The Master Teacher Blog
Providing you, the K-12 leader, with the help you need to lead with clarity, credibility, and confidence in the ever-evolving world of education.
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In Your Corner, Student Learning
Ways to Make Today’s Lessons More Enticing
We spend a lot of time thinking in terms of how to make academic material more interesting and compelling. Our concern is reaching and influencing a class, but we are really teaching individual students in every class. In truth, the more we think about each student in the class, the more effective we will be. When we don’t think about and plan to reach and teach each student, we can expect individuals to tune out rather than choose to tune in and take full advantage of our teaching. Remember, we influence one student at a time. We reach one student at a time—while we are teaching all of them in a class at the same time. Fortunately, there are six strategies we can use to entice students into the lesson we want them to learn.
The first strategy is using your belief in the importance of today’s lesson—along with your promise regarding how important it will be to them. You can count on the fact that many of your students will be influenced by your opinion and recommendation. You can even say this is one of those lessons which you believe they can’t miss. Your promise can be to help all of them learn this material—so follow through when you finish this lesson to make sure they do.
Second is the strategy of using a success story of past students that will appeal to individual students in your class today. Simply use the success a former student reached regarding a lesson you are teaching today—and how it “changed everything” for him or her, gave the student a new perspective, or led to another achievement or to another opportunity—such as college or a job.
Third is telling students what you’re going to teach them and ending with telling students what they learned—and reminding them that nobody can take away what they have learned. This “exactly how much they learned” subject is one students love to talk about. This strategy can be used quickly and in one sentence or at length. Tell students, “You will learn six important things by completing this assignment.” In every class, you’ll find individual students who are really inspired by the approach of “how much, how vital, and how valuable the learning is” as motivators.
Fourth is the personal satisfaction they will get from doing the work. It is one of your most powerful strategies for enticing students to learn. This includes being ready to focus and persist as well as do what comes next in their learning. There is nothing that builds more confidence than getting prepared and meeting the next challenge.
Fifth is instilling your confidence in their ability to do the work and learn. One of the best strategies is to appeal to student’s strengths, which includes focusing on their talents and potential, ability, and achievement. This means pulling students into your orbit. This strategy is always enhanced by revealing abilities you see in students that they don’t see in themselves. Never forget the power of your high expectations. Remember, students are always more likely to be and do what you expect of them—and you can’t entice them with doubts.
Sixth is the vitally and all important “How to.” This includes clear, concise, and complete instructions regarding how to do the assignment successfully. Remember, if any student doesn’t know how to meet your expectations, he or she will not be able to do the work and be successful—even if he or she wants to do so. Therefore, think about each student and decide what clarity you need to bring before starting. What fears do you have to quell? What questions do you need to answer? What problems or challenges need to be addressed? Above all, what encouragement and reassurance needs to be given? Who will need the extra clarity or the promise of help before starting to say “yes” to your urging?
We need to work hard to influence students to want to do what they need to do to learn and be ready for a richer and more rewarding life. And we can do it with more and more enticing strategies to get students focused and wanting to learn.
These are the actions that make lessons seem tailored to meet students’ individual needs. Make no mistake: When our lessons answer the question “What’s in this learning for me?” our lessons will get the attention of our students and their desire to learn.
In Your Corner, Student Learning
Five Things for Which You Will Be Remembered Most
We do not teach for today, this week, or even this year. Learning is not for the unit assessment or even the state standardized test. Of course, these and other progress and performance markers are important. They give us information to determine if students are grasping concepts as they are introduced and developing skills that move learning forward.
Whether we are teaching in a face-to-face, hybrid, or remote setting, how we approach our work and the experiences we create matter. Our students will take with them important knowledge and skills, but the impact we have on their lives and the things they will remember and value about their time with us will not be found in the content we taught. Rather, they will reside in how we make them feel and the strengths we nurture in them as people and learners.
Think about your experience as a learner. What do you remember most about educators who had the greatest influence on your life? These same feelings and experiences will be treasured by the students whose lives you are shaping today.
Chances are high that much of what you recall and value most falls into five categories:
- Students want assurance that we care about them and their success. It is very difficult to succeed in an environment where we do not feel valued and respected. We want to be known for who we are, not just another student or occupant of a seat. There is a saying that people do not care how much you know until they know how much you care. This axiom is even more important for students who have struggled to learn and find success in school.
- Students want to feel that we have confidence in their ability to succeed. Few of us have the fortitude to keep trying when those in authority around us do not believe we can succeed. Interestingly, the ways in which confidence or lack thereof is communicated are many, but only one of the ways is through words. Our attention, our attitude, and our persistence all play a role in conveying our belief in the success potential of our students.
- Students want to feel commitment from their teachers. We remember people who are committed to our success. In fact, when educators communicate that they cannot be successful unless their students are successful, their influence moves to a new and even more powerful level. When students feel this level of commitment, resistance is difficult to maintain. On the other hand, students quickly discern when educators are “just mailing it in.”
- Students value experiences in which they have a hand and feel responsibility. It may be designing a major project, an opportunity to plan an event, or choosing a learning path. When students experience shifts in learning that lead to greater ownership and responsibility, often a “light goes on” that reveals a passion, builds confidence, and uncovers a talent to be developed. These experiences can drive the direction of a life.
- Students recall experiences that awakened insights, connections, and perspectives. These experiences go beyond learning specific content and mastering discrete skills. When we introduce learning that helps students to better understand the world and make sense of what they see and experience in life, the impact can be lasting and life-changing.
In Your Corner, Leadership and Change Management, Teacher Learning
In Your Corner, Student Learning
In Your Corner, Leadership and Change Management
In Your Corner, Leadership and Change Management
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Share your story and the tips you have for getting through this challenging time. It can remind a fellow school leader of something they forgot, or your example can make a difficult task much easier and allow them to get more done in less time. We may publish your comments.
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As much as we sometimes want to take control and tell students what they should do when they face a difficult challenge, it usually is best to position ourselves as coaches, reflectors, and supportive advocates.
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