Creating Engaging Lessons

Effective teachers plan ahead. If done well,  they plan ahead to create lessons that are engaging while meaningful. This year I have really focused my time on thinking through exciting “hooks” or “anticipation sets” that will get students eager to dive into the material in  the "primetime" of the lesson. 

I'm going to be real... For me at this point in my teacher development, getting students to get started on that Do Now is largely about getting kids to get seated and settled while I get my life together and monitor that entry. BUT it is and should be so much more than that. It's really about what's going to get students authentically engaged in the lesson of that day. 

Here’s a sampling of some questions I’ve used thus far this year:

"Talk about a recent frustration that you've had - why were you frustrated and what would you do differently if you could do it over again?" 

“What’s more important – happiness or material wealth?”

“When you think of a caveman – what types of images come to mind? (I.e. are cavemen smart? Are they athletic? - this was for a lesson on the paleolithic age)

“What is your ideal job?”

“In the United States we commonly believe that we are “civilized.” Are we civilized? How do you know? Explain using evidence. 

“Given your knowledge of history and our current situation – from high unemployment and fears of terrorism at home to the comforts of technologies such as smart phones and hybrid cars – do you believe that we are better off or worse off as human beings today?

When I sit down to write a hook, I’m generally asking myself:

-          What are they key human questions in today’s content?

-          What do kids care about?

-          How can I generate a question that is relevant to the day’s content – but accessible enough for students?

-          If this week’s content was a #hashtag, what would that hashtag be? Can I refer back to that hashtag so that when kids think of their content, they relate it to that week’s hashtag?

Another big question is – what to do when your hook doesn’t work so well. Or when kids push back on that question or it turns into a much bigger conversation than you had anticipated...  I'll try to address that in another post... But here's the short version of the answer - if the "hook question" is authentically good and speaks to students lives, students will let you know right off the bat. Tomorrow's always another day to implement the very real feedback that students will give you about the work you're doing. 

That Whooshing Sound

I read this quote in 9th grade - it was at the top of a sheet of paper that described the requirements for a research paper. At that moment, at the ripe old age of 15, I realized that my teacher was not being evil by giving me a deadline (gasp!) but actually that if I wanted to lead a life of excellence, I better pay attention to the deadline. 

Deadlines are integral to powerful assessment, from simple exit tickets to 30-page research papers. Deadlines create a sense of urgency and create space for excellence.  

Debra Dirksen, in her article entitled "Hitting the Reset Button," states that assessment methods can "take advantage of quick-write prompts, where students are given three to five minutes to write anything they want about a question or topic. This can be used to gather formative assessment data." 

For example, several weeks ago I walked into a 9th grade English class. Students were busy writing, and a timer was projected to the front of the class. The seconds ticked down. This timer was a simple yet powerful way to let students know exactly how much time they had. This created urgency and allowed for students to become clear in their reflections on a question or topic. 

On the other end of the spectrum, one could assign a 5 page paper to students that is developed over a period of weeks. Without deadlines to assess where a student is at in his or her process, the creative process loses momentum. Does the diagram below feel familiar?

I am sure we've all experienced for ourselves this Creative Process. When we are teachers, we need to set a series of deadlines for students so that that "Mess Around" portion is less, and the green portion of "All the Work While Crying" is more (hopefully minus the "crying" bit). As a teacher, it is imperative to stick to deadlines and also the consequences of when those deadlines are not met. It's a fact of life - students will turn in homework, papers, and projects late, late, late. So set consequences for when students are late.

Deadlines bring out the knowledge and learning that is within a student, whether in a quick-write, research paper, group presentation, or portfolio. Let those deadlines make whooshing noises. And cheer along with a job well done!

Famous for Learning

Two weeks ago I walked into a 9th grade History classroom and noticed the "Homework Wall of Fame." Intrigued, I copied the diagram for this Wall of Fame. Papers were clipped to the wall in clusters, displaying homework that I could tell - even from a distance - was robust. I could see stars in red ink and compliments of "Great Work!"

In the book by William Ayers entitled To Teach, he mentions that "In my classrooms, from preschool to graduate school, the work of my students always adorn the walls. Stories and essays, charts and surveys, big projects and little projects are always in sight" (66). Having student's work an integral part of the learning environment seems to make the focus about the students, the students, the students. This is a place to come, be at home, expand one's mind.

Ayers continues that "[my students] see their work publicly displayed and valued. And they become more present and more visible to me and to one another through the acknowledgement of the products of their thoughts and labor." I took such notice of the Wall of Fame because I saw that indeed, the hard work of students was valued. The classroom is a place to be understood, to be seen, to be acknowledged. Creating an environment where excellence is noted, displayed, and valued, creates an experience that "Yes, I am important. Learning is important."

So those students who want to be famous, maybe all it takes is to dive into their homework.

Ayers, William. To Teach: The Journey of a Teacher. New York: Teachers College, 1993. Print.

Technology Is Your New BFF

Digital Native, Net Generation, New Millennials - these are just a few monikers for people growing up in the digital age.  Let's face it, technology to todays youth is as normal as eating, walking, BREATHING.  With that in mind, shouldn't technology be thoughtfully infused into the classroom?  The operative word here is "infuse".   In the article "Saving Time with Technology" Kristine Gullen & Holly Zimmerman shine a spotlight on a few ways that technology can be used to produce positive results.  

Here is what every teacher needs to keep in mind: technology needs to be used as a tool to enhance instruction and build engagement, not replace a lesson or practice which could cause students to lose focus and get off task.  Perhaps this is why some teachers are wary to embrace technology.  That, or they're daunted by the seemingly complex nature of certain programs and/or they're intimidated and burdened by having to learn something new when they find the blackboard will suffice.  Either way, there is a great disparity between those for and those against technology in the classroom.   

