Noticing When Students are Not

EngagedDesign Question 5 - Element 24:

How do you notice when students are not engaged and take action to re-engage them?

Before we begin…

• Before we begin talking about element 24, let’s be sure there is an understanding about how the elements in Design Question 5 are related. This is important as you plan your lessons. While watching the below video, please take notes about how the elements in Design Question 5 are related.

• Click here for the video.

How are the elements in Design Question 5 related to each other?

• After watching the video, you should have noticed that all of the elements have one common goal and that is to engage students in the learning process. Each element provides a different tactic for meeting the same goal. We hope you also noticed that while all of these elements are contained under the category “Enacted on the Spot”, student engagement can and should be planned for in advance. However, you will still need to read your students and apply some of these strategies as you notice the overall energy of the group becoming low.

Now, let’s talk about element 24, specifically.

Review Teacher and Student EvidenceNOTE: This list of evidence is not all inclusive but is instead a list of possible examples.

Review Scale for Element 24

Desired Effect in the Students

The desired effect is, “students modify their level of engagement as a result of teacher action.”

To receive an Innovating rating, the teacher must monitor and make accommodations so that every student in their classroom achieves this desired effect.

Task

While watching the below video, please identify how the teacher notices that the students are not engaged in the task and what she does to re-engage the students.

After watching the video you will be asked to identify the teacher and student evidence to rate the teacher on this element.

Click here for the video. NOTE: You do not need to watch the entire video. The teacher is leading a fairly engaging classroom discussion about the playwright Arthur Miller and the main character in The Crucible. At the point you will begin watching (19:00 to the end) she passes out articles and asks the students to read them and complete an activity that connects the ideas in the article and the ideas in the book they are reading.

Video Questions

Q: How did the teacher notice that the students were not engaged in the task?

A: The teacher was circulating throughout the classroom and actively monitoring the students. She asked them to read silently, but they were continuously talking. Most of the conversation was off topic or complaining about the assignment. The students also mentioned they were tired and hungry.

Q: What did the teacher do to re-engage students?

A: The teacher attempted to give students further instruction and to help them with difficult words. Since there were three minutes left in the class on a Friday afternoon, the teacher reviewed the homework she wanted the students to complete and said she would “fix” the lesson for Monday.

*To be fair to this teacher there is another 30 minute video that shows the improved lesson on Monday.

Task

On the next slide is the teacher and student evidence. What evidence did you see and were able to document? Use this to rate the teacher as you walk through the next few slides.

Review Teacher and Student EvidenceWhat did you see?

Review Teacher and Student EvidenceWhat did we see?

How to Rate Teacher and Student Evidence

You can only give credit for what you see.

Teacher Evidence:

• Teacher notices when specific students or groups of students are not engaged.• The teacher was circulating throughout the classroom. Based on her observation of

student behavior and the noise level in the room she commented, “You are really not doing this. Are you?” She definitely knew they weren’t engaged.

• Teacher takes action to engage students.• While one can argue that the teacher did not successfully re-engage the students, she did

make attempts to do so. She tried to clear up the confusion caused by the lesson and clarify some of the difficult words in one of the passages. Friday afternoon in the last three minutes of class turned out to be a difficult adversary.

How to Rate Teacher and Student Evidence

Student Evidence:

• Students appear aware that the teacher is taking note of their level of engagement.• The students offered excuses for their lack of engagement once

the teacher made mention of it. (too tired, hungry, etc.)

Review Scale for Element 24 to Rate the Teacher

How we Rated the Teacher

This teacher received a Developing rating. She clearly noticed when students were not engaged. She takes action to attempt to re-engage them, but her efforts fall short. In order to receive an Applying rating this teacher would need to be prepared and pull something from her “bag of tricks” to get the students back on track. In order to be considered Innovating the teacher would need to ensure that the desired effect was apparent in all students. The teacher did not receive a Not Using rating because she did notice that the students were not engaged. She did not receive a Beginning rating because she attempted to re-engage them. Due to the time period of the occurrence, it would have been difficult for her to engage students in a different activity at that point.

Task

Monitoring your students ensures they are engaged. But you can be an even more effective teacher if you were proactive in your planning and tried to minimize off-task behavior before it even started. Below is a link to a quick video that provides a proactive plan for engaging students. While you watch the video, think of one lesson you have coming up in the next week where you can use this strategy, called The Wingman.

Click here for the video.

NOTE: there is a PDF link on the site near the bottom right for Mr. Paris’ Wingman worksheet that he uses in the video. You can use it in yours!

Now your job is easier because to monitor that the Wingman is engaged, you simply need to ensure they are completing the worksheet. And if they are not, you redirect them back to the task at hand, reminding them that their group is depending on them.

Task

Another way to proactively ensure students are engaged, is to avoid focusing on how smart they are and instead focus on their effort. We want all students to try, which means they are engaged in our lesson, in our classroom, in their education. Watch the below video from 3:25 to 4:30. What does the teacher mentor, Jim, praise the first-year teacher for?

Click here for the video.

Now watch the same video from 9:32 to 11:25. What strategy does Jim suggest the first-year teacher use to engage the majority of students, not just the ones who raise (or don’t raise) their hands?

Video Questions

Q: What does the teacher mentor, Jim, praise the first-year teacher for?

A: The first-year teacher was praised for focusing on student effort instead of student intelligence. Students feel it is OK to fail because at least they tried. This keeps students engaged, especially when they are learning something new and find it intimidating.

Q: What strategy does Jim suggest the first-year teacher use to engage the majority of students, not just the ones who raise (or don’t raise) their hands?

A: Jim suggests that teachers have students work in small groups to find a common answer. Then on the count of five, all students hold up an index card with the answer. Students then work in their groups to justify their answers to the rest of the class. This engages at least the majority of students, not just students who do/don’t raise their hands.

Additional Resources for Your Classroom

How to: Close the Achievement Gap by Ensuring All Students are Engaged

How to: Use the Socratic Method to Engage Students

10 Ways to Promote Student Engagement

Six Strategies that Encourage ALL Students to Participate

School Wide Strategies for Managing Off Task Behavior

Is this element in your PGP? Then you need to…

1. sign into www.effectiveeducators.com. Click on the Growth tab and then click on the Plans option. Open your current plan and fill out a new Reflection Log, answering the appropriate questions.

2. decide how you will change your teaching as a result of viewing this module.

3. execute your change, reflect on its impact, and fill out another Reflection Log in iObservation.

Further questions?

Here are resources in case you have further questions:

- Your evaluator

- Another evaluator on your campus

- Your school’s classroom practice mentor (CPM)