Instructional Strategies in an Effective Classroom

Engaging the Urban Learner

Vanessa Knight knightv@duvalschools.org

Classroom video

ovideo clips

otechnology osongs

personal connections

Emotional Processes

80% Emotions AND Cognition

Cognitive Processes

20% Emotions & Body

20% Highest Reason

How Often Students are Bored in School

How often students are bored
60% 50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

Never

Once or twice

Once in a while

Every Day

Every class

Source: Yazzie-Mintz (2007) Indiana University's Annual High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE). Hes project director of Center for Evaluation and Education Policy. Survey released 2/28/07. 7

Why are Students Bored in School?

SUHUPU!
Work as a team of four Materials Markers Sentence strips Identify at least THREE main reasons why you think students are bored in school (on blue strips).

Teens Tell Why Theyre Bored

Why students are bored
80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

Work wasn't Work was Material challenging too difficult wasn't enough interesting

Material No wasn't interaction relevant to with teacher me

Other

Source: Yazzie-Mintz (2007) Indiana University's Annual High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE). Survey released 2/28/07.

Students tell us
That school is pointless That teachers dont care That its not worth trying That learning is a waste of time That schools irrelevant We need to provide enriching activities that meet their needs.
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Remember: All behaviors are STATE DEPENDENT

Many of the students are not in a receptive statedetermine how you can help them change their stateand do it by engaging them in learning

2-step process:
1. State change first then 2. Behavior request
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What can we do to change states?

Physical movement
Engage the students through stretching, moving to a new location, performing some action (clapping, stomping feet)

Social connections
Mix up the ways cooperative pairs or groups are formed by changing up directions for forming groups (touch five chairs then find a partner, take ten giant steps) Use affirmations regularly (turn to your partner and say, Youve got what it takes!)

Music
Find ways to combine music with movement Match music to the state youre promoting (moving on, high energy, calm relaxation, celebration)
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Our first objective as teachers is to capture the students attention if we dont, the chance that they will learn anything is remote.
Source: Feinstein (2009) Secrets of the Teenage Brain.

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Tap into (or provide) background knowledge

(Anderson and Peterson, 1984)

Provide effective questioning and have students question as well (Curwin, 2010)

Encourage student exploration

(Feinstein, 2009)

Make Personal connections (Curwin, 2010)

Add Variety and Novelty (Feinstein, 2009)

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o Video clips o Vary the pace and tone of voice o Audio clips o Songs o Student activities o Collaboration o Circulate around the room

o Dress differently o Use different color markers on the board o Bring flowers into the room o Add the scent of lemon

o Personal Feelings o Student expression

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What can we do to address the problem of student boredom in School?

SUHUPU!
Work as a team of four Materials Markers Sentence strips You have already Identified THREE main reasons why you think students are bored in school. Now look at those strips and provide solutions (on pink strips).

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It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.
Albert Einstein (1940)

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