Welcome, dear #G2Great friends.
Such an important topic tonight,
Engaging Children . . .
not "time on task",
not "entertaining"
but deep learning that is all consuming!
So excited to welcome @EllinKeene, one of my "edu-heroes" to the chat.
@HeinemannPub
Roman from Ontario, Canada. HS Teacher/Student Success Leader/Agent of Transformation. Great to be with #g2great tonight and @EllinKeene to learn & talk about engagement. Let's get the party started!
Hi #g2great friends! It has been far too long since I have joined in on the chat! My kids' travel sports schedules have me busy! I'm Stephanie, a literacy teacher educator in NY. I'll be tweeting around baseball, softball and a late dinner, but I am determined to jump in!
Hello from Jill in Fredericton, NB. I have missed the last two #G2great chats and am excited to be connecting with all and learning with @EllinKeene tonight!
A1. Engagement is being absorbed in the task - almost not visible to any outer influences - because the learning is so compelling. (not because told, threatened, or bribed) Joyful learning but it will have HARD moments!
#G2Great
I was trying to like everyone coming on, but I can't keep up! So grateful to all of you for joining me tonight and to the brilliant Mary Howard #G2great
A1 Engagement can be distinguished by excitement, wonder, joy and the desire to learn and go further than asked. It means students are totally enthralled by their learning. Compliance, participation, time-on-task is kids keeping busy, doing what they are told. #g2great
A1-Engagement is a flow that cannot be forced, coerced, bribed, or bought. Without an intrinsic investment, there simply cannot be engagement. Compliance, time on task, and participation can all be duly performed without any true interest or buy-in. #G2Great
A1 When Sts are highly engaged, they are visibly connected & committed to what they’re doing. It’s as if the rest of the world disappears as they enter the learning ZONE. #G2Great
A1: The biggest difference I have noticed this year in JH is that they might be working and look engaged but they are not joyfully learning all of the time. I think the joyful learning is the key to engagement. Am I helping them be better or just asking them to follow? #g2great
Engagement is what the brain attends to.
It is difficult to see...you can look engaged in an activity, but if your mind is elsewhere, you are not.
https://t.co/qRipGe0M6D#G2great
A1: Engagement involves cognition, it is not just compliance and following rules and procedures. Engagement is thinking and involvement in the learning #g2great
A1: both are visible by the Ss face and body language. When one is engaged you can see the focus, interest, and love. It isn't busy work to rush through. #g2great
A1: I see engagement as personal investment. Kids are excited, full of inquiry and joyfully buzzing about their reading, writing and learning together in a community. #g2great
In reply to
@brennanamy, @DrMaryHoward, @hayhurst3, @franmcveigh
In the kindergarten world, engagement is a whole body response. Reading their emotions and helping them identify them is what distinguishes engagement from everything else. Excited to explore this more next year! #g2great
A1 Compliance is a joyless act of obligatory doing; participation can be more committed but no more joyful. Motivation can reflect a “doing desire” but often based on narrow goals (grades) #G2Great
A1: When Ss are engaged, there is a noticeable difference in the atmosphere. Joy exists in their work, their reading, their talk. Motivation is intrinsic and they aren’t working for a grade or incentive. They’re working for themselves and out of curiosity. #g2great
A1: Engagement is pure excitement, and wonder and goes beyond what’s being asked. It is different from quiet complacency. Engagement may look off task because students can’t help but share their joy for the work their doing #G2great
A1: Engagement is NOT "you must do this because the teacher said so" It is doing "this" because "this" is my passion, my interest, my curiosity and therefore I must do it! #g2great
I love that Stephanie. It’s not about kids fulfilling OUR agenda but celebrating a personal calling that beckons them to the learning experience. #G2great
A1: I see engagement as personal investment. Kids are excited, full of inquiry and joyfully buzzing about their reading, writing and learning together in a community. #g2great
In reply to
@brennanamy, @DrMaryHoward, @hayhurst3, @franmcveigh
#g2great A1 Although there are some behaviors we can see that we associate with engagement I don't think we can no for sure unless we confer with the student, its not something that can be measured extrinsically but intrinsically
A1: I know my students are fully engaged when they are so deep in discussion/learning they no longer need me to facilitate. In essence, I am more in their way by interjecting my thoughts. #G2great
A1. Compliance = to do out of obligation
Participation = to take part, but the impetus doesn't come from within
Motivation = to do bc YOU want to, self-driven #G2Great
A1: Engagement is NOT "you must do this because the teacher said so" It is doing "this" because "this" is my passion, my interest, my curiosity and therefore I must do it! #g2great
A1 Compliance is a joyless act of obligatory doing; participation can be more committed but no more joyful. Motivation can reflect a “doing desire” but often based on narrow goals (grades) #G2Great
I am a coach so I move in and out of different classroom cultures. You can tell when there is engagement the room has dramatic differences in energy level. Sounds different, looks different, it's remarkable. #G2Great@EllinKeene@brennanamy@franmcveigh@DrMaryHoward
