Steve Hill’s mobile unit is a museum, and he is part curator, part tour guide, and all teacher. The décor isn’t pretty. There are no tassels, no window treatments, no striking color themes. It is, however, a constant lesson in history, and it covers almost every wall.

What do Hill’s students encounter each day?

• Statuettes of ancient Greece and Rome, including Romulus and Remus
• Propaganda posters of Mao Tse-Tung
• WWI and WWII helmets
• Portrait photos of Martin Luther King, Jr.,  Elvis Presley and Teddy Roosevelt
• A student replica of “The Death of A. Marat”
• Personal plaques, awards and certificates
• Philadelphia sports memorabilia
• Images of the Vietnam War and WWII dog fighting planes
• Hanging maps
• A fallout shelter sign
• Shelves of history books

Of course, these fragments of history are useless without the historian. Hill is a storyteller, a historian to the core, and the lessons he teaches are filled with visual support, frequently straight from his trailer walls. His students learn about communist China with Maoist propaganda staring them in the face. They learn about the development of military firepower holding a 30 inch inert, wood and steel bullet in their hands.

Sometimes Hill wears the memorabilia, like a WWI doughboy ammunition belt and German hate belts adorned with buttons from slain soldiers.

Hill says on open house nights even parents, perhaps slightly concerned, ask about the image of an execution in the back of his room. He breaks into a history lecture, and soon they see what his students see all semester—the deep, complex, fascinating stories of history.

Can’t you just put pictures on Power Point?
Of course you can. Hill does, too. And, like many teachers, he enhances his instruction with film. But the memorabilia in his room has two advantages.

1. It’s  in the room the day students walk in the door, just waiting to be explained. It creates intrigue—a problem of sorts—whether students are inquisitive enough to ask about it or not. Students most frequently inquire about the WWI and WWII US, German, French, and West German helmets, which they finally come to understand when instruction reaches the 20th century.

2. It’s still in the room after Hill has incorporated an item into a lesson, rekindling that lesson each time the student sees it, strengthening the memory, the ability to recall. If Hill’s students stare off into space, chances are they’re accidentally reviewing history lectures.

Hill explains, “Historic memorabilia adds another dimension to my teaching and student learning. I use the different artifacts to teach and inspire students to ask, “WHY?” Even if students are zoning-out, the visual treasure of history surrounding them in my classroom is teaching them by giving them visual anchors to history that can be cued in later instruction.”

Mobile Unit 5 isn’t exactly the Smithsonian, but it is an extraordinary classroom and a wonderful place to learn.

Having learned all the basics, Grow’s students were instructed to form groups of three to four students, choose a type of case (criminal or civil), create a skit demonstrating that case, and act it out. In ten minutes, scenarios were developed. In ten more minutes, skits were performed, individuals determined the case types, and discussion ensued—twenty minutes those tenth graders won’t forget.

• A baby sitter neglects a child who sticks her finger in an electrical socket. Civil.
• A driver accidentally strikes a pedestrian. Civil. The injured pedestrian shoots and kills the driver. Criminal.
• A drug dealer stabs a man who can’t repay him a debt for drugs. Criminal and criminal.

Skits and Memory
According to Eric Jensen, the brain directs learning down two major memory pathways, explicit and implicit. Explicit memories include semantic (language) learning and episodic (locations, circumstances); implicit memories include procedural (physical skills, hands-on learning) and reflexive (automated, nonconscious) learning. When both pathways are engaged, memories are stored in and retrieved (more efficiently) from more locations in the brain.

Grow’s students learned and thoroughly reprocessed the semantic content of civil and criminal cases, but the skits also allowed them to store their learning as episodes (remember that time Jesse put her hood on and acted like a gangster and shot Tony, and she used a baseball bat as a gun, and Leslie said, “Oh my oh my.”) In six weeks, they won’t struggle to recall this episode, and they won’t have trouble connecting the semantic learning with it.

Moving, Laughing and Learning
The episodic memories created by these skits are not the only reason Grow’s strategy was successful. Physical movement and laughter contributed, too. For the ten minutes students created and rehearsed their skits, most of them changed seats, moved around, acted out, and even fell down—simulated acts of violence were common. Physical activity increases oxygen flow to the brain and can result in the release of memory enhancing chemicals. The brains in students’ noggins were probably more efficient and more effective in storing information during this activity because the bodies were moving.

