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School Transformation Through Arts Integration at Bates Middle School

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Blogs on Student Engagement

Student Engagement

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Get advice from educators on how to build a positive climate for learning, improve student curiosity, and enhance classroom collaboration.

Introversion and the Invisible Adolescent

Mark PhillipsApril 16, 2012

Tags Classroom Management, Mental Health, , Student Engagement, All Grades

A few years ago, one of my teacher interns at San Francisco State University wrote a paper that was like the voice of a trickster, waking me up and reminding me of what I occasionally missed as a teacher. The assignment was to recall what it was like for them when they were in high school and to write a letter to their high school teachers advising them about how they might have better served them as students.

What Do Your Rules Say About You?

Lori CullenApril 9, 2012

Tags Best Practices, Classroom Management, Professional Development, Student Engagement, Teacher Development

Rules, rules, rules. Everyone knows the key to success in school is to follow the rules.

Using "Music Writing" to Trigger Creativity, Awareness and Motivation

Jeffrey PflaumApril 2, 2012

Tags Arts Education, Curriculum, Project-Based Learning, , Student Engagement, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12), English Language Arts, Music

In our test-obsessed and bullying culture, it is imperative that children learn to know themselves better.

How to Bring Screenwriting into the Classroom

Jen AnsbachMarch 28, 2012

Tags After-School Learning, Student Engagement, Teacher Development, Middle (6-8), High (9-12), English Language Arts

The students work, huddled in pairs, jotting down ideas in notebooks. The classroom buzzes with collaboration, punctuated by giggles and laughter. Students are excited to be writing as we start our annual celebration of Script Frenzy!

Beyond Student Engagement: Achieving a State of Flow

Elena AguilarMarch 27, 2012

Tags Student Engagement, Teacher Development, All Grades

Think about a time when you were really engaged in something, the kind of engagement where you lose track of time and experience feelings of joy and satisfaction. You may have felt acutely focused, physically, mentally, and emotionally absorbed in a task. I've felt this most often while writing, reading, teaching, and coaching -- always signaled by the moment when I notice the clock and, feeling dazed, wonder where the hours have gone.

The Creativity Index: No Artist Left Behind

Mark PhillipsMarch 20, 2012

Tags Arts Education, Comprehensive Assessment, Formative Assessment, Primary (K-2), Student Engagement, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), Drama, High (9-12), English Language Arts, Music, Visual Arts

Some of you may remember the scene in The Dead Poets Society in which Robin Williams' Mr. Keating mocks the approach to poetry of Dr. J. Evans Pritchard. In a nutshell, Pritchard has a method for mathematically calculating the measure of a poem's greatness. "If the poem's score for perfection is plotted along the horizontal of a graph, and its importance is plotted on the vertical, then calculating the total area of the poem yields the measure of its greatness." Keating has students rip the pages out of their books, sardonically exclaiming, " . . . we're not laying pipe, we're talking about poetry . . . I like Byron, I give him a 42 . . . "

Some of you may remember the scene in The Dead Poets Society in which Robin Williams' Mr. Keating mocks the approach to poetry of Dr. J. Evans Pritchard. In a nutshell, Pritchard has a method for mathematically calculating the measure of a poem's greatness. "If the poem's score for perfection is plotted along the horizontal of a graph, and its importance is plotted on the vertical, then calculating the total area of the poem yields the measure of its greatness." Keating has students rip the pages out of their books, sardonically exclaiming, " . . . we're not laying pipe, we're talking about poetry . . . I like Byron, I give him a 42 . . . " Read More

For Engaging Projects, Connect Learning to Students’ Lives

Suzie BossMarch 15, 2012

Tags Diversity, Media Literacy, Project-Based Learning, Teacher Development, Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

Heather Hanson, a first-year teacher on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota, knew she was taking a risk when she showed a documentary called "Children of the Plains" to her speech class at Todd County High School. Narrated by Diane Sawyer, the 20/20 episode emphasizes poverty, alcoholism, and family dysfunction on the reservation. "I was offended," says Hanson, who is not Native American, "and it's not even about me. I wasn't sure how my students would react."

The Last 40 Days Until Summer

Danielle Moss LeeMarch 14, 2012

Tags Classroom Management, Field Trips, Lesson Plans, Primary (K-2), Teacher Development, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

Late one afternoon last week, I found a student smiling a smile of sheer relief at the Harlem Educational Activities Fund (HEAF). "Only 40 days left," she grinned. She was meticulously counting down the days to the end of the school year.

I smiled to myself. As much as I enjoyed the years I spent teaching in New York City, I have to admit that I, too, hit The Wall around this time of year. Sometimes it takes nothing less than sheer will and determination to make it through.

Five Quick Classroom Management Tips for Novice Teachers

Rebecca AlberMarch 13, 2012

Tags Classroom Management, Student Engagement, Teacher Development, All Grades

I made a good number of blunders my first year teaching that still make me cringe. I learned though. And it's fair to say, when it comes to managing a classroom, most of what we learn as new teachers is trial by fire. It's also smart to heed the advice of those who have walked -- and stumbled -- before you. If you are struggling with discipline, here are five tips that you can start using right away:

Do's & Don'ts For Teaching English-Language Learners

Larry FerlazzoMarch 12, 2012

Tags Achievement Gap, Best Practices, Comprehensive Assessment, Differentiated Instruction, Diversity, English-Language Learners, English Language Arts, World Language Learning

The number of English-Language Learners in the United States is growing rapidly, including many states that have not previously had large immigrant populations. As teachers try to respond to the needs of these students, here are a few basic best practices that might help. We have found that consistently using these practices makes our lessons more efficient and effective. We also feel it is important to include a few "worst" practices in the hope that they will not be repeated!