How do I make sure that all students are part of the learning community? First of all, I love that wording - “learning community.” That sounds like a magical place and I would love to be able to sincerely call my classroom that one day. There are definitely times when there are students checked out of the learning community in my room. Sometimes, there are times when very few students are involved in the learning community, and if you’ve experienced that, you know it’s the worst.
I try to give students who are shy or afraid of answering questions low-risk options to be involved. I elect student helpers in each class, usually students who are lower-performing and don’t participate often due to shyness, fear, etc. Another low-risk task to give to students is reading aloud. Almost everyone can do it and be involved that way without answering questions they are afraid of getting wrong. For those who struggle with reading, too, a good way I’ve found to get them involved is to be the creator of my examples. If I’m doing a Punnett square on the board, I like to ask kids, “What organism would you like to study a trait about?” For example, if they pick dinosaur, I’ll then ask, “What trait do you want to study in dinosaurs?” If they say “number of horns,” I’ll ask, “okay, what’s dominant – two horns, or three?” This way, they are answering questions, but there isn’t necessarily a wrong answer. To try and reach every single student in the room, I make an effort to present the same information in a variety of ways. I start the class with bell work using the textbook to involve those who learn well from diagrams/reading text. I then show at least two short videos (ranging from 3-8 minutes) that present the same information visually. (Science teachers – Amoeba Sisters and Teacher’s Pet on youtube have AWESOME videos!) As soon as this is over, we move to the lab and read from bright-colored sheets and I have students define key words and concepts on a guided notes sheet. I try to include as many collaborative learning opportunities as I can. Students always seem to be actively engaged when they are working and performing in front of their peers. For students not meeting my learning expectations, I’ve found parent contact to be very effective. A lot of parents get aggravated about their kids not doing their part and often kids are much more engaged after I’ve called home. I have found that talking to coaches about their players is effective, as well. Sometimes, just talking to the student, showing them their grade and letting them know that you know they can do way better helps to get them back on track. Bringing the lesson to something that interests them, maybe involving their favorite sports team or activity, can help, too. There are students in every class who aren’t totally engaged in the learning community, and I hope that as I learn and experience more, I’ll consistently decrease that number. |