Every book or article that I have read relating to student engagement has stated the importance of fostering positive relationships in the classroom. In many of our courses, we have also discussed the significance of social and emotional learning in the classroom. I think these elements are crucial in creating a safe environment in which our students can openly participate and be engaged. Since I began my practicum, it has been extremely important for me to develop positive relationships with all of my students. I try to make an extra effort to get to know the quieter students. Through their work, such as art projects or writing samples, I am able to gain a better understanding of their interests and incorporate these interests into my lessons. Throughout my practicum, this has helped me significantly as students regularly approach me after lessons to discuss the material they have just learned. Knowing that they are able to connect the lesson with prior knowledge and their own experiences is a great feeling!

I feel like I have developed strong relationships with most of my students. However, during the long practicum, I want to focus more on peer-to-peer relationships. I encourage students to work together and try to find fun and different ways to group students together so that each student has an opportunity to work with every other student. I have noticed that some groupings are more effective than others but as long as the emphasis is on respecting each other, this will ensure a safe environment where students feel that their opinions are valued and that they belong. If disagreements arise, I encourage students to discuss the problem with each other. However, we have also discussed that some problems require the help of a trusted adult. Being on practicum on a regular basis will allow me to observe the relationships among students and their peers, as well as allow myself to continue to learn more about my students. It will also allow me to make strong connections between the importance of healthy relationships and the level of student engagement.

This week, my lesson included a whole class discussion as well as a think-pair-share. During think-pair-share’s in the past, I have allowed too much time to “pair” and the conversation would get off topic. I was cognizant of this and ensured students were able to discuss the given topic in a reasonable amount of time and then share their ideas with the class. Although many students participated during the lesson, I still was not able to engage all students. The few that do not participate, plus the occasional time students get distracted, results in quite a few students who are not actively engaged in the lesson. Checking for understanding at the end of lessons allows me to assess students’ learning but throughout the lesson, it can still be difficult to ensure full participation.

One strategy that I would like to try is circulating the class during whole class discussions and not simply during pair activities or work time. I have not asked many questions from anywhere but the front of the classroom. It would be interesting to circulate and ask questions from different areas. This is also a great way of ensuring all students are attentive and focussed on the lesson.

Another technique that I would like to try is posing student responses to the entire class. For instance, if one student has an idea or suggestion, I think it would increase student engagement if I asked the rest of the class what their thoughts are. Instead of simply answering a teacher’s question, it will create more of a student-centred environment and allow the students to carry the discussion. If there are certain strategies that are unsuccessful or ineffective, teachers can modify them or try something different. The important thing is to be open to new ideas!

Each week I am introduced to great ideas that can be effectively implemented in any classroom to encourage student participation and active learning. Through my observations, I have noticed that one of the best techniques to engage all students is small group discussion. When students are working in groups of 4-5, they are very engaged in the material and every group member is contributing. It is especially important to be conscious of the mix of students in each group. Not only is it best to have a balanced gender ratio but it is also important to think about the types of personalities and academic ability in each group. Over time, a teacher becomes familiar with his/her students and is able to monitor this well. However, for teacher candidates, this can be a difficult feat. Nonetheless, if teachers can determine the preferred learning style of each student, this is a great way to maximize the effect of cooperative learning and ensure all students are engaged in the material and meaningfully contributing in class.

In one of my inquiry resources, A Practical Guide to Teaching and Learning, I read about wait time (or think time) in which teachers give students some time to process a question before answering. During my lessons, I was forgetting to do this because most students raise their hand instantly. Also, as a teacher, waiting even 5 seconds seems like a long time when you’re standing up in front of the class. After reading this article and understanding all of the benefits of wait time, I realized that giving students some time to think after posing a question would allow more students to understand what is being asked. In turn, this would increase student engagement and participation because all students would be given adequate time to think and reflect. Those who may otherwise be reluctant to answer would hopefully feel comfortable responding.

I decided to focus on this important concept during one my lessons. There were a few times when some of the quieter students raised their hand but what really stood out for me was that the quality of student responses was much higher than when I did not give them much think time. Also, calling on hands that quickly shot up would sometimes result in an “I forgot” reply because students were not critically thinking about their responses. Other times, some students would respond with a quick comment that did not require much thinking. However, during this particular lesson, it was evident that students were critically thinking and providing insightful responses.

I am glad that I came across this resource as I likely would not have viewed this strategy as a useful technique for my class. The class enjoys discussions very much and enjoy answering questions so it could have been very easy for me to overlook the importance of think time.

One of my inquiry resources, an article by Gettinger and Ball, describes choral responding as a strategy to engage students. I decided to try it during one of my lessons because my class is very energetic and eager to share their ideas. I thought this would be a great way to get quieter students to respond as well. They would feel less anxious or shy because they are responding at the same time as their peers. Some students would also feel more comfortable because if their answer is incorrect, it would be difficult to tell.

I was able to successfully incorporate this technique into my lesson when asking students specific questions about the learned material, such as what a particular acronym stands for. Students enjoyed choral responding immensely because it allowed them to release their energy and shout out what they had just learned. It also made it easier for me because often, when I ask a question, so many hands shoot up in the air! This way, I didn’t have to pick one student to answer the question and was able to let all of the students respond.

I would not overuse this technique because it is somewhat difficult to tell which students are unsure or not responding. In my opinion (and experience), this is a fun and effective strategy to use during the closing of a lesson when a teacher wants to summarize what was taught or learned.

Through my research thus far, I have been introduced to many methods and techniques that aim to ensure all students are motivated and engaged with the learning material. In my own teaching, I have been trying to make connections so that students are able to perceive activities as being meaningful. This technique leads to rich discussions where most students contribute in a purposeful way. They are able to provide insight and add comments to shape an important and meaningful discussion. I have also used the think-pair-share technique but on one occasion, gave students too much time to pair up which led to conversations about other irrelevant topics. Through discussions with teachers, I have come to realize that the “sharing” aspect is the most important so that teachers are able to assess their students’ level of understanding. Offering more time for sharing ideas and thoughts gives all students, including the quieter ones, the opportunity to engage in classroom discussions.

Through my observations, I have noticed teachers using various techniques to engage students. Calling on students regularly to answer questions makes the class very interactive. The high level of enthusiasm shows that active learning is an important part of ensuring students understand and enjoy the material. I have also noticed that there are strategic ways of letting a student know that their answer is incorrect. Asking them to try again or calling on them later when you are sure that they know the answer to another question is an effective way of boosting their morale. Many teachers also place a strong emphasis on opinion-based questions. This provides a great opportunity for all students to share their own ideas and experiences without the fear of answering incorrectly. The think-pair-share discussion method also works well.  As well, having an open relationship with all of the students gives them the confidence to raise their hand during discussions and take part in activities. I think this promotes a great learning environment as it creates a safe space for all students. I am looking forward to using some of these techniques, as well as developing some of my own, to ensure all students are engaged and able to make real life connections to the course material.