Blogs on Student Engagement

As we move deeper into August, teachers start to get antsy as the first day of school approaches. Some teachers are thrilled and others are despondent. But most of us are somewhere in the middle -- sad about the end of summer, but ready to get back in the saddle. Over the years, I have come up with a system to let me know when it's time for a teacher to pick up the chalk again.

I did an experiment with a group of adult educators. I gave them very vague instructions on how to arrange groups. The goal was that each educator would participate in four different groups. I told them that the composition of each group had to be different. Some of the adults were willing to work it out, trial and error even. Others would get to a point and then realize that they did not understand completely what to do and then would ask questions.

OK kids, we are going to be learning in groups today! Each group needs a math checker, a presenter, a writer/editor, and an illustrator. You decide who does what. You will be reviewing the best ways to solve polynomial problems.

Please pull out the instructions and the rubric for this assignment. As a group, your task is to create a one page, step-by-step process that some one could follow to arrive at a solution...

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Artist: Spoon
Album: Transference
Song: Mystery Zone

My school day started at 4pm. 4pm rocked my eight-year-old world. 4pm = Transformers, G.I. Joe, Voltron, Thundercats -- the best time of the day. At 4pm, unknowingly, the story elements of fiction wore a deep groove into my brain; I learned about character development, setting, story arc, problem/solution, and action.