In our fast paced, ever changing world we have to pull out all the stops to get our students' attention. How do we go beyond making students listen, and get them excited about what is going on in our classroom? There are two crucial elements to making this happen.
1. Choices
I cannot express how important it is that students are given choices! We spend all day telling students what they have to do. You will get so much more buy-in if students feel they have some ownership in what they are doing. This can be as simple as letting students pick where they are going to do they work, what utensil they are going to use, or who they get to work with. Of course, there are times when we need to make these decisions strategically. However, I will maintain that there is always a way to incorporate at least one student choice.
2. Appeal to Their Interests
Find out what your kids are into! Simply putting their name in a word problem or practicing letters to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme song can make all the difference! I created a student interest survey to help me discover what my students' favorite things are at the beginning of the year. You can get it here! Since I teach kindergarten, the first survey is to be sent home for the parents to fill out. There is also a version for older students that can fill it out themselves. If your students are having a hard time remembering facts, write a simple song with them to the tune of their favorite song! Making something for each of them? Put it in their favorite color! Incorporating their interests not only will get them excited about the material, but also shows them that you care.
