Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Blog #6 (Best Teaching Practices)

     The best strategies for actively engaging with the students I've witnessed during observation hours comes from  the most well behaved and organized 5th grade class. I'll call them Mrs. T's class. I've written before about how she uses physical and vocabulary cues to get and maintain attention or focus of her class. Her techniques are used in the other two 5th grade classes but they are done so sparingly, and I've watched how in the less organized class of Mrs D, they are nearly non-existent. 
     The first of these techniques is what is often known as the Call and Response. This is a term popularized or used to describe the impromptu solicited responses often heard in southern Baptist church meetings. For example, you'd hear the preacher deliver a strong verse or make a point; and then out of the blue you'll see and hear people from the congregation raising their hands and/or shouting out "hallelujah" to show their understanding and support for that verse or point that they feel might be directed right at them. Mrs. T uses this by giving a direction to the class. Then she asks the class, "..if you are agreement with the directions I gave you, touch your nose and stand on one foot." Because it involves movement and coordination it becomes a game and the kids want to engage in it. Without knowing it they are becoming engaged, improving their physical coordination and completing the directions of their teacher. I've watched over and over as she uses this technique with a very high degree of success. The kids are quick to jump to the directions she asks not necessarily because they want to do it quickly but because they want to engage in the physical activity of her call and response. 
     The second strategy to engage the students I've seen to be very effective is the morning huddle. This is the huddle at the front of the classroom immediately after some warm up PT exercises. After PT she has the class come to the front of the class and sit down around her as she reviews with them verbally what they studied the day before. She then draws the problems or concepts she reviewed with them on the dry erase board. Even more than this, whenever possible she will ask for participation from the seated group of anyone willing and able to draw the steps of the process. If they get stuck she asks for volunteers from the group to help give the student writing on the board a little nudge to complete the step. Once the review is complete the students are prepared to receive the lesson for the day. Mrs. T completes her discussion and teaching of the day's lesson and concepts on the Smart Board. Afterward they are allowed to pair up in order to assist each other in completing the problems. By working in these paired teams the students are often able to help each other through and learn without the teacher's direct assistance. If there are students who have additional help, they are allowed to come to the back table where Mrs. T, fellow students or myself helps review and coach them through the problems. 
     I do not think it a coincidence that the best strategies for engagement and learning I've seen (and also happen to be the most effective in my observation) come from the classroom of the most organized and perhaps most freshly out of college 5th grade teacher. The ability to relate to these kids, engage them on their level with activities that hold their attention and promote learning are what make this teacher so effective. The strategies didn't come from years and years of teaching experience as I can attest that Mrs. T is a very young teacher. These strategies for involvement and engagement came from recent curriculum at the university level and it just so happens that she is actively applying them. Knowing your target audience (class) is necessary in order to tailor your strategies to engage them for learning. If a teacher lectures, gives homework, grades, lectures and tests, they are not doing what is most effective for their class because they are simply going through the motions and not looking to engage their learners. 

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