Creative Ways to Fully Engage ALL Students in Learning Process!

How does a teacher infuse instruction with enough creative student engagement activities to hold and maintain student attention for the length of the lesson?  It is an issue most teachers grapple with every day since it is their goal to motivate students to want to learn and enjoy the experience every step of the way.  Productive student engagement with regular monitoring on the part of the teacher holds all students accountable to learn.  This approach leaves no student behind.  English language learners especially need this type of active instruction and monitoring.  It is the only way they will acquire both content and English proficiency.

In this video, a national board certified English language arts teacher leads his class through some lessons on  To Kill a Mockingbird.  Though the video is about 26 minutes, it is well worth the view.  Teacher evaluators and coaches are viewing David Preto's English language arts class to see if he has generated a lesson that is more active in its delivery--more directed student engagement.  In this video, evaluators observe the lesson on site as well as on video to see if he is following up on suggestions.  See his skills grow over the full length of the video.  Does he achieve the perfect lesson?  No, but through his willingness to keep honing his skills, it is evident that he will do it.

GREAT STUDENT INVOLVEMENT IN LEARNING PROCESS

As teachers, such self-reflection should be an on-going process for all.  Lesson delivery should be adjusted regularly.  Why?  This is a must because student populations change from year to year.  Also, with the number of English language learners growing from year to year, lessons that worked well 10 years ago with English speaking populations might not run as effectively with this new population. 

In less than 2 weeks, it will be the start of 2013.  A new semester will be here.  Why not shake things up a bit in class by reaching outside the comfort zone and try some new approaches:)

Enjoy your well deserved winter break!

Denise

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