At Slate, we hope to be part of your classroom experience, whether you’re a teacher, office manager, or substitute. We know it can be tough in the classroom, whether you’re there for years or days. Not only do you have to juggle the administrative parts of instruction, but you have to come up with innovative ways to teach—how do you do this successfully. Read the five tips below to get ideas on how you might be able to engage students in your classroom.
Lead discussions. You’ve probably seen it on a show or movie—the charismatic, young teacher is animatedly inspiring a classroom full of students with his or her moving words. The truth is, though, these speeches don’t just happen. Good, productive conversations don’t typically just happen without planning. As the instructor, it’s your responsibility to prepare. Consider the topic you’ll be posing to the class. Do your research before the students get there. Brainstorm questions that will get a good discussion going.
Offer hands-on activities. Many schools have long since abandoned the ways of all text book and worksheet learning, and it’s with good reason. Providing engaging activities to students can get their brains working in new ways, catering to students who learn in different ways. Give students choices on learning—reading new content, doing an experiment, viewing a demonstration, listening to a peer describe a new topic, etc.
Manage chaos. For most of us, it’s hard to focus if there are too many things happening. It’s the teacher’s responsibility to make sure the classroom is a space for learning. Do this by making sure to minimize disruptions, giving students a clear plan, and making sure everyone has the same expectations about a project or lesson.
Offer open-ended assignments. Similar to offering hands-on activities, offering different assignments for different learning styles can make sure all students can easily access the lesson. Maybe one student is an auditory learner and another is visual learner. Letting your class take ownership of how they are learning can be empowering and keep them engaged in learning.
Change routine. Sometimes, just a change of routine can give our brains the boost they need. If you have the same schedule and lessons planned each day and you find that students are becoming disinterested, try switching things up on occasion to see if they become more engaged.
Whether you’re a district teacher or a substitute, these five tips might help increase student participation and engagement. If you’d like to learn more about simplifying things in your classroom contact us today at info@simplyslate.com.