In reply to
@tomlittogether, @EllinKeene, @brennanamy, @franmcveigh, @DrMaryHoward
Passion, empowerment, grace are all outside of time. I can’t say that about engagement. That is all to often orchestrated at school and measured on a rubric. #G2great
A1 Compliance--Ss acting based on command or due to external control. Engagement--Ss emotionally involved or committed. When the content is provocative enough that kids choose on their own to invest head and heart in learning. #G2great
A1 True engagement is never about surface reasons in the moment. It’s about putting heart and soul into an experience w/an impact that can linger long after the experience #G2Great
A1: I love this. I tell my Ss that when you are engaged with reading or writing, it’s like you’re in a zone of active learning much like running a race or shooting baskets. You’re locked in. #g2great
A1. I love the distinction @EllinKeene makes in #EngagingChildren. Motivation is for ME, but engagement is for WE. Engagement includes a sense of a larger purpose #G2Great
#g2great A1 Although there are some behaviors we can see that we associate with engagement I don't think we can know for sure unless we confer & interact with the student, its not something that can be measured extrinsically but intrinsically
Yes Tom so the question is do we want kids to feel as disengaged as we do for whatever reason. We can’t allow that to have a trickle down to kids. And maybe we’d view OUR engagement differently as kids view theirs in more passion fueled ways #G2great
A1 Compliance is a joyless act of obligatory doing; participation can be more committed but no more joyful. Motivation can reflect a “doing desire” but often based on narrow goals (grades) #G2Great
A2. Model and share what "engagement" is. (Good, bad and ugly) It's not Perfect Behavior! Celebrate approximations. Encourage student Choice so Ss can get into the engagement zone!
#G2Great
A1: Engagement is NOT "you must do this because the teacher said so" It is doing "this" because "this" is my passion, my interest, my curiosity and therefore I must do it! #g2great
A2 You have to begin by getting to know the students; build authentic relationships. Then you need to make sure that learning is joyful, meaningful & purposeful. You can’t engage students if you only expect them to do what they are told. Give them control of learing. #g2great
A1 Once kids find what is relevant and therefore become engaged, their time-on-task has little to do with the task and everything to do with how they WANT to spend their time. #g2great
Engagment.
Do I see the relevance of doing, thinking, reading, writing, talking, communicating, building, learning, playing etc in my OWN life?
If so, my curiosity is stirred, my mind is actively expansive, and my heart is growing.
If not, then why engage?
#G2great A1
A1. When you're deeply engaged with something, you lose sense of time. You become so immersed that you're lost in your thoughts, experiencing "flow" and joy. #G2Great
It’s all about knowing your kids.There are those who ‘do school’well —they never complain. But when students ask ‘when can we start’ — groan when you have to stop- ignore the recess bell — that’s student engagement. #g2great
So important Kasey. If we want to know what’s going on in those wonderful little brains (or not) then we have to show interest in their thinking. #G2great
#g2great A1 Although there are some behaviors we can see that we associate with engagement I don't think we can know for sure unless we confer & interact with the student, its not something that can be measured extrinsically but intrinsically
A1 Engagement is meaningful and purposeful active participation that is intellectually stimulating and fulfilling. I think of Rosenblatt's aesthetic stance as readers here. #g2great
A2 FIRST we alleviate points, stickers, & pizza parties that promote extrinsic motivation. Over time these set up roadblocks on the path to engagement. There are repercussions for all we do. #G2Great
Exactly, Mary Ann! We are privileged to help kids find their passionate questions, but then we have to get out of the way and trust that they will follow those questions with real engagement.
A1. I love the distinction @EllinKeene makes in #EngagingChildren. Motivation is for ME, but engagement is for WE. Engagement includes a sense of a larger purpose #G2Great
All necessary, and not always A1 It is true that internal motivation can lead to engagement – handing the baton off to the child is the moment when it becomes engagement, when they carry it forward and eventually think about how it impacts others.#G2great
A2: I find Ss are more engaged when they have choice and voice. Time to explore, wonder, inquire. We need to shift to a Ss centered classroom, school. We use their strengths, develop their weaknesses. #G2Great
I think too often there is a disconnect, and we don't realize we're putting the same shackles of #compliance onto kids, who need #joy and #engagement more than we do. #g2great
Yes Tom so the question is do we want kids to feel as disengaged as we do for whatever reason. We can’t allow that to have a trickle down to kids. And maybe we’d view OUR engagement differently as kids view theirs in more passion fueled ways #G2great
A1 Compliance is a joyless act of obligatory doing; participation can be more committed but no more joyful. Motivation can reflect a “doing desire” but often based on narrow goals (grades) #G2Great
A2: Get to know them first. Then I do think we need to help them develop a sense of urgency and self drive. I teach 8th graders and they, despite my efforts, think 8th really means nothing so for a few no matter what I try they are not willing to try. #g2great Still trying...