Also enhancing memory storage during this lesson was humor. Above all the energetic socializing, brainstorming and acting, I heard laughter. I laughed out loud when a girl named Maddie flopped on the floor, revealing the hastily drawn electrical socket into which her character had stuck her finger. And the entire class howled at the student who at first feigned concern for an injured man, then stole his Blackberry. Why does this matter? Emotions, like the joy associated with laughter, create stronger memories that are easier for the brain to retrieve.

When you look at the big picture, these skits make perfect sense. Students develop a deeper understanding of essential terms and concepts while significantly increasing the strength and retrievability of the memory through a creative, social, physical, and emotion-stimulating activity.

And it only took twenty minutes.

Jensen, Eric P. Brain Based Learning: The New Paradigm of Teaching. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin P, 1995. Print.

Tracey Moore

It is hard to get to know my students by teaching them math. I’ve always admired english teachers because they get to know their students through their writings.

The first day of class I give out a student information sheet. On the first page is all of the normal information…parent’s names, schedule, phone numbers, etc. On the back, however, I ask questions like:

What would you do if you were given a million dollars?
Who is someone you admire and why?
What do you think are the characteristics of a good teacher…a bad teacher?
Do you consider math to be something you are good at or a difficulty?

That night, my husband and I go through all of the sheets. We learn which of my students come from single parent homes (this year I have 5 students total that live with both mom and dad!). I learn who is self centered and who is giving (from their answer to the $1,000,000 question). I learn who is already defeated by math before they walk in the door…among many other things. I comment in red pen on the sheets and I always ask at least one question back to the student.

The next day in class I return the sheets and give students a time to reply. We have now started a dialogue that is non-threatening…because they don’t even have to speak to me to do it This is my favorite part of starting the year/semester off.

Sara Dunham

I do all of this on the very first day of a new semester to learn a little about my students and start developing a rapport with them, they also work as great icebreakers!

First: As soon as each student walks in my room they get to pick one tootsie pop and then find their seat. I have each individual go around the class and introduce themselves (name, age, where they are from) and then depending on the color lollipop they took they have to ask a specific personal question to their partner and then share their partner’s answer with the whole class.

Second: I have them fill out a student profile sheet with basic information and then progress to personal questions, such as what are their goals or interests and I also have a section that is titled something you want me to know about you.

Third: We also play a game called categories, which is where I say a topic and then depending on their favorite subject for that topic they group themselves around the room. (for example: favorite ice cream, favorite sport and then the questions get sillier as we go)

Anonymous

It is not hard to get to KNOW my students since they are amazing and are with me every day. However, since the EC requests to take fieldtrips have been repeatedly denied this year, I have taken some evenings every few weeks to take my students out to eat or to the store to learn how to “shop” as best they can. We then go to my house (obviously with the full permission of the group home and parents) to cook dinner. This assists now only with their community outing goals in their transition plans and IEP’s but it makes them happy and brings us closer together as a class (family- thats what we really are). I will also be taking two young ladies to the prom this year as they LOVE music and dancing and socializing. They do not have parents who are capable of taking them (or don’t wish to) on this kind of trip. These outings and experiences not only assist in my developing their goals and getting to know them better, but they increase my students’ abilities and levels of independence.

Luisa Haynes

When students walk in on the first day they are greeted at the door and told to find their seat. When they locate their seat they will find a boundary breaking activity which has questions such as do you have bothers or sisters? What is your favorite ice cream? Have you ever traveled outside of the US? Why are you taking Spanish? Thus they walk in with an established purpose and goal. This is wonderful because it gives me time to greet each student as they enter. After everyone has answered the questions I begin to group they by like answers. This activity helps them focus on how they are alike.

