I was in advanced academics throughout my school career and I absolutely thrive with the traditional method of education (talk about a thing, then practice it) but having watched how dog training and handling has evolved since I learned it – and now homeschooling my kids, I realize that a lot of the trouble I’ve had for a long time has to do with the rigid, Classical style I use to teach. This was a foray into this and I am READY for it all.
Link to free grade-based math tasks
Why aren’t kids engaged?
- Slacking: don’t know how to do it or learned that if they wait, the teacher will do it
- Stalling: same
- Faking: same
- Mimicking: think that’s what teachers want
How to promote thinking and not mimicking:
- Engage a challenging task, but don’t explain how to do it
- The first 3-5 miniutes are thinking tasks
- Then you can script to scripted thinking
- Begin by asking a question about prior knowledge
- Then ask an extention of that
- Then ask them to do something without telling them how
- Visually show people that you are randomizing groups for working and they will like it more
- K-2 – 2 people, 3 for older
- Ensure you still know what group they are in
- Use vertical non-permanent surfaces
- One marker per group
- Move marker within group
- Cannot write their own ideas sometimes
- Groups are responsible for the learning of each member
- Close proximity to other groups
- Talk to students about valuing wrong ideas and not erasing others’ work
- Defront the classroom with randomized group alignment
- Put main desk wherever, but move around to work with students
- Cluster tables away from vertical spaces
- Responding to questions:
- Proximity questions: kids ask questions because a teacher is nearby and they are typically not useful questions. It’s a weird habit.
- Smile and walk away
- Stop-Thinking questions: “is this right” or “do we have to learn this”
- Smile and walk away
- Keep-Thinking questions: “Can we get the next task?” or “Is what I’m doing okay?”
- Responses:
- Isn’t that interesting?
- Can you find something else?
- Can you show me how you did that?
- Is that always true?
- Why do you think that is?
- Are you sure?
- Are you asking or telling me?
- Talk to students about the three types of questions they ask after you have implemented it.
- Proximity questions: kids ask questions because a teacher is nearby and they are typically not useful questions. It’s a weird habit.
- The first 3-5 minutes are key
- Give the first task within that window
- Give it verbally and with them standing around you
- Try to use different locations to do this
- Try to offer the minimum new knowledge needed and minimum needed to be said or written to pass on that knowledge
- Write only on the board quantities they need to remember (or measurements, or shapes, etc)
- When students start, ask if what is written on the board would make sense to a student coming in late
- Students not doing their work:
- Didn’t do it: no time, forgot, don’t know how, don’t want to (it’s not worth it)
- Cheated: fun, lack of ability, just for marks so who cares
- Got help: didn’t know how to do it
- Solutions:
- Give students a chance to check understanding with questions
- Don’t mark it
- Don’t ask about it
- Use phrases like “this is your opportunity”
- Provide answers at the same time when you give the questions
- Provide worked solutions a day after giving them
- Give students to discuss which questions are important for everyone to do
- Give students a chance to check understanding with questions
- Have students write meaningful notes
- Emphasize notes are for them, by them
- Write notes for future forgetful selves
- Write worked examples in there
- 3 tasks to use meaningful notes
- Make T-Charts to show good vs bad things to show what values you like and emphasize