A2 Give students interesting problems, posing questions that pique their curiosity. There is no better pathway to engagement than through curiosity! #G2Great
A1 When kids have little or no choice in the learning work they do, it's unlikely they're motivated to go beyond the requirement set by the teacher. When they choose what/how they learn, how they show evidence of learning participation, engagement, motivation are given. #g2great
Oh my goodness that beautiful Laurie. I love the distinction between the light and dark and how curiosity and conformity can alter both shades! #G2great
A2: I believe we must know our students. What things will motivate them? What do they love? What do they cherish? How can we bring their interests into the classroom? #g2great
A2: Give students control of their learning. Give them choice and help foster their interests and passions. Let them know that their interests are important. And get rid of silly extrinsic rewards for compliance! #G2great
A2: A common thread throughout the book is modeling for students what engagement looks and sounds like. Provide opportunities for students to practice and select books or projects that will embrace the 4 pillars. #G2great
A2 Get to engagement by discovering what is relevant to Ss. Interest is fleeting; it’s about what’s in the world. Relevance is lasting. It’s personal. You get there by asking kids what matters to them. #g2great
A2 We only need to begin to have the conversation with students – what are their engagement stories? How can we deconstruct them to learn about the conditions that sparked true engagement? #G2great
A2: Allowing for S choice and voice. I was pondering the “I” in S writing today and thought about how we tell kids to get rid of the “I” in their essays. When a S removes the “I” how can we expect them to be connected and motivated? Let students speak and listen to them! #g2great
A1: When a student tells me he looked something up on YouTube as a result of what we read and then ties it into our guided or class discussion, engagement has occurred. #G2great
In reply to
@brennanamy, @HeinemannPub, @DrMaryHoward, @hayhurst3, @franmcveigh
Relationships are the springboard to all we do (and hello dear friend, how did you get in here without me seeing you and sending a virtual hug your way? #G2great
A2 You have to begin by getting to know the students; build authentic relationships. Then you need to make sure that learning is joyful, meaningful & purposeful. You can’t engage students if you only expect them to do what they are told. Give them control of learing. #g2great
A2: I believe we must know our students. What things will motivate them? What do they love? What do they cherish? How can we bring their interests into the classroom? #g2great
Build up Ss self worth. If a positive classroom culture is created, Ss WANT to participate in the learning. A great teacher brings Ss into a community of safety and emotional security that allows them to take risks and bring more to the conversation. #G2great
In reply to
@brennanamy, @DrMaryHoward, @hayhurst3, @franmcveigh
A2: Don Graves said years ago to slow down and let kids really experience learning. “You’ll create a fire in learners’ belly neither they nor you can put out.”#G2Great
A2:build a strong classroom community that embraces collaboration so Ss are conditioned to see risk taking as a positive way to own their learning. #g2great
A2 Make CHOICE a priority! Helping kids find & celebrate their identity as a reader is essential to engagement. Also making a commitment to daily reading/writing opportunities! #G2Great
A2 We have to model and joyfully share our own engagement and help create a community of inquiry- when students stop to simmer in their own curiosity then it can trigger that motivation. #g2great
There’s no greater form of engagement than when kids do it out of a sense of wonder and not out of a sense of obligatory approval seeking (or grades) #G2great
A1: When a student tells me he looked something up on YouTube as a result of what we read and then ties it into our guided or class discussion, engagement has occurred. #G2great
In reply to
@brennanamy, @HeinemannPub, @DrMaryHoward, @hayhurst3, @franmcveigh
A1 Once kids find what is relevant and therefore become engaged, their time-on-task has little to do with the task and everything to do with how they WANT to spend their time. #g2great
I keep thinking how different constructive discourse would be in our nation if generations understood the ownership of engagement. Heady stuff, @EllinKeene ! #G2Great
A2 Value every single question a child puts into the universe. Treat it like gold and nudge them to find the answers on their own. We can take their lead to know when to support. #g2great
A2. Engagement is borne from CHOICE, VOICE, and plenty of OPPORTUNITIES to exercise both. Give kids time to wonder, explore, follow an interest so that that interest can become a passion #G2Great
#g2great A2 Make room for wonder and exploration and expose Ss to a wide variety of topics and experiences; give them just enough of a taste that you leave them hungry for more
A2 FIRST we alleviate points, stickers, & pizza parties that promote extrinsic motivation. Over time these set up roadblocks on the path to engagement. There are repercussions for all we do. #G2Great
Starting with choice and outing purpose gives kids freedom to show their learning their way. That is ownership which is necessary for engagement #G2Great
A2 I spend a lot of time observing my Ss to see what sparks their desire to explore more. I keep going back to what makes them curious, what gives them purpose and fulfills something in them? #G2Great
A2 We not only have to make connections and build relationships with our Ss, but they need to make connections and build relationships with the learning. What is in it for them? How can we make that connection? #g2great
Anita, I think this is a conversation that goes beyond education and has implications for some of the larger social questions we're grappling with as a nation, so thanks. #G2great
I keep thinking how different constructive discourse would be in our nation if generations understood the ownership of engagement. Heady stuff, @EllinKeene ! #G2Great
I think that’s so hard for some Ts Lisa but is so crucial. It shows that we trust kids to do the heavy lifting rather than telling them what to think and do each step of the way. Such a difference #G2great
A2: Give students control of their learning. Give them choice and help foster their interests and passions. Let them know that their interests are important. And get rid of silly extrinsic rewards for compliance! #G2great
#g2great A2 Voice and choice are def the path to intrinsic motivation; however, T needs to help navigate this (often) new independence through conferring and general awareness of what is impt to Ss who walk thru doors each day.
