
Lemov, D. (2010). Teach like a champion. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Schussler, D. (2009). Beyond Content: How Teachers Manage Classrooms to Facilitate Intellectual Engagement for Disengaged Students. Theory Into Practice, 48(2), 114-121. doi: 10.1080/00405840902776376