I, for one, am for it.  There are a variety of apps and websites that assist teachers with organizing class activities, creating group projects, and assessments.  Gullen and Zimmerman point out a website, Socrative.com, that gives a teacher a quick way to formatively assess what her students' comprehension is on, say, the previous nights reading assignment, by having the students answer a few questions and send them to her electronically (through phones, laptops, tablets).  A spread sheet is generated by those answers and immediately gives the teacher a clear indication of what her students didn't understand and therefore is able to focus the day's lesson accordingly in order for her students to be able to "synthesize" and think critically about the material.  

"Flipping" is another approach, but I'm not entirely sold on it.  It requires a good amount of time and is, in essence, doing double the work because the teacher is teaching the lesson twice (once in the classroom, and also pre-recorded and posted on YouTube or a private website the students can access).  I do, however, see how this could be beneficial for lower learning students, or students who didn't understand the lesson the first time around.  

I'm a huge fan of Google Docs for feedback and editing sessions.  I use it in my professional writing work because it's simple, direct, efficient and fast.  How could this not benefit students and teachers?  Also, with the enormous amount of illegible handwriting that would make a doctor's prescription pad blush - by teachers and students alike - it's far more efficient for both to read typed notes and papers.  You can even offer extra credit for typed papers!  Now, you tell me that isn't motivating for students and makes grading easier?

So, back to our operative word: infuse.  In order for technology to be successful in the classroom, teachers shouldn't replace their lessons with it but rather "find new ways to enhance practices, leveraging technology's ability to help them connect, collaborate, and enrich".

iPads in the Classroom

I've Got a Plan!

The best way to design a lesson plan and unit is, drum roll please...THERE IS NO ONE BEST WAY! Robert Marzano made this astute observation (sans the yelling) in his comprehensive book The Art and Science of Teaching (a must read if you want to practice being, well, effective).  Although all roads lead to Rome, most teachers will agree on a few simple foundational steps.

Marzano offers six easy to follow "Action Steps", sort of like a recipe, that help educators plan well-structured units.  First and foremost, every unit needs a focus.  Notice I said "unit".  Why is this important you ask?  Well, because a cohesive unit determines what the individual lessons will be, and there are "at least three basic areas of focus for a unit: (1) knowledge, (2) issues, and (3) student exploration".  In basic terms all this means is (1) incorporating standards and learning goals, (2) central questions (i.e. values, moral code, etc.), and I think (3) is transparent enough, although Marzano suggests constructing tasks that encourage students to explore and form their own questions.

Action Steps 2-4 are, in a sense, a series, or what Marzano calls "segments".  All three address this idea of having a "flexible lesson design"... 

• Step 2 is to plan segments that will be part of every lesson, namely: rules and procedures, learning goals, assessments, and celebrating successes.  

• Step 3 involves lesson segments that address academic content by implementing "knowledge practice and deepening understanding" such as in-class activities and homework; "critical-input experiences" which include lectures, reading materials, demonstrations, videos/presentations, and field trips; and "hypothesis generation and testing tasks" like library or internet research.

• Step 4, the final lesson segment, handles actions that must be taken on the spot.  These are an important part of any lesson design because it helps teachers with "activities and behaviors that can be required at any point in lesson" specifically, engagement (implementing varied techniques), consequences for rules and procedures (keeping an equal eye on both positive and negative consequences), relationships (monitoring the balance between guidance & control and concern & cooperation), and expectations (for high and low level students).

Action Step 5 is to create a "draft of daily activities".  In other words, don't be so hard-set on one procedure.  Who knows what the day will throw at you, so it's best to stay loosey-goosey and remember the focus, or goal, of the lesson.  Who cares how you get there as long as all your students joined along for the ride.

Action Step 6, the final step, is a reflection - not on the students, but rather yourself.  Make sure you review "critical aspects of effective teaching" to insure that your lesson and unit plans are providing what is essential for "deepening students' understanding of content".  Think of this like a checklist.

Now, the above being said, this is just one of many strategies to get your planning off on the right foot.  Ultimately, just like in the classroom, the decision lies with you which process works best in order to achieve optimum results.  

Since I'm a visual learner, below are a couple videos I found helpful...

This video offers what teachers called "useful" and "practical advise".  (I don't know about you, but I wake up everyday and meditate on how I can complicate my class to the fullest extent.)

New Teacher Survival Guide: Planning

Other pointers to consider, but only if you like to finish on time and meet your objective.

Pace and Structure in Lesson Planning

The Holy Grail of Teaching

"Nothing deflates a teacher more than bored students." This is the first sentence of an article written by Sam Intrator, a veteran high school and college teacher.

Neglecting the pursuit of powerful teaching is not a bad thing. It's simply deflating. Demoralizing. Boring. Painful. Intrator says that classrooms "can be dynamic settings that launch dreams and delight minds, or arid places that diminish hope and deplete energy." I believe that we have all had personal experiences of both of these scenarios of the classroom.

So as a teacher, really this is about a choice. What experience do I want to create in my classroom? Deflated teaching and deflated learning? Or vigorous teaching and vigorous learning? That's a choice I shall face every day.

I am moved by this experience of Intrator's "Holy Grail" of teaching, which is what he describes as "Moments when I see the collective attention of my students and feel their energy for the subject at hand[.]" He put into words so concretely what I also want to strive for, and I am internalizing this experience of the Holy Grail. I believe it a worthwhile and lifelong endeavor.