A2b: I agree so much on the point of relevance. I have one that loves to game. Refuses every piece of writing I assign. Full choice given, write about any topic you want. "Can I write about fortnite?" YES... No thanks lol Almost had them haha.
A2 Ask them what they like. Watch them carefully, take note of their personalities. Trust them as you model your own high level of engagment. Read mentor texts - biographies are great for this. Be a window for engagment. #G2Great@EllinKeene@brennanamy@franmcveigh@DrMaryHoward
A2:build a strong classroom community that embraces collaboration so Ss are conditioned to see risk taking as a positive way to own their learning. #g2great
A2 If we have any hope of nurturing kids’ relationship to literacy then we must demonstrate OUR commitment to meaningful purposeful & authentic literacy practices. #G2Great
A2 FIRST we alleviate points, stickers, & pizza parties that promote extrinsic motivation. Over time these set up roadblocks on the path to engagement. There are repercussions for all we do. #G2Great
Yes it shows a real sense of curiosity about student thinking on our part - and I can’t think of anything that is more important. Also generate more questions than we ask. #G2great
A2: Ss need to be actively involved in the task. Involved through discussion, cooperation, and setting the purpose. They take the reins to learning. #g2great
Starting with choice and outing purpose gives kids freedom to show their learning their way. That is ownership which is necessary for engagement #G2Great
A3. Engagement can go more than one way. If we, the Ts/adults cannot describe and explain, how can Ss ever attain it? More options = more likely Ss can name their own behaviors & attitudes that lead to engagement.
#G2Great
A2 Terry, I try to differentiate between simple participation which is often more like parallel play with toddlers and true collaboration which often can be engaging. #G2great
A2:build a strong classroom community that embraces collaboration so Ss are conditioned to see risk taking as a positive way to own their learning. #g2great
Love this because that is how you build your nest - taking a bit from each student to make a home for all! This is engagment - show them it matters. Teach them to expect it. #G2Great@EllinKeene@brennanamy@franmcveigh@DrMaryHoward
A1: When a student tells me he looked something up on YouTube as a result of what we read and then ties it into our guided or class discussion, engagement has occurred. #G2great
In reply to
@brennanamy, @HeinemannPub, @DrMaryHoward, @hayhurst3, @franmcveigh
A2 We have to teach Ss how to become self directed learners. Let them create goals, and then let them drive their own learning. Too often we take ownership away from students. We need to develop meaningful relationships w/Ss & then make learning relevant #g2great
A2 I can't expect Ss to fully engage/invest in work that is not relevant or pertinent to them. Great Ts determine learning goals then design learning with topics/texts that are right in students' "sweet spot". Study Ss and know they're interests/passions #G2great
A2 Recently, one of my kindergarteners told me "this conversation is starting to feel a bit awkward" (referring to an after book discussion). She is 5. And she followed that line of thinking just by me asking her to "tell me more!" #g2great
One could argue that compliance is the enemy of democracy. Compliance implies a lack of will, a refusal to use one's voice to challenge and change. Compliance + complacency are a dangerous combination. #G2Great
Yes I am sharing my #bookaday with my families on our team Facebook page. Literacy doesn't stop just because school is out. This shows my commitment! #g2great
A2 If we have any hope of nurturing kids’ relationship to literacy then we must demonstrate OUR commitment to meaningful purposeful & authentic literacy practices. #G2Great
Ellin Keene I hope you’re soaking in the brilliance that YOU and YOUR BOOK have inspired on #G2great tonight. I suspect that we will all approach engagement with a new lens! because of you!