This lead to the second activity I ask the class what they think of when I say “a Spanish speaking person” the students then begin to brainstorm and I write the responses on the board. As the comments are shared I just write and believe me sometime it is hard…I have heard everything from they are framers to they are short fat and drive a pick up truck complete with fuzzy dice. After all of the comments have been made I step back from the board and begin at the top as if talking to myself…lets see Spanish people are short oh well I’m five seven and that is not really short…I like to garden but I don’t farm…oh my I’m not Catholic…about this time the students begin to catch on that in fact I am Spanish..I continue working through the list till I get to the end and then I simply say “You see I am not what you think of but I am 100% made in Cuba”.Some students really are at a loss by this time.. but I quickly say don’t worry if I had asked the question in a Spanish speaking school about Americans I would have gotten that all Americans are tall, thin, have blond hair and blue eyes…Let’s see do we have any Americans in this class…thus starts the education of the breaking down stereo types.

The third and final activity changes from year to year and semester to semester but generally I pick an object. This past semester I picked a puzzle piece and as I held my piece I explained how every piece of a puzzle is special and unique and how one piece is no more important than another I then related this to my life and the mountains and valleys that have brought me to this place. I encourage all of the students to share a little about what makes them unique. I always make sure that I have enough pieces for everyone to have one.

Thanks for reading.

• High-level Questioning: What questions are you asking your students? Where do they fall on Marzano’s taxonomy?
• Reinforcement ratios: How are you reinforcing student effort and performance? To what extent is your feedback positive or negative?
• Tally of Disruptions: How many disruptions occur as you deliver instruction? How do you respond to these disruptions?
• Time-On-Task: What percentage of class time are your students on task?
• Opportunities to Respond: How many opportunities do students have to contribute verbally in your class?
• Response Distribution: Which students are you calling on? Who answers your questions?
• Active Engagement: What percentage of your class time are students actively learning? And what percent of class time are they passively receiving?
• Questioning Techniques: What questioning techniques (cold calling, volunteers, choral response, survey) are you using in your classes? How often do you use each one? And which ones are most effective with your students?

The data we gather can become a useful tool in guiding the goals we set and strategies we select for improving instruction and performance in your class.

Let me know how I can help you gather data in your class.

They learned together.
My involvement began with an hour-long training CPS training session the entire department, including Walt Spencer and Mike Lupo, scheduled with me. This training led to some consensus on the usefulness of the device and to an agreement about building a database of review questions using Exam View software.

They planned together.
On our recent work day, the three Spanish teachers spent several hours tackling a common problem. Their students tend to struggle to master directions (left, right, up down) in context, so they collaborated on a scavenger hunt that led pairs of students to different locations throughout the school. As a trio they decided how to ensure student success and avoid disciplinary infractions. They created instruction cards and passes and X’s to mark the spot. They tackled every foreseeable problem.

They taught together.
Haynes, Watson and Dunham agreed that all nine sections of Spanish—all three levels—would participate in the scavenger hunt. They also knew that they had some individual instruction they had to deliver and some review they wanted to do, so they devised a plan. I saw this plan in action fourth period on Friday, just ninety minutes before Spring Break. Ms. Dunham’s students began with a review and practice, while Ms. Haynes’s students completed the scavenger hunt. Then Dunham’s students completed the hunt, while Haynes’s finished presenting a project. Then both classes met in Ms. Watson’s room. Watson, who had just finished her planning period hall duty, set up and delivered a review session using CPS.

Giddy and distracted as students might have been that day, they were highly engaged in academic content. Had their teachers not worked so diligently and collaborated so thoughtfully, I’m sure they would have reviewed and practiced, and generally complained about having to do work with sunny freedom awaiting them. Instead, they learned.

If your department has any collaboration stories to share, post them as comments. And if you want help from the instructional coach on any collaborative projects, send me an e-mail.

Flinchicus jaundicus

The first thing I did after I put my two-year-old son to bed a couple weeks ago was draw an alien. I had been waiting to start my drawing since observing Jed Smith’s alien DNA activity earlier that day. For me, drawing the alien was everything. I’m guessing it was for many of his students as well.

Before beginning this cooperative activity with his students, Smith taught them the process for transcribing DNA (a series of A’s, G’s, C’s and T’s) into mRNA (a series of A’s, G’s, C’s and U’s), and translating mRNA into proteins. These proteins are determined by a sequence of amino acids, which in turn tell something about the genetic trait. In this case, the genetic traits included alien features—2 antennae or 4, 4 eyes or 8, blue skin or yellow.

