Instructional Minute
October 11, 2022
Component 3C: Engaging Students in Learning
Student engagement in learning is the centerpiece of the Framework for Teaching ; all other components contribute to it. When students are engaged in learning, they are not merely "busy," nor are they only "on task." Rather, they are intellectually active in learning important and challenging content. The critical distinction between a classroom in which students are compliant and busy and one in which they are engaged is that in the latter, students are developing their understanding through what they do. That is, they are engaged in discussion, debate, answering "what if?" questions, discovering patterns, and the like. They may be selecting their work from a range of (teacher-arranged) choices, and making important contributions to the intellectual life of the class. Such activities don't typically consume an entire lesson, but they are essential components of engagement.
A lesson in which students are engaged usually has a discernible structure: a beginning, a middle, and an end, with scaffolding provided by the teacher or by the activities themselves. Student tasks are organized to provide cognitive challenge, and then students are encouraged to reflect on what they have done and what they have learned. That is, the lesson has closure, in which teachers encourage students to derive the important learning from the learning tasks, from the discussion, or from what they have read. Critical questions for an observer in determining the degree of student engagement are "What are the students being asked to do? Does the learning task involve thinking? Are students challenged to discern patterns or make predictions?" If the answer to these questions is that students are, for example, filling in blanks on a worksheet or performing a rote procedure, they are unlikely to be cognitively engaged.
In observing a lesson, it is essential not only to watch the teacher but also to pay close attention to the students and what they are doing. The best evidence for student engagement is what students are saying and doing as a consequence of what the teacher does, or has done, or has planned. And while students may be physically active (e.g., using manipulative materials in mathematics or making a map in social studies), it is not essential that they be involved in a hands-on manner; it is, however, essential that they be challenged to be "minds-on."
Indicators:
- Student enthusiasm, interest, thinking, problem solving, etc.
- Learning tasks that require high-level student thinking and invite students to explain their thinking
- Students highly motivated to work on all tasks and persistent even when the tasks are challenging
- Students actively " working," rather than watching while their teacher "works"
- Suitable pacing of the lesson: neither dragged out nor rushed, with time for closure and student reflection
Use the following prompts to assist with building a Math Talk community in your classroom.
Elicit student thinking:
- Tell us your thinking.
Support student thinking:
- What were you thinking when you decided to ______?
- Use wait time: Take your time… We’ll wait…
Extend student thinking:
- Now that you have solved the problem in that way, can you think of another way to work on this problem?
- How is your way of solving different from _______'s way?
Increase participation of other students in the conversation:
- Restate someone else’s reasoning: Can you repeat what ___________ just said in your own words?
- Apply own reasoning to someone else’s: Do you agree or disagree? Why?
Probe specific math topics:
- How can we check to be sure that this is the correct answer?
- Is that true for all cases?
