Transformative Teaching - Step 2

Why Active Learning?

We definitely did not start our career utilizing active learning strategies! Just like many new teachers, we did what we could to get through the days.. doing whatever we could to help our kiddos. The struggling readers, math processing disorders, defiant behaviors? Researched them all, went to PD, tried all the things. The reality was, we could know everything we needed to know on the content, (and that knowledge is essential, hence Step 1) buuuuut kids are *changing*. This generation of students, especially since the Pandemic, can’t merely sit at a desk and soak in information. To make true connections for long lasting learning we needed to start accommodating new needs. We quickly learned that the implementation of our knowledge mattered MORE.

SO, separately we both came to realize fairly quickly that our students remembered immersive experiences, made connections, and carried these learned experiences further than a regular lecture or activity.

Active learning approaches can be as simple as a Jeopardy review game with the music, the slides, the questions, the lighting.. So fun! They can also come in the form of Kagan structures like quiz, quiz, trade.. Super versatile! Active learning approaches also accommodate project based learning (PBL)! For example, recently our fourth graders were tired of reading their social studies magazines day after day with little interaction. Listening to someone read information has its time and place, but that place is not every day for hours a day. Realizing the kids needed to shake things up, we decided to break the magazine’s content into four groups. Each group was responsible for its information, did research, and made a plan for a group mural in the hallway outside our room. After research day each group had one class period to create their mural with decorations, information, and tips. While they were creating their section, the rest of the class and I studied their pages. It was a simple way to shake things up and it cost ZERO dollars and very little planning!

There’s so many simple switches we can make as teachers to incorporate activity and discovery in our lessons. With a little creativity, teachers can accomplish anything! Have them create the scenes you want them to write about with their bodies, make motions to go along with the steps to an algorithm, wear their coats around the room as you play a snowy scene on the board for a sensory experience, create a catchy chant for the six syllable types, or throw an imaginary ball around the room to practice math facts. All of these things cost nothing and provide the students with broader memories and connections for the long run. These kinds of strategies are cheap, easy planning, and hold BIG OUTCOMES! What’s better than that? All around our site you’ll find examples of PD, active learning ideas, and immersive transformations. Take a look around and share with us your ideas and successes as well!

Alright - on to Step 3!

Back to Step 1

On to Step 3