ENGAGEMENT IS KEY

CH. 6: ENGAGE STUDENTS IN METACOGNITION AND REFLECTION

 

If I had to choose 1 standout takeaway from Chapter 6 of Rigor by Design, it would be simple: ENGAGEMENT IS KEY. 

 

Though I am not yet an official teacher, I still have many field experiences. I have both seen plenty of instruction and given plenty of instruction. I have seen students absolutely unengaged, thinking in the back of their minds how they would rather be anywhere else in the world at that moment in time other than the classroom, but I have also seen the exact opposite effect where students are upset by the lesson closing because they were so unengaged. I have felt this exact way as well in the variety of educational settings I have been in throughout the years, and it’s very puzzling to think about.

 

Sometimes, we wake up on the wrong side of the bed. Sometimes, the holidays are just around the corner. Sometimes, our brains are so stressed that we can’t settle down for even a moment to complete an assignment and let academic enrichment occur. However, this is where the independent variable comes in: Content. There is absolutely nothing better than content that is therapeutic to the senses and emotions while still being academically enriching at the same time. But how does this happen?

 

I taught a lesson today to my 5^th grade IE group. Seeing that my lesson observation landed on the Monday of a 2-day week, I knew I would be facing an extra challenge. I am so excited to go home and have a break from classes, let alone these antsy little 10-year-olds! I knew that sitting around learning about part of speech was not what they were looking forward to!

 

Okay, I asked myself, how will I get these kids to retain anything from this lesson today? I thought back to the basics: Student interest and background knowledge. The key to engagement. I am so fortunate enough to know that my group of kiddos had 3 stand-out interests among the group: NASCAR, cats, and NFL Football. I used this knowledge of mine to create a collaborative class activity where the students were tasked with improving a basic, boring sentence by compiling adjectives and adverbs describing their favorite things when displayed on the board in images. The look on my one little friend's face was priceless when the Cleveland Browns (injured) running back  Nick Chubb appeared on the board. He yelled out, “Is that- NICK CHUBB! No way!” Suddenly- I knew- he was engaged for the rest of the lesson, which made my job MUCH easier! I had found myself being highly impressed by the large vocabulary knowledge these kids displayed that I never would have thought they had before. Even their full-time teacher was pleasantly surprised!

 

So, this takes us back to the textbook- what role does engagement play in education, and how do we guide our students to it? Karin Hess says, “Emotional engagement (being open, interested, and curious) generally comes before and supports deeper cognitive engagement (the ability to self-monitor, make connections, and seek relevance)” (p. 128). She references Frey and Fisher’s (2021) Continuum of engagement, as displayed below. 

 

While constantly having our students engaged at the highest level, which is possessing an academic drive, is desirable, we know that this is impossible. Even our easiest-to-instruct students will have days where they are disruptive, and that is okay. This provides more opportunities to employ flexible planning instruction and planning in the classroom utilizing UDL to best reach out to learners. 

 

I ventured to Kodable.com in pursuit of a popular article regarding student engagement. Author Harry Wahl states, “When students are engaged, they are more likely to retain information, make connections between different concepts, and apply what they've learned in real-world situations.” Academic engagement is the biggest factor in improving student success. Here are a few examples provided by Wahl:

 

1) Using technology. 

Obviously! In today’s world, teachers would find that it is nearly impossible to engage students without technology. Students love to play games and watch videos, but using media to guide student learning is a great approach to allowing students to synthesize skills that eventually become life skills.

 

2) Incorporate active learning techniques

Create and structure group activities and project-based learning assignments that require a multisensory approach. Make these social experiences where conversation and discourse are encouraged and challenging. Provide students with visuals while employing them to also create their own. This would coincide well with Group Processing, as discussed by Hess. Students complete a project by establishing group norms, rules, and responsibilities, then co-assess each other and themselves at the conclusion of the assignment. This is a great approach to teaching metacognitive strategies. 

 

3) Give students a choice in their activities

When students choose their activity, they are automatically more likely to feel engaged, knowing that they are avoiding the less preferred activity. Choice Boards are physical or virtual resources that provide enriching opportunities for practice in which students get to select. Choice also comes into play when students are being tasked with a reading assignment. More choice = more engagement = more retention = success! 

 

 

In conclusion, Chapter 6 of Rigor by Design emphasizes the importance of engagement in education and how it inspires academic success and passion for learning. Karin Hess's insight into the relationship between emotional engagement and cognitive engagement reinforces the idea that capturing students' interest is a crucial step toward deeper learning. The continuum of engagement acknowledges the inherent variability in student engagement levels, but this doesn’t say that these are default levels per child- we can manipulate student engagement through content and action. My greatest tool when thinking about how to engage my students is reflecting upon my own experiences. I know I have always been a good student, but I also know that I have not always acted like it! Engagement is key, and it is our job to ensure that we provide engaging and enriching experiences for all students, even when the continuum of desirable activities is vast!

 

 

                                                                            References

Hess, Karin. (2023).  Rigor by Design, Not Chance: Deeper Thinking Through Actionable Instruction and Assessment. ASCD ASSN SUPERV CURR DEV, 2023. 

Wahl, Harry. “7 Strategies to Increase Student Engagement in Elementary School | Kodable.” Www.kodable.com, 21 May 2023, www.kodable.com/learn/7-strategies-to-increase-student-engagement-in-elementary-school.