This really isn't a teacher tip, rather it's a quest for help. A couple of weeks ago, Kevin Reigner posted a question to me in response to my Teacher Tip #28. In his comment, he wanted to know how to keep students engaged halfway through the school year and if other teachers notice a change in student motivation during the winter months.
So, offer up your advice in the comments section. Help a teacher out!
New to Teacher Tip Tuesday? Click here for past teacher tips!
So, offer up your advice in the comments section. Help a teacher out!
New to Teacher Tip Tuesday? Click here for past teacher tips!
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6 comments:
On our campus we start to have grade level and campus wide rewards. For example 4th graders are earning points towards an intermural basketball tournament. They earn the points through participating in class, good behavior and improving their scores on common assessments (AKA Unit Tests). Students that earn a certain number of points get to be on the teams.
5th grade is doing the same thing to earn a class dance.
We have a double specials period once a week for each grade - and that time is used for the reward activity. (normally the teachers are having a across the grade planning period that day)
Two things that work for me. First, I increase the level of difficulty and student responsibility embedded in the assignments. Second, I incorporate more small group (usually 3-4) projects.
I love your blog! I teach 8th grade English, and in response to keeping kids engaged this time of year--I get completely OUT of the textbook. This is when we do our unit on mass media and poetry...get them up and moving, analyzing different types of ads, making their own, performing poetry, and writing their first "big" 5-paragraph essay in prep for the 8th grade writing test in March.
Traditionally, students' grades suffer during this time of the year. It's cabin fever in northern New Hampshire. After February vacation life becomes better.
Usually, I engage my students in a self-selected research topic mini-project. They have a vested interest in their research and they learn the finer points of research usually without the paper. They are required to compose an outline, note cards, bibliography, and visual presentation of their work with a specific research question (specific yet open-ended).
Some years I wonder how any of us survive!
I differentiate instruction more. More group work. More activities. More rewards. Also, I begin to teach "life skils." Like today, we talked about being upstanders and standing up for what was right. Life skills are so important to discuss.
What advice would you have for a first year teacher at a low performing, high poverty school?
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