Active Engagement

It is important for my students to understand and value learning goals in the classroom. At the start of every chapter students will be supplied an outline of what they are going to encounter in the upcoming weeks.

I used different behaviour management and engagement strategies throughout the lessons taught (artefact 4) to promote student participation (standards 4.1 and 4.3). The 10 micro-skills for classroom

Engaged learning, within a highly supportive environment, enables our students to develop strong communication skills, excel within collaborative settings, effectively address complex problems with innovative solutions, and lead with integrity and compassion throughout their lives and careers in a diverse and rapidly changing world.

On the first day I observed in the classroom, I immediately saw that Mrs. Haughn plans in advance. She stays organized by having a scheduled routine on the board for the students to be aware of the following topic being taught or reviewed. During the second day I observed, she was planning in advance by reminding the students there was going to be a test the following day. After informing the students, they reviewed for the test to have the information fresh in their minds.

Within this essay I am going to talk about the two theories which are the dis-engagement theory and the active theory these two theories are for and against each other and also argue which theory is best suited for adult’s life and development.

Engaged time is the amount of time that students are actively involved and participating in school instruction. In other words, engaged time is when students are in the process of learning. It is common for some students espically special needs students to be less actively engaged in class time instruction. If one increases the engaged time then the learning increases as well. One way for engaged time to increase is for the teacher to use full use of scheduled instructional time. There is time waisted when you add in housekeeping chores or get off topic. Another way engaged time can be increased is to emphasize instruction rather than independent practice. Teacher-led activities lead to a higher engagement rates. A third way engaged time can

No matter what, a routine is important within the classroom, but outside of the basic routine, it’s important to shake things up to provide different activities to keep the students’ attention. Some students work better within groups, and others on their own, so it is very important to make sure a teacher has a balance of that. This will also help strengthen the students’ skills by working on both of these. An example of engagement could be based on a kindergarten classroom. As they’re developing and reaching certain developmental milestones, listening and sitting still is difficult for them. Kindergarteners weren’t made to sit in a chair all day and be silent, movement and talking are a huge part of the various developmental milestones they surpass. Having activities that get the kids up and moving can be very beneficial to not only them but the teacher as well because it keeps the students

When I first read this question I asked myself what an engaged learner was and I knew that was someone actively involved in their education. As I read the reading I found that it means so much more. In the reading the authors quote “When learning is a passive process, teachers are the centers of energy and tell you the information that they think you need to know. But when learning is an active process, students are the centers of energy and the teacher's role is to guide or facilitate your learning by taking an interest in your work and coaching you through the experience (Garvin, 1991, as quoted by Sweitzer and King p.14, 2014).” For me, and probably countless others, I learn better this way. If I am sitting in a lecture with little interaction

Active engagement occurs in the classroom when a teacher makes the connection between teaching and learning through pedagogy. The choice of pedagogy must see fit with the content of the lesson which in return will assist the teacher in constructing a more meaningful and supportive learning environment where students’ are more willing to participate and be actively engaged. The most important skill in pedagogies is relating the learning experience to real world situations in which students’ can relate too (Churchill et al., 2011).

In the context of this course purposeful engagement means actually inter acting and not just showing up to class. Anyone can show up to class and do the work most teachers accept that but to build interactions with other students a person has to interact. Personally I have engaged by doing the scavenger hunt that was given to us at the beginning of the semester. I walked from one end of the campus to the other learning where some of the buildings were and having to talk to personnel to figure out some of the questions. This also involved having to get help from other students when I could not figure out some of the answers on my own.

As proposed by Dymoke and Harrison, good lesson planning is essential to successful teaching in so far as stating, `It is often the case that poor teaching, classroom management and behaviour stem from lack of explicit planning` (2008, p.122) It is suggested then, that thorough planning is fundamental to the successful learning of pupils in many ways. Whilst allowing the teacher to follow a process of thinking, providing a mental practice session if you like, the act of planning therefore becomes an imperative aid for both student and teacher.

Keeping students engaged and on task can be, at times, the most difficult part of being a teacher. You have to come up with new ways to engage them and keep them focused on learning, especially at the end of the day when all they can think about is going home.

Having students participate will increase interest as well. Standing in front of the children and lecturing will not stimulate them at all times. There also is a need for hands-on activities, chances to help the teacher, giving input on lessons, working with each other, some other ways getting physically engaged in the lessons. Students love to be helpful and needed in a classroom. It permits them to show they can be useful and can improve self-esteem (Harris, 1991). An interesting curriculum promotes participation. The archenemy of motivation is boredom. Every teacher has a measure of freedom that needs to be used to create a fascinating curriculum to maximize interest (McDaniel, 1987).

My observations has taught me the importance of engaging students. I am now able to recognize when a student is not engaged. They seem distracted and are not paying attention to what the teacher is saying. Whereas an engaged student is alert, discussing the material, and asking questions

The idea of student engagement is rooted to the philosophy of John Dewey. John Dewey was born in 1859, he was an American psychologist, philosopher, and an educator. He is known as a schoolhouse pioneer because his views changed the fundamental approach to education. His views came from the philosophy of pragmatism. The word pragmatism originated from the Greek word ‘pragma’ which means action. Pragmatism can be simply defined as a logical way of doing things based off certain situations; it is the idea that actions are useful in practice and not just in theory. Dewey strongly believed in progressive education, and his ideas were crucial to the progressive movement in education. He believed that education should be meaningful, and that activity and active participation should be incorporated in learning. Dewey’s (1956) book, The School and Society, expressed his vision of how he believed every school should be