A3 We need to know the look-fors and objectives for engagement. We need to be engaged so kids may be engaged as well. All five senses must be utilized to engage. Think outside the box; get out of our seats/classrooms. Learning happens everywhere, let’s model that! #g2great
A2: This has a lot to do with the conditions the school, teachers, and staff create in their spaces. If we want children to develop intrinsic motivatation, then the adults must model their passion for learning first...a true desire to learn and grow with their students. #g2great
A2 Open your classroom! Bring the outside world in. Our students show only a fraction of who they are, while at school. Let them lead the way. #g2great
A3 We can’t create a culture where engagement thrives if we don’t know the signs that point us in the right direction. And we can’t consider that work done as we continue to nurture engagement a day to day basis. #G2Great
One could argue that compliance is the enemy of democracy. Compliance implies a lack of will, a refusal to use one's voice to challenge and change. Compliance + complacency are a dangerous combination. #G2Great
A2 It starts with getting to know students and their interests, embedding choice and opportunities to explore personally meaningful ideas, creating an environment where learners feel safe taking risks. #G2great
#g2great A3: To me this question goes hand in hand with why a teacher of writing needs to be a writer. We must experience engagement to know how it feels and what it offers to our Ss for lifelong learning.
A2 Terry, I try to differentiate between simple participation which is often more like parallel play with toddlers and true collaboration which often can be engaging. #G2great
A2:build a strong classroom community that embraces collaboration so Ss are conditioned to see risk taking as a positive way to own their learning. #g2great
A3: Oh this is so important. I think back to a PD on Notice and Note and I was edge of my seat doing possible sentences. Reading Disrupting Thinking I couldn't and still don't put it down. Engagement is a verb and a noun. It is important to know that to teach that. #g2great
#g2great A2 Make room for wonder and exploration and expose Ss to a wide variety of topics and experiences; give them just enough of a taste that you leave them hungry for more
#g2great A3: To me this question goes hand in hand with why a teacher of writing needs to be a writer. We must experience engagement to know how it feels and what it offers to our Ss for lifelong learning.
Love that Lauren. And it’s the reason that we don’t have it all figured out with a step by step lesson plan or script. Engaged learning ALWAYS comes with surprises and that’s where we stand to learn smooch about kids #G2great
A2: This has a lot to do with the conditions the school, teachers, and staff create in their spaces. If we want children to develop intrinsic motivatation, then the adults must model their passion for learning first...a true desire to learn and grow with their students. #g2great
A3We have to recall and then tell our engagement stories – we have to model what it looks, sounds, tastes and feels like to be engaged. We get to put ourselves out in the world to engage and push the boundaries – kids don't always have that opportunity. x #G2great
A3 Because it takes an abstract idea and gives it roots. The only way to know something like engagement is to experience it. This is how we recognize its presence within us. #G2Great@EllinKeene@brennanamy@franmcveigh@DrMaryHoward
This is so important. Teachers need to experience authentic, personalized and engaged learning to envision the powerful possibilities for their own classrooms. We can’t teach what we don’t live. #g2great
A3: Pam from NJ jumping in late. Once we experience learning this way ourselves... there is no way anyone could ever deny ANY student access to this type of CR community ever again. Night & day... #g2great
A3. Engagement can go more than one way. If we, the Ts/adults cannot describe and explain, how can Ss ever attain it? More options = more likely Ss can name their own behaviors & attitudes that lead to engagement.
#G2Great
A2 I think we forget to ask kids how to help us (Ts) be better facilitators of learning. "What can I do to maximize your engagement? When/how do you learn best? When we study _____ what recommendations do you have for me? Tell about a time you had your best learning." #G2great
A3: It makes me go back to Mosaic of Thought. I couldn't teach Ss the strategies until I became aware of them in my own reading. That is why and how Mosaic of Thought changed me, I needed to be aware. #G2Great
Which means that we need to step back and give them room to take over as we soak in the wonder of it all and gently nudge from the sidelines only as needed. We LOVE to be needed but trust is about NOT being needed! #G2great
A3 Ss are savvy! They pick up on our passion and excitement and become energized. We need to give off that energy, that passion, that excitement. #G2Great
Is our work together relevant to Ss' authentic lives? If so, they're engaged & intrinsically motivated. If not, I've gotta ask myself why not, listen & then make shifts toward more relevance. Ss need a voice in this process, agency to make their own choices & my support.
#G2great
A3- Without our own deep understanding of engagement, we can't recognize, much less establish conditions in the classroom that would lead to deep engagement. #g2great
A3: Just like in Mosaic of Thought, @EllinKeene helped me to spy on myself as a reader so I would KNOW what I was doing, now I need to SPY on myself in those "flow" moments. If I don't know it, I can't name it for my students #g2great
A2 @BobProbst and I asked over 1000 kids what big world problems they wanted to solve and then we asked how much time they have at school to focus on this. Answer: None. Engagement starts with asking kids what matters to them. #G2Great
This is so important. Teachers need to experience authentic, personalized and engaged learning to envision the powerful possibilities for their own classrooms. We can’t teach what we don’t live. #g2great
A3: Our own experience with true engagement will make modeling that much more powerful for students. We can connect to the shared experience of being engaged and how different it feels than just going through the motions of compliance. #G2great
A3 It's impossible to create an engaging environment if we don't know what it looks like. We have to learn all we can about our students because they are the audience. Knowing our students well is the answer. #g2great
A3: We need to know what engagement looks, feels, sounds like for ourselves in order to model it and look for it in our students. A “rule follower” might look engaged without being really invested in their own learning #G2great
A3: It’s much like joining the literacy club...if we aren’t members ourselves, why would kids be? Perhaps we have to join the engagement club ourselves to know better how to create the conditions so that kids find engagement in our classrooms. #G2Great
#G2Great I agree! We are in the middle of a unit on fantasy fiction. Ss got to choose the books for their books clubs. It's the end of May in 5th grade and my students can't get enough of reading, thinking about and talking about their books! Choice & high-level thinking engages.