Why It Worked
The process itself is easy to follow. It’s also one of those processes that is easy to forget a few minutes later. That’s why, for me, the alien was going to be everything:

1) Drawing the alien was my motivation. I like drawing, even if I’m not good at it. “Drawing science” and using my imagination was going to be fun.

2) Drawing was going to make it concrete. Tell me my alien has yellow fur? So what. Let me color his fur yellow? That I can see. And I like it.

3) I’m not going to forget this. It would be easy to forget that whole DNA RNwhatever, but it’s not hard to remember the process I used to discover how a bunch a letters turned into a hideous alien. I guarantee by EOC time I could do it again.

Doing this activity was a great reminder to me. I’ve always found it difficult to make time for activities like creating visual representations. The fact is, the biology SCOS doesn’t say anything about drawing an alien, and students definitely don’t use crayons on their EOC exams. The teacher must simply trust what they know about the brain, about memory, about multiple intelligences and allow their students the time to create visual representations of the knowledge, concepts and processes they learn—the time to draw aliens.

Collaboration
Although each student got to decode and draw his own alien, Smith’s students collaborated on this task by helping each other through the process. But collaboration on this assignment is two-fold. The initial collaboration occurred in the science department. Mr. Smith obtained this elaborate activity through other members of his department, who had discovered and expanded it several years ago. Now almost all of the biology teachers use it, maybe not in the exact same way, and definitely not on the same day, but they use it. This activity is evidence: collaboration is effective in the classroom and the staff room.

Thanks to everyone for the amazing contest submissions. Check out the brilliance…

Rebecca Price
I wanted my students to understand the concept of how temperature of a solvent and surface area of a solute affect the dissolving rate in a solution. So, on Thursday I gave my students a list of materials that they would have access to during their lab activity. Then I gave them two objectives: 1) Find the relationship between temperature of a solvent and the dissolving rate of a solvent in solution. 2) Find the relationship between the surface area of a solute and the rate at which it dissolves.

Students were placed in groups of four and given a list of materials including: triple beam balance, beakers, graduated cylinder, sugar cubes, sugar granules, water, thermometer, and a hot plate. Each group member had a job including: team leader, recorder, sugar person, and water person (I know the last two are a stretch, but at least it gave each person some responsibility). Their directions were to develop a procedure with these materials that would answer the given objectives. I gave them about 50 minutes to work with one another on the procedure and ask questions of me in order to make sure that what they wanted to do was workable. Then, today (friday) they used their procedure in order to complete their task and decide on the relationships described above.

By coming up with their own procedure they were sure to read the procedure and know what they were doing and in addition have a better understanding of WHY they were doing certain things as part of their procedure.

Bill Fowler
English 1 students studied capital letters in the textbook and grammar workbook. Then, we went to the computer lab and worked on the editing skills section/grammar and language with emphasis on m. capitalization. We also focused on b. verb forms and tenses, f. context clues and word maps, and h. sub.-verb agreement. We have studied these areas in class prior to using Study Island to assist with comprehension. I examined the students’ scores on these four areas to determine weaknesses which still exist. We returned to the EOC Coach exam practice book to do further work on these areas. We continue to work on these problem areas with daily sentence editing on the overhead and mug shot paragraphs for editing skills.

Jed Smith
Early Release Days can be challenging due to the excitement students feel when such a novelty appears in the schedule. I was trying to come up with a relevant strategy based on our current use of study that wasn’t just popping in a video or fighting a losing battle to keep students in their seats during an hour-long lecture.

Several of us had just been introduced to thinking map training by Michael Flinchbaugh. The first map he taught us was the “CIRCLE MAP”, which basically helps students to define a term in context. I decided to introduce the concept of cloning-one of many issues in our unit on genetics that presents itself with ethical concerns-and to use the CIRCLE MAP as an EXIT TICKET to assess what the students had learned in that hour of class. An Exit Ticket is a strategy I use to ensure that all students are engaged in an activity. Basically, its the opposite of a Bellringer; I expect the students to turn in their exit ticket as they leave class. I walk around and check with a few minutes left in class to ensure everyone is still engaged.

