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Engaging and Interacting with Students

Brianne Palensky

OTL 502 – Learning Theories and Models of Instruction

Colorado State University – Global Campus

Dr. Gastrid Harrigan

December 10, 2017

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Engaging and Interacting with Students

Without a fun, interactive lesson, it’s extremely hard to keep your students engaged. Two

of the most important things when it comes to teaching is engaging and interacting with students.

Without this, you can’t build relationships with students and in turn, they won’t have a safe

learning environment where they can thrive. When it comes to teaching, I will build and maintain

relationships with my students throughout the years, especially because I will be a role model for

a lot of my students. I will also create engaging lessons that adhere to different learning style,

giving my student options and using blended learning to create lessons.

Engaging Students

Engaging lessons not only capture student’s attention, but also maintain their attention

throughout the entire class period. As a teacher, it’s your responsibility to make lessons fun and

ensure each student finds joy in learning.

At the beginning of each lesson, I will grab my students interest. When beginning my

lesson on multiplication, I will read Amanda Bean’s Amazing Dream. I will then ask: What is

7+7+7+7+7+7+7? What if I told you there’s an easier way to solve this problem? Would you

rather be like Amanda Bean and answer the problem using addition or learn multiplication and

find an easier way to solve it? At the end of my lesson, I will have each student recite from the

book, “I am (student name), I still love knowing how many, but now I multiply anything and

everything. And I never count sheep!” (Woodruff, 1998). Not only am I asking a question and

issuing a challenge, but I’m also using novelty by starting the lesson reading a new, fun book,

based on multiplication.

“Our brains need emotional arousal to learn, which unfortunately tends to fade after about

10 minutes of engagement in the same stimulus” (Goodwin & Hubbell, 2013). By changing my
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lesson format throughout the class period, I will capture and maintain my student’s attention. My

class will begin with a 10-minute warm-up that consists of a math review. When I am beginning

a new lesson, I will use my “entry slip” I created in Module 3. I will then have my students work

with a partner to solve a math problem related to multiplication. We will then take another break

to review the problem. From there, I will introduce multiplication and lecture on this topic.

During my lecture, I will break things up by implementing technology into my lessons. I will use

Jeopardy games and other interactive opportunities based on multiplication problems and basic

facts. By mixing up the lesson and implementing different types of activities, I’ll be sure to

maintain the attention of my students.

Throughout my lesson, especially when I find my students are losing interest, I will take

a “brain break”, where my students will either do exercises led by me or Go Noodle, a website

that consists of hundreds of videos that activate kids’ bodies and brains. By doing “brain breaks”

often, I will break up the lesson and ensure my students are staying engaged, boosting

productivity and in turn, improving behavior.

Giving Choices

Giving my students choices is an important aspect of teaching. Not only does it increase

the relevance of each lesson, but it also helps to maintain attention, as my students will be doing

something they enjoy and can have fun with. I won’t give too many choices, as they can feel

overwhelmed, but I believe the following two choices hone in on different learning styles and

allow my students to learn multiplication in two different ways.

Using manipulatives. I will start by giving my students beans, a lid and a mat. I will

present the multiplication problem: 3 x 5. Then will then work with their materials to make 3 lids

with 5 beans in each. They will then write and count the beans. This activity is best for
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kinesthetic learners and those students that I find are struggling with manipulatives, based on the

entry slip. This will give them another chance to work multiplication equations using this method

and helps with those skills they haven’t mastered yet.

Drawing. My students will be given the multiplication equation: 3 x 5 and will draw

three circles and put five stars in each. They could also use repeated addition to solve the

problem (5+5+5). Or could start on number line and jump 3 fives. I will give my students the

multiplication mat I created in Module 1 to draw each problem. This activity is best for visual

learners that don’t necessarily need anything in front of them, they are able to solve the problem

in their head.

Rigor/Relevance Framework

I will use the Rigor/Relevance Framework based on Amanda Bean’s Amazing Dream to

create activities based on acquisition, application, assimilation and adaption. See Example 1 for

this chart. Acquisition is based on recall of basic knowledge. I will have my students list one

item Amanda Bean counted in the book. Application provides opportunities to apply knowledge

to real-world situations. I will have my students share a time they had to count something in their

house. Assimilation includes activities that are complex, using critical thinking. I will have my

students prove each equation from the book using multiplication, instead of addition. Adaption is

when learning is high in relevance. I will ask my students to predict how they can use what they

know about addition to solve multiplication.