A3: Learning is an essential part of being human. The conditions that help us learn are the conditions children need. So often, convenience supersedes logic. Doing ourselves what we expect of Ss gives us a window into their world & shows us the effect of our teaching. #g2great
A3: We need to be actively engaged with our own practice of reading and writing or how will we know what motivates students to engage? Are we engaged as we teach whole class novels and plays? Are we engaged with study guides and MC tests? The answer is probably “No.” #g2great
So important Ellin and then we need to watch for signs along the way where we see evidence of engagement when kids don’t even know it. We have to have a laser focus on the wonderful of it all (and that’s what engaged learning is - WONDER inspiring! #G2great
A3We have to recall and then tell our engagement stories – we have to model what it looks, sounds, tastes and feels like to be engaged. We get to put ourselves out in the world to engage and push the boundaries – kids don't always have that opportunity. x #G2great
A3: Just like in Mosaic of Thought, @EllinKeene helped me to spy on myself as a reader so I would KNOW what I was doing, now I need to SPY on myself in those "flow" moments. If I don't know it, I can't name it for my students #g2great
When I think of moments I am engaged, I have no desire to check my phone. I have no desire to look at my clock. I want the experience to last and endure because I am so deeply invested in the moment. Similar experiences for Ss are crucial. #g2great
A3 There isn’t an “engagement lesson” that can fix non-engagement. Until we know what engagement looks/sounds/feels like we can’t plant seeds to help it grow. #G2Great
I am a high school teacher. Although they might have lost some of that wonder, it is our job to bring back the joy and amazement to our learning. Done with lecturing. Engage their leadership! Build with relationships! Surprise them! Be excited! #g2great
If you can recognize when Ss are engaged you can reflect on what you were specifically teaching/saying/doing at the time of engagement. Understanding HOW to engage them allows you to try similar methods in other areas in order to achieve engagement again and again. #G2great
In reply to
@brennanamy, @DrMaryHoward, @hayhurst3, @franmcveigh
A3: Through kidwatching we learn so much about our Ss and classroom. It is essential so we can know what works and what doesn't. So through observation we can come to know what true engagement involves--our senses as well as our heart. #g2great
A2 engagement on their own terms screams ownership. Stickers and rewards always felt like compliance for me. “Sit back and wait to be motivated.” How can we expect to develop inquiry that way? #G2Great
#g2great A3: To me this question goes hand in hand with why a teacher of writing needs to be a writer. We must experience engagement to know how it feels and what it offers to our Ss for lifelong learning.
#g2great A3 Much like a childlike faith, we need to keep a sense of wonder and remember the all important pause and take time to see the world through their eyes and remember the magic in discovery
A3. What distinguishes competent Ts from excellent ones is self-reflection. Excellent teachers know themselves, can be critical of themselves and their practices. If Ts are to nurture engagement in their classrooms, they need to know what it feels like in their own lives #G2Great
Yes it does Jenn but a healthy dose of panic pang is not a bad thing. It's what may have the greatest potential to lead us to new heights of amazing in fact - IF we are willing to let go of that control! #G2great
A2: Get to know students. Watch them. Talk to them. Listen to them. When we work from student curiosities, wonderings, & points of interest- true, authentic engagement naturally builds- and sustains itself. #g2great
Gotta live it as learners ourselves.
Gotta be authentic & transparent about the process of what engaged learning looks, feels, sounds, smells like ourselves.
Gotta speak from a stance of lived experience.
That's real.
#G2great
I am a high school teacher. Although they might have lost some of that wonder, it is our job to bring back the joy and amazement to our learning. Done with lecturing. Engage their leadership! Build with relationships! Surprise them! Be excited! #g2great
A3 When we ourselves have been truly engaged as learners, we can reflect on the conditions that contributed to our engagement and intentionally recreate those conditions in our classroom. #G2great
A3: My philosophy has always been grounded in Brain Cambourne's 7 Conditions of Learning because he is so right... the 1st condition, Immersion is a time to shower students with the content and context in which they are learning! #g2great
A3 When a couple becomes engaged, each decides “I want this.” The same is true in a classroom when a student becomes engaged. She has decided “I want this.” #G2Great
Can I just tell you how much I love and adore our #G2great family and watching you interact with the incredible Ellin Keene tonight. THIS is true engagement folks and this is why I became a teacher all those years ago! #G2great
A3 This points to the reason that reading teachers MUST be readers. We must first understand engagement from a personal perspective before we can promote it in others. #G2Great
#g2great A3 Today's Ts need to be learners first. We have to immerse ourselves in what we teach so that we can share the passion and joy w/Ss. In a close-knit classroom community, Ss soak up Ts enthusiasm and build confidence to try new things fully.