To begin class, I asked how many students had heard of a CIRCLE MAP and about 1/4 of them had. I reviewed how we would construct ours. I told them to put the word CLONE in the center and to include facts about cloning from the lesson in a bigger circle around the center term. Then we added a “frame of reference” and I asked them to answer a question based on the information proposed in the lesson. (Would you clone yourself or someone close to you? Why or why not?) For the content of this lesson, I wrote 3 terms on the board concerning types of cloning, gave the students a page number in the textbook, and showed a 30 minute clip of a National Geographic video called “Clone”. I was impressed with how much more engaged the class was than usual on a day with an unusual schedule, plus I am now sold on the effectiveness of thinking maps in the classroom.

Lynn Cox
I think my strategy was called “raging” – letting my students struggle with each other over a problem.

I had a class of 31 physical science students who were supposed to be learning to balance chemical equations. They had expressed frustration when it was introduced in class the day before. When I saw that many had not even attempted to balance the seven problems they had for homework, I decided to change the game plan. Rather than have volunteers balance the equations on the board, I had students pair up with someone they thought knew the three step process as well as they did. I told them that I would make adjustments to the pairs if I saw anybody copying answers. They paired up pretty equally. I only had to make one change.

They worked for 45 minutes to get the equations figured out and balanced. While I helped pairs that didn’t know where to begin, I heard others fussing about how someone didn’t know how to count correctly and “you have to distribute it to all of them!” I heard “I told you so” more than once and may have seen some future teachers in my desks that day. One pair wanted me to tell them which of their equations was right – all I said was that they would be equal on both sides when they were balanced correctly.

After all this struggling and nashing of teeth, I selected students to work out the equations on the board (they could bring a buddy if needed). About two-thirds of the class had a grip on it, while the other third was at least listening, watching, and asking why questions which other students were answering. This was not a peaceful class, but I believe it was successful. They have five slightly more difficult equations for homework, we’ll see how those turn out.

Carrie Overby
I used a graphic organizer to help students understand how to make yeast breads. How does a bread mix work? (Used as middle topic) Descriptions: 1. Preheat over 2. add dry ingrediants and yeast 3. Add correct quanity of warm water. 4. Mix with your hands to form a dough 5. Knead on floured surface for about 5 mins. 6. Divide for rolls or shape into loaf. 7. Leave in warm place to rise. Covered in greased plastic sheet. Should double in size 8. Bake on top shelf of oven 9. When cooked, the bread will sound hollow when tapped on bottom.

Ashley Hutchinson
This week, my honors English 3 students started on their Junior Research Papers, which will be argument-based. I wanted to show them that research doesn’t have to be boring, so they would be engaged with this experience from the beginning. I also wanted them to see the pieces of the process of research in action so they would not feel that it was one huge, unmanageable task. In order to accomplish this, I used a group of essays about genetic engineering in the book The Informed Argument, including one about a deaf couple who chose a sperm donor with a family history of deafness in order to ensure that their son would be born deaf. I knew that my students would have a great deal to say about this “imposed disability,” and, as expected, they had a rich, thought-provoking discussion about it. Then we read another article about a couple who engineered a second child to be a donor for their first child. Students connected this to the movie My Sister’s Keeper, which many of them have recently seen. Then, we set up arguments that we would use to debate genetic engineering, and we found points in the essays to back up our assertions. After this, students felt that the research process was much more accessible and not nearly as overwhelming as it might have seemed at first. All it took was an engaging group of texts along with some modeling and practice.

The Kujawski Plan
Geometry teacher Zina Kujawski—in every way a mathematical thinker—has such an elaborate Study Island plan for her students that it deserves a name: The Kujawski Plan. Here’s what she does:

At the beginning of the semester, she assigns due dates for SCOS goal-based Study Island assignments.. They don’t even have to turn anything in. Kujawski just checks the report, determines who has completed the assignment, and writes a score in her grade book. If they earned a blue ribbon for the goal, they get 100%. If they earn all of their ribbons, she adds extra points to the six-week grade.

Kujawski admits her plan requires a lot of work, but the results speak for themselves. Her geometry students all made level IV this fall.

