3 Actionable Steps to Keep Your students on track!
One thing that is true no matter what grade level you teach, subject you teach, or where you teach is that we all understand the saying that teaching is like trying to nail jello to a tree. Kids are amazing and chaotic and that is what makes the job both fun and sometimes frustrating at the same time!
Below are three actionable steps you can take to help keep your students on track, especially when theres Halloween on a Tuesday or a Full moon.
Repeat, Repeat, Repeat.
Most average adults take about 15-30 repetitions to move information from short term to long term memory. For kids this can be more than 300 repetitions to truly learn something!
Therefore, repetition is key. And all teachers know this because let’s be real. We feel like we’re broken records all day long! So what can we do about it?
Action tip: In order to repeat yourself without driving you and others crazy figure out ways to deliver the same information in slightly different ways. For example, when my students are learning about a time period in history we read newspaper articles, look at photographs, read first person accounts, go through power point presentations, listen to podcasts, and watch videos all about the same information.
The same goes for things I want my students to be able to do, when they are showing me what they know, I don’t just have them take a test and be done, we practice with the same information and they show me what they know in lots of ways like: writing essays, creating comic strips, making video responses, building historical replicas, debating in small groups, and recreating artifacts.
The key is that the information stays the same but the medium for learning information or practicing a skill is what changes. For my lessons libraries full of these types of activities you can customize for yourself go here!
2) Engage the senses
Having someone look at information through writing or pictures, while hearing someone talk about the information and simultaneously doing something physical with that information, is the best way to reduce the number of repetitions needed to move the information into long term memory.
Every single person capable of learning better or faster - if taught the right way. Being able to effectively teach quickly and efficiently ensures that your students will being to process and be able to recall the information they are learning with fewer repetitions and more consistently.
Action tip: When we code information in our brains we do so more deeply when our senses are engaged. It is more effective to include audio with text because you are engaging visual and auditory senses. If you can also create an experience for your student so that they have an emotional connection and/or are physically doing something while or after they learn you are engaging the other senses as well.
For example, with my students when we are first learning new information I often use power points or nearpods. But I don’t just put text on a screen, while students read the screen information I summarize auditory for them, we stop to move around the room and act out scenarios or share ideas, and they respond to deep questions about by drawing pictures or writing out their thoughts. This way students are engaging their bodies, emotions and their brains all at the same time creating longer term memories.
3) Connect emotionally
Because emotions are so powerful in moving information into long term memory, explaining why something matters by tapping into either your own personal experience, connecting with your student’s experiences, or creating shared experiences between you is a huge element in making the classroom a safe and fun place to learn! If you think back to the events in your mind you can remember like it was yesterday, it is probably because there is strong emotional attachment there!
We can’t control what happens with our students outside our classrooms but we can change how they feel when they come into our classroom! And one of the best ways to support students is by playing games that help students practice skills and feel connected to you, each other and themselves!
Action tip: Take time at least 1x each week to play games with your students that build problem solving, critical thinking and collaboration skills! For my team building and class building games I use go here!
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