Yes it does Jenn but a healthy dose of panic pang is not a bad thing. It's what may have the greatest potential to lead us to new heights of amazing in fact - IF we are willing to let go of that control! #G2great
A3 In the book, I tell a crazy story about a flight my family took in a small single engine plane to land on the shortest commercial runway in the world. Engaged? I was beyond engagement, all the way to euphoria. Why can't our kids share those experiences? #G2great
Not being afraid is key.. Acknowledging we all have those days those times when we missed the mark. Reflection is always key. Knowing the best make mistakes is empowering #g2great
In reply to
@hayhurst3, @EllinKeene, @brennanamy, @franmcveigh, @DrMaryHoward
When I think of moments I am engaged, I have no desire to check my phone. I have no desire to look at my clock. I want the experience to last and endure because I am so deeply invested in the moment. Similar experiences for Ss are crucial. #g2great
I need to reflect on moments when I was engaged in my natural life, and also think about moments when I was engaged in the learning process. It was usually sparked by something I read, heard, or saw that drove me to question and seek more and more. #g2great
A3: Pam from NJ jumping in late. Once we experience learning this way ourselves... there is no way anyone could ever deny ANY student access to this type of CR community ever again. Night & day... #g2great
A4. Kid watching will help T name what engagement feels, sounds, smells, and looks like. Process & naming are important step to success for engaged students!
Watching is important = T's mouth is NOT prompting, guiding - must see what Ss do independently!
#G2Great
A3. Just as Ts need to be readers if they are going to nurture young readers, & just as Ts need to be writers to cultivate a writing community—Ts also need to know what engagement feels, sounds, & looks like in their own lives so they model and share authentically w/Ss #G2Great
Their wonder if fueled by ours Roman and so if HS Ts have the sense of wonder unfettered by the demands that come with teaching (like you my friend), anything is possible! #G2great
I am a high school teacher. Although they might have lost some of that wonder, it is our job to bring back the joy and amazement to our learning. Done with lecturing. Engage their leadership! Build with relationships! Surprise them! Be excited! #g2great
A2 @BobProbst and I asked over 1000 kids what big world problems they wanted to solve and then we asked how much time they have at school to focus on this. Answer: None. Engagement starts with asking kids what matters to them. #G2Great
A3 Are we deeply engaged with our own interests and curiosities in our classrooms? Are we working on the edge of our seats as we wait to hear what our students notice and wonder about what we’re doing together? Are we expecting to be transformed? #G2great
#g2great A3 if you haven't experienced it yourself you become satisfied with the mundane, you don't hunger for more and you can't recreate the opportunity or experience for others
A2 engagement on their own terms screams ownership. Stickers and rewards always felt like compliance for me. “Sit back and wait to be motivated.” How can we expect to develop inquiry that way? #G2Great
A4 Engagement isn’t an isolated learning goal but a culture that permeates the air we breathe. Kidwatching is embedded in the learning process so it requires no added time – just commitment to be present in learning moments. #G2Great
A4- Kidwatching tells us more in a few minutes than a stack of formal assessments ever would. We watch for what drives a child, what excites them. What do they question, what do they wonder? Conversely, what deadens their desire? From what do they retreat? #G2great
Not being afraid is key.. Acknowledging we all have those days those times when we missed the mark. Reflection is always key. Knowing the best make mistakes is empowering #g2great
In reply to
@hayhurst3, @EllinKeene, @brennanamy, @franmcveigh, @DrMaryHoward
A3 This is so important, @jarhartz. There are times when kids need to comply -- think safety and there are times when we miss the mark in terms of developing internal motivation and shifting it into engagement -all just critical for reflection! #G2great
Not being afraid is key.. Acknowledging we all have those days those times when we missed the mark. Reflection is always key. Knowing the best make mistakes is empowering #g2great
In reply to
@hayhurst3, @EllinKeene, @brennanamy, @franmcveigh, @DrMaryHoward
A4: There is excitement and wonder in the eyes of engaged learners. The glazed over look is often a sign of the opposite. Being present and paying attention is key to determining that engagement #g2great
A3: Learning is an essential part of being human. The conditions that help us learn are the conditions children need. So often, convenience supersedes logic. Doing ourselves what we expect of Ss gives us a window into their world & shows us the effect of our teaching. #g2great
A3 It helps to deconstruct what precipitates my own engagement so I can set conditions for that to happen for the kids in my care. It's not magic. Planning for engagement takes thoughtful, intentional work on the T's part. It's environment, community, texts--so much more #G2great
A4 When we share control of the learning, we have to be engaged, active participants in the classroom experience. Watch, observe, video, see how kids learn, collaborate, question, inquire, analyze. To properly support students, we need to know how they work. Take notice. #g2great