Using Real-World Relevancy

By using real-world experiences and examples, I will engage my students even more. Not

only will the multiplication word problems include my student’s names, but will also be based on

things they may be interested in. See Example 2 for a word problem I will use in my lesson.
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I will also give homework and problems based on things they can do at home and in the

classroom to solve multiplication. I will have my students find something in their house that can

be grouped. I will give an example of plates. Their house might have three different shapes and

sizes of plates and will have six or seven plates each. I will have them create and solve a

multiplication problem based on what they find. “Not all students have supportive parents or

parents who can provide resources. If teachers are going to offer credit or ask students to visit or

use resources outside of the classroom, they should offer a classroom or school-based option to

those who can't participate off-campus” (Glasgow & Hicks, 2009). It’s important to build

relationships with your students so that you can learn if a school-based option would be best for

your students.

Interacting with Students & Fostering Relationships

Building and maintaining relationships with my students will be a key component of my

teaching style, as I believe it’s critical to student success. As a coach, I find it important to build

and maintain relationships with my swimmers, no matter their ability level. By having an

interaction with each student every day, I’m showing them I care and want to get to know each

and every one of them.

The first thing I will do in the morning is greet my students with a smile and a “hello”.

While my students are working in groups, I will make my way around the classroom to engage

and interact with my students. I can also develop relationships and learn more about what my

students like outside of the classroom. Not only does this show I am interested in my students,

but also is a great way to learn more about my students and incorporate their life and interests

into our math problems. By asking for feedback on my lessons and teaching style, my students

can tell me if there is something I can do differently to help them.

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Culturally Responsive Strategies

“Because culture strongly influences the attitudes, values, and behaviors that students and

teachers bring to the instructional process, better teacher preparation is a major factor in solving

the problems of underachievement” (Krasnoff, 2016). By being socio-cultural conscious, having

an unbiased attitude for all students and examining lessons and teaching from multiple

perspectives, I will be able to be a culturally responsive teacher.

In the classroom, cultural responsiveness is important when it comes to effective teaching

and lessons. I will hold high expectations for all my students and use each student’s learning

goals as a source of progress throughout the year. I will contribute to positive academic,

attitudinal and social outcomes for students by encouraging positive behavior, providing tools

and teaching to ensure students complete third grade and move on to fourth grade and encourage

participation and full attention to each lesson. I will use diverse resources, as explained in the

Giving Choices section above. I will always collaborate with colleagues, administrators, parents

and professionals to ensure student success, as this is one of the most important aspects of being

a teacher.

Critical Analysis

Both engaging and interacting with students are just two of the many important

components to being a successful teacher. Creating engaging lessons and giving options will

ensure student success, since they will be constantly encouraged to learn more. Giving examples

and incorporating lessons into real-world situations is a key component to effective lesson

planning. By interacting and fostering relationships with my students, not only will they trust me

and feel that I have created a safe learning environment, but they will also enjoy coming to

school and seeing a smiling face daily.

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Example 1: Rigor/Relevance Framework

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Example 2: Real-World Word Problems

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References

Glasgow, N. A., & Hicks, C. D. (2009). Managing the Classroom Environment, Time, and

Discipline. What Successful Teachers Do: 101 Research-Based Classroom Strategies for

New and Veteran Teachers. doi:10.4135/9781483350417.n2

GoNoodle. (n.d.). Retrieved December 10, 2017, from https://www.gonoodle.com/

Goodwin, B., & Hubbell, E. (2013). The 12 touchstones of good teaching: A checklist for staying

focused every day. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum

Development.

Krasnoff, B. (2016). Culturally Responsive Teaching: A Guide to Evidence-Based Practices for

Teaching All Students Equitably. Region X Equity Assistance Center Education

Northwest.

Woodruff, L. (1998). Amanda Bean's Amazing Dream: A Mathematical Story. New York:

Scholastic Press.