 |
| I'm hoping my PD cohort looks something like this. "TeamWork" by Luigi Mengato (CC BY 2.0) |
After applying for a cohort leadership position, the district admin selected me to lead a cohort about student engagement and classroom management. They challenged me with helping my cohort members learn how to generate a more positive classroom experience while increasing the amount of interest and the quality of learning for our students.
Easier said than done!
I first thought of the book Teach Like a Pirate. Dave Burgess and his crew specialize in student engagement, and the book and Twitter chats (#TLAP) have given me a wealth of ideas about creating a more exciting and welcoming classroom for my students. So I knew I wanted to help spread the PIRATE culture to my mates.
I also looked to other Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc. publications like Learn Like a Pirate, Explore Like a Pirate, Play Like a Pirate, and Ditch That Textbook for ideas to share with my cohort members. These books are must haves for any teacher's professional library, and I found excellent points to discuss at our first meeting.
After one meeting (on a day before the school year began) and on the eve of our second meeting, I can decisively say that I have learned more from planning these meetings than I have learned from all the PD I've attended in the past five years. I hope my cohort members can say the same.
In our next meeting, I plan to enable group discussions about what we want to do and what we need to do to increase student engagement in our classroom. I want teachers to share what is working for them and what they want to improve. I want to let them know that our classrooms should be safe spaces for everyone and that we need to take ourselves and our content less seriously every once in a while and let our kids be kids.
As I finish my planning for our next meeting, the final person I want to introduce my cohorts to is Ron Clark, the founder of the Ron Clark Academy. Having had the pleasure of hearing Ron speak earlier this year, I must say that I really want to be a student in his school. I'm guessing I'm not the only person who has said that. His energy and passion for education and above all his kids makes me want to be a better teacher.
I'm hoping his example rubs off on my cohorts and leads them back to their classrooms with an increased desire to do even more to engage their students in a meaningful educational experience.
Great story, I really like the video. Its nice to be reminded that school and learning can be fun.
ReplyDeleteThe academy in the video you shared is very interesting and I hope that inspires teachers and students. I believe most classes are pretty boring for students and I really hope you throw some inspiration out at your next meeting.
ReplyDeleteVery informative! The video provided information relevant to the topic. It showed someone's "ideal classroom" and how he broke out of the normal flow of teaching to try something new. School should be fun and we should "supercharge it."
ReplyDeleteIt's a great idea to get students more excited about learning. This video shows that learning can be fun for students if you make it fun.
ReplyDeleteThe classes with teachers that aren't as ridged are usually the teachers that I enjoy the most. The video shows an example of teachers that inhabit that trait
ReplyDeleteTeachers that always just talk in a monotonous tone the whole time are very hard to listen to. If a teacher was more free, relaxed, and energetic with their tone then it would be much easier to get involved in class.
ReplyDeleteAs a student, a more energetic classroom would keep children more involved. However, as students grow older the approach will have to vary as teenagers are angsty and don't want to participate. This strategy is in good spirit and well needed in some areas of teaching.
ReplyDeleteI like being in a class where the atmosphere is more friendly or relaxed. I take Auto Tech at Four Rivers Mr. Maune and Mr. Brinkmann and they make it very relaxed. They don't try to be better. All they do is be themselves and joke with us. We throw an insult and they throw one right back. I really like how they do that. I would love for all classes to be that way.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video above, I see the pride those students have in their school and their education. I believe that a majority of that comes from the fact that the teachers take pride in giving those young kids the best education possible. Teachers who care about their students future are the ones who are going to make an impact on that students life.
ReplyDeleteKids dread coming to school because most of the time they cant relate to the lesson or they feel as if they have no idea whats going on, so they zone out or go on their devices. Its important to try to get the kids more involved compared to focusing on teaching what the district requires
ReplyDeletegreat blog, I love the idea of making school a place where we go to have fun and learn.
ReplyDeleteFrom a student perspective, it's interesting to gain insight into how our teachers are improving and their classrooms and teaching methods. After 12 years in the school system, I've grown used to the boring, engaging style that teachers have been told to use, and I hope Mr. Flynn's efforts encouraging teachers to shake things up are successful, even if I've graduated by the time such changes take effect.
ReplyDeleteI really like this blog post. Most of my classes can be boring, so adding some of these ideas from the video will help get students engaged and inspired the students.
ReplyDeleteI think teachers should take example of the Ron Clark Academy, as well as your advice, to give the classroom experience the exciting supercharge it needs to entice kids and make students actually want to be at school.
ReplyDeleteI think that keeping the class engaged will be beneficial to the whole school experience! My only concern is that, sadly, the work force isn't like that. So will students be able to focus in work when they're used to a more engaging atmosphere?
ReplyDeleteI loved the video! The academy is very unique, it shows that going to school can be fun and exciting. It's good for the teachers to be involved with the kids so they don't get bored.
ReplyDeleteThe video was eye-opening. Anything that will make kids more interested and active in class is worth it.
ReplyDeleteThe blog got me interested in wondering, how could you make a classroom fun? Then I watched the video and it brought it all together. Represented ideas I have never thought of
ReplyDeleteAll of these kids seem so mature. It reminds me of my old school St. Gertrude, but to the extreme.
ReplyDelete