A4 I include an appendix teachers can use when they stand back to watch. Engagement is tricky – sometimes an engaged-appearing child is not and and child who appears to be elsewhere is deeply engaged. #G2great
A4 Engagement has outward and visible signs of an inward and invisible urge to know. But those outward signs differ from kid to kid. So we must watch carefully, deeply, and often. #G2Great
I worry that we’re losing that. So many Ts see kid watching as doing NOTHING when I think it’s leads to EVERYTHING in the form of noticing that can change the course of what follows! #G2great
A4- Kidwatching tells us more in a few minutes than a stack of formal assessments ever would. We watch for what drives a child, what excites them. What do they question, what do they wonder? Conversely, what deadens their desire? From what do they retreat? #G2great
A4:kidwatching - the most important formative assessment tool we have which gives us the most important data to know. Kidwatching is the heart of what we do. #g2great
Ah, kidwatching! For me, it always happened in the "cracks" in the day- But it wasn't nearly enough! I had to be intentional about having conversations and being "part" of the groups and the work taking place. #g2great
A4 When we talk to kids about their level of engagement and when we develop a language of engagement in the classroom, they become more aware of and independent in their own engagement. #G2great
A3: I love taking those moments to kidwatch. Then we must celebrate those pieces of engagement, stop and discuss it. Highlight what it looked like, talk about what brought them there. Dissect it with the students. #G2Great
A4- Kidwatching tells us more in a few minutes than a stack of formal assessments ever would. We watch for what drives a child, what excites them. What do they question, what do they wonder? Conversely, what deadens their desire? From what do they retreat? #G2great
A4 To promote a culture of engagement means we must step back & allow kids to assume control. These afford us golden opportunities to become expert curious kidwatchers. #G2Great
A4 When a teacher steps back and allows kids the magic that comes from letting them do the heavy lifting, a teacher can effectively monitor and teach with engagement at the forefront. #g2great
Yes and have the courage to step back and say nothing - just be present in the powerful and magical learning moments that are speaking to us in volumes! #G2great
Ah, kidwatching! For me, it always happened in the "cracks" in the day- But it wasn't nearly enough! I had to be intentional about having conversations and being "part" of the groups and the work taking place. #g2great
a4 Kid watching is a great way to develop relationships with students. It's also a great formative assessment (if you remember to write down notes) #g2great
#g2great@EllinKeene Can't wait to read about that one! Our kids so can tell those stories! They experience them when the read, when they watch, when they experience LIFE. We can get to it by talking and creating a community of learners. It just seeps out of them then I think.
A3 In the book, I tell a crazy story about a flight my family took in a small single engine plane to land on the shortest commercial runway in the world. Engaged? I was beyond engagement, all the way to euphoria. Why can't our kids share those experiences? #G2great
I also tried not to let my kidwatching interfere with engagement that was naturally taking place. I took a lot of photos which I reflected on later that were proof deep learning was taking place. Expressions, holding up evidence, etc. #g2great
A4: Kidwatching: Kids are watching you for cues to your honesty, heart, and integrity. It would make sense to watch them back to gauge what moves them, what excites them, what makes them upset or withdraw. Be in the moment together. #g2great
A4 I include an appendix teachers can use when they stand back to watch. Engagement is tricky – sometimes an engaged-appearing child is not and and child who appears to be elsewhere is deeply engaged. #G2great
A4 When a teacher steps back and allows kids the magic that comes from letting them do the heavy lifting, a teacher can effectively monitor and teach with engagement at the forefront. #g2great
So important to consider this. Teachers need to be invested in their own learning processes, we need to live to live the learning we expect of our kids. #g2great
A4: Once ya try it- you will see the benefits that result & how "well-worth-it" this time is. Yields more truly useful info than almost anything else. :-) .... (1 of 2) #g2great
A4 I include an appendix teachers can use when they stand back to watch. Engagement is tricky – sometimes an engaged-appearing child is not and and child who appears to be elsewhere is deeply engaged. #G2great
Kid watching is the most powerful indicator of our teaching effectiveness. How can we not dedicate time to this. It’s the best assessment tool we have.#G2Great
A4: Two quick ways to really have time to notice. Take photos of kids during discussion, on the classroom library, reading. Then study and reflect on them. This one borrowedfrom Colleen Buddy years ago...videotape kids engaged in a task without you: what do you notice? #G2Great
A4 True, Jenn, and we also need to know when to step back! That's a problem I have always struggled with. I trust kids completely and have to know that they will learn deeply when they're independently engaged. #g2great
A4 As a literacy specialist, I am very fortunate to be able to team teach. This allows for a second set of eyes in classrooms at different times of the block. We then