- Students aren't going to do their best learning if they aren't focused. Anything from being hungry to being stressed, worried, or distracted will inhibit their learning. I'll keep extra snacks in my classroom for those students who aren't fed enough at home. I hope to create strong relationships with my students so that they find me trustworthy enough that they can talk to me about anything. I hope to keep in mind the contextual variables of my classroom, and each students background story. What is going on at home plays a key role in a students behaviour at school. I plan to make sure that my classroom is a comfortable environment for everyone to participate in. This is just a start, but as I sit here and list these things off I can't help but think that I have seen all of this happen in my first week of classes this semester. From snacks and candy at our tables in class, to icebreakers and getting to know classmates and feeling comfortable in the classroom. Filling out google forms gave our professor insight to our lives outside of school, and I feel that all my teachers have made themselves open and approachable, trusting and supportive.
2. Make the material matter.
- If students aren't interested in the topic, I have to make them interested. If they're bored with the material, I have to find a way to make it interesting. If students can't find a way to apply the information to the real world, I have to show them how to do that, and make their learning relevant to real life situations. This was the relationship I had with math growing up. I never understood why we would ever need trigonometry or conics in real life, so I had no desire to learn the material (Just a head's up... I'm still figuring out when I would ever need to know that stuff?!). It never mattered to me, so I was never interested in learning it. I want to be passionate about what I'm teaching, whether or not I like the subject, and make learning the material fun and engaging for all my students.
3. Make learning active.
- I think this is where a lot of collaboration, group discussion, group/partner work, presentations and overall social interaction comes into play. Discussion and collaboration can allow us to expand on ideas and thoughts with others, and maybe hear some opinions or thoughts that we may not have had being on our own. Teaching others also allows us to better understand and digest the information we have learnt. As a teacher, I hope to include all sorts of hands on activities and small/large group discussion and collaboration in my classroom. Not only does it allow students the opportunity to express their ideas, but it allows myself as the teacher to formatively assess where the students are at with the material, and if they are properly understanding the information.
4. Learning stretches the students.
- I really enjoyed Kurtis' analogy of Goldie Locks and the Three Bears and being 'in the zone'. If the information I am teaching is too easy, students won't want to learn it. If it's too hard, they still won't want to learn it. If the information is just right, then the students will probably be a lot more willing to learn it. Just like Goldie Locks. I want to teach information that is doable, yet challenging. I think this is where scaffolding comes into play in teaching, especially when introducing a new unit or topic. Start at the bottom and work your way up. What do the students already know? Build on that. Start with review of information that they may know already, and work your way up the ladder to new and challenging information.
5. Being a 'Coach' for my students.
- I think this begins with making myself available to students, whether it be during class or outside of class. I hope to be a support system for my students. As students are working, I will make myself available by going around and making sure that students are understanding the information given. If students feel uncomfortable discussing their struggles in front of peers, then I will have before and after school times available where my door will be open for those that need help. I want to encourage my students to be the best and do the best that they can. I hope to always give positive and constructive feedback to my students using the sandwich method: positive, constructive, positive, in hopes that they will use the feedback to improve themselves.
6. Use it or Lose it.
-I think that this goes hand in hand with making learning active. If students aren't going to use the information, they'll quickly forget it. Having students teach it, present it, recall it, or perform it definitely helps the information stick. Using the information over and over again will make learning it much more memorable. I hope to include student presentations and performances, and I will allow some time for students to teach each other new information. The more you use it, the more you'll remember it!
7. Reflect on learning.
- Closure and reflection are a key part of learning. This is what I have learnt so far in my first week of PS1. Every class has had some sort of closure, where we go back and review what we had learnt that class and bring it all together. This has really helped my learning because I get to reflect and remind myself of what I had learnt that day, and it's just another 5 minutes to review and 'stick it' in my head again. I think it is key to take just a few minutes at the end of every class and remind students, or have students remind each other what was learned that day. A simple "Who can tell me what they learned today?". This is another way for the teacher to assess that the students are understanding the information being taught. It's a win-win for both students and teachers!
8. Planning the next steps.
- I think this would be best incorporated into reflection and closure at the end of classes. A simple "What will you do with the information?" can be asked to students. Working together to find new places and situations to use the information can show students that it is useful and it was worth learning.
Like I mentioned before, it's probably easier said than done to put these Gr8 8 into practice in the classroom. I think listing these 8 ideas somewhere in my classroom would be a constant reminder to myself and students of the characteristics of powerful learning, making sure we are always engaged, focused and ready to learn. This is just a start, but I hope that as I continue to learn and grow as a teacher, I can create more ways to incorporate powerful learning into my classroom.
I have included the 'How Youth Learn - Ned's GR8 8' video below, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!