Memo # 4

How can I motivate students to participate during class discussions?

After keeping my teacher journal, I noticed that many of the areas of tension within my classroom resulted from class discussions. Specifically, I’ve struggled to keep the majority of the class engaged during these discussions. We will often discuss topics or events related to the novel we have been studying in class. I’ll often have three to five students consistently volunteering answers in my class of 22 students. I would like to see more students eager to speak up and voice their opinions in class.

Currently, I do try to encourage participation by reminding students that it is part of their quarter grade. This has worked for some students, but others still remain silent. I will sometimes call on a student who isn’t raising his / her hand but this sometimes results in the student declining to give an answer. This feels uncomfortable for me and the student.

Additionally, I worry that some students in the room are using their laptops for non-educational purposes while we discuss in class. The room set up does not allow me to view each student’s computer screen at any given time. Sometimes I try to monitor this by asking students to close their computers, but there is usually a written response on their screen that aids them during discussion. So I ponder, what can I do to truly engage the entire class during these conversations? 

 

How can I motivate students to read?

This question is something I’ve been struggling with since I started teaching and it continues to perplex me. How do I encourage my students to actually read the assigned novels instead of using Spark Notes? My students all have access to laptops which has made it incredibly easy for them to access chapter summaries. Many students will substitute the assigned reading for a chapter summary that is only a few paragraphs long. I know this because many students have admitted that they only used Spark Notes once we finish reading the book.

It is also obvious that students are supplementing the reading when I give reading quizzes that ask for specific details that are not available in chapter summaries. I worry that these specific questions are even too challenging for those who actually do the reading. I assign chapter questions or journal prompts to accompany the assigned reading homework, but it is still fairly easy for students to find these answers online. We do some reading in class, but most of it is assigned as homework. What can I do to ensure that students are putting time aside at home to read?

How can I increase community in the classroom?

I’m interested in exploring more ways to increase my students’ level of comfort in the classroom. I often try to incorporate strategies such as heterogeneous grouping, rotating assigned seats, group assignments, discussions, and shared writing to help promote community. I feel that incorporating more strategies can help improve the level of engagement in the classroom. It can also help students feel more comfortable sharing their writing and volunteering answers in class. I’m wondering, what other strategies I can implement to increase the level of community and solidarity within the classroom?

How can I successfully incorporate technology into lessons?

At Saint Raphael Academy, each student is issued an HP laptop. As teachers, we are encouraged to incorporate the laptops into lesson plans. I do use the laptops as a tool for writing and reading every day in the classroom. I usually send journal prompts, PDF readings, homework, and classwork assignments to students through the laptops.

I usually just use Microsoft Office and OneNote as a tool since we are a certified Microsoft school. I’d like to explore additionally websites and apps that I can use in my classroom. I’d want to monitor how the students respond to the technology and see which websites or apps increase engagement levels while still challenging students. I feel that there are many resources out there that I am unaware of. How can I find valuable resources and then how can I evaluate which sources align with the curriculum and increase student engagement in the classroom?