The Wallen Plan
English teacher Julie Wallen—as diligent a teacher as you will meet—has a plan of her own. Last semester she discovered the value of the class grade book report on Study Island’s School Stats page. The report makes it easy to determine which students are successful with which areas, and where each student is struggling.

Prior to exams, Wallen used SI reports to identify two or three areas of weakness for each student and gave each student an individualized task to complete on Study Island. Chandra needed to work on main ideas and organizational patterns, while Junior needed help with parallel structure and agreement. By allowing students to focus their attention on just a couple of basic skills at a time, she gave them the opportunity to eliminate weaknesses without burdening them with work to enhance skills they had already developed.

Wallen’s students were not required to complete the individualized assignments, but most chose to. Students reported that the plan helped. It certainly didn’t hurt; 100% of Wallen’s students were proficient.

Study Island v. Homework Drills
Study Island provides instant feedback, along with answer explanations. Homework from a textbook or worksheet does not offer feedback. Study Island scores students’ performance and provides an analytical report. Homework from a textbook or worksheet requires the teacher to evaluate and analyze student and class performance. Study Island has a “Game Mode.” Homework is work. Students can’t copy Study Island answers in the hallway three minutes before class.  They can and do copy homework.

Look Out
Study Island has limits, not least of which is the way it reduces intelligence to the 25% probability of ABCD multiple choice. It doesn’t show a teacher WHY little Madeline can’t calculate the measure of an interior angle or why Obadiah can’t make his verbs agree with their subjects.

What’s missing is student work—work to solve the problem, the essay containing grammatical errors. Neither Kujawski nor Wallen have entrusted this sort of work to Study Island. Both remain outstanding classroom teachers. For both, the program is merely a tool to help students master the essential skills of their courses and—let’s face it—pass their EOCs.

My first period class (I’m sooooooooo proud of them) have learned how to love and affirm a particular student in the class and, as a result, have developed a higher level of tolerance and understanding for one another…. (I believe, too, that it’s part of because of how I treat the particular student)… D— has become very dear to our hearts…. his theatre nickname is “D-fresh”….  and; when he comes in the room the entire class heartily greats him (he comes in a little late each day, and we’ve usually started)… they cheer, call his name and applaud…. You should SEE his face light up!!!!!  It’s awesome!!!!!   And it has really helped his self-esteem and his willingness and ability to participate!!!!!  What more can we ask for?  Everybody wins!!!

Today, my 9th graders settled down and participated successfully with our daily grammar mini-lesson.  When I said, “Praise…” ( I stopped before I said “God”),  they said, “ You sound like Mrs. Moore; she says ‘Praise.’”  I felt that was a great compliment.  Then they did their practice work quietly so that I could conference with individuals and do so me one-on-one review of the tricky “lie-lay”  verb forms.  It was a great day.

In 4th period we disected raw chicken wings. We are covering the muscular system and students were able to identify the skin, muscle, fascia, tendons, ligaments, joints, and parts of bones from our last unit on the skeletal system such as the medullary cavity, red and yellow marrow, spongy bone, &compact bone. I think seeing it up close and personal helped them understand how muscles and bones work together to produce movement.

A student, B,  who has skipped my class often and whom put his head down during the quiz the first 15 minutes of class, settled down, raised his head up the rest of the class, and was the lead responder to questions during 4th period. He answered questions a lot of the others could not figure out.

Today we started a new chapter in Spanish I.  A student that I’ve had trouble with getting interested in the language (usually falls asleep during class, forgets his materials, skipped class a few times, and missed a few other days for OSS for other classes, etc.)…well, he’s actually trying to get more involved in class.  He normally “zones out” during the new vocab practice, saying the words aloud and writing down the new vocabulary, but he actually participated.  I’ve had one-on-one discussions with him over the past few weeks, encouraging him to stay involved and just put forth some effort.  I feel like I touch “at least” one student today and I’m headed home pretty happy!

Teaching Civil War battle tactics: army maneuvers and flanking movements. Took US history class to the Commons to simulate a frontal attack. Then, put one line perpendicular to the other and set them in motion. Best way to show how maneuvers in battle and flanking battle lines is always what battlefield commanders try to do. Frontal attack is always brutal – high casualties. Flanking demonstration shows how the compromised line RUNS instead of fighting. Students get to see how battles are won – make the other side run. Also did the difference between rifled muskets vs. smoothbore muskets. Demonstration plan was to show the difference between the two. After explaining what rifling is and how it works, take students outside and have an athlete throw a basketball and a non-athlete throw a football. Football wins every time in distance and accuracy.

I told my Algebra classes that if anyone would make up a rap/song about the ‘rules’ learned in Chapter 8 about polynomials I would add 5 points to their test grade. I have offered this before in previous years but no one has ever taken me up on it…until now. P__ B__ wrote a rap in a matter of minutes. She included vocabulary we learned in the chapter as well as what my student’s call ‘Mrs. Moore lingo’. I encouraged her to partner with another student who is very good at ‘beat boxing’. ( I really don’t know if that is the correct spelling or words:) but it’s when a person makes a beat using sounds made with their mouth) J__ G__ is very good at it. They stayed after school Tuesday and planned to stay again today to finish it up. With a few tweeks it will air on Rampant Report (thanks to Johnny Armstrong!)on Tuesday…now maybe Wednesday. Praise!! Learning is actually fun!!!!Who’d have thunk it??!!

Conclusion: Rose High is a great place to learn.

Last year the county began training all teachers in Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol. Within the SIOP initiative, they identified two particular goals: SIOP objectives (content and language objectives) in every classroom and 90% student engagement.

What it’s not
Ninety percent student engagement might be difficult to define, so let’s start with an antonym. It doesn’t mean that 27 students have their eyes open, while the other three drool on their desks. It doesn’t mean that for 83 minutes of a class period students listen to a hearty lecture on parthenogenesis.

90% Engagement in Culinary Arts
In culinary arts, where students learn the ins and outs of working in a professional kitchen, 90% student engagement often means that students spend the vast majority of a class period working in the kitchen. In Chriselyn Beresheim’s class, students wear white coats and scrub-in like culinary surgeons. They roll green fondant for elaborate birthday cakes, peel ginger for ginger carrot soup, view videos before trying new cooking techniques, and scrub pots clean, singing, talking and laughing while they work.

Ms. B’s students are as engaged as any class I’ve seen all year—90%, without a doubt. But what about that other 10%?

The concept of student engagement suggests that students are sometimes actors and sometimes receivers in their learning. If they are 90% engaged—90% actor—then they are, presumably, 10% receiver (and hopefully not 10% snoozer). This 10% might be the most important 10%. Without it, students don’t know what to act upon. If they don’t receive information about the safe preparation of chicken, somebody goes home with salmonella. At the same time, if they don’t act on their knowledge about preparing poultry, then, eventually, somebody still goes home with salmonella.

From an Education Expert
Years ago paideia pedagogue Mortimer J. Adler argued for this ratio in instruction: 15-20% Socratic seminar (students engaged in discourse about texts), 65-70% coaching (students producing while teachers guide them), and 10-15% didactic (teacher talks while students listen).

It’s not that easy
Ms. Beresheim’s class can only cook about half of their days; the rest is content heavy. And it really is heavy, just like any biology or world history class. The challenge for Ms. B is the challenge for every teacher: how to achieve a high rate of student engagement and still cover all that info? That, I believe, depends on the teacher, the course, and even the students.

Here are few things to try as you consider this goal of 90% engagement:

• As you plan ask your students, “What can my students do with this information?” How can they apply it? How can they reprocess it? What can they create with it? We aren’t talking about projects for the sake of pretty walls here. We’re talking about making your content stick in kids’ brains.
• Gather data. Better yet, invite me into your room to gather data. Tally the minutes students are actively engaged and the minutes they are receivers.
• Split your lesson plans into columns. Rather than listing only what you will teach, use one column to list what you will do and another to list what your students will do.
• Ask me about brain-based instruction. We can work on some strategies to keep kids’ minds moving without leaving the content of your course behind.

Not possible, you say!
I won’t disagree with you. Ninety percent student engagement, unless you defy your SCOS/OCOS, seems like a pretty lofty goal, but working toward it might pay off in student learning, which is the point of this whole thing to begin with. I’d love to collaborate with you in pursuit of the 90% goal. E-mail me: flinchm.rose@pitt.k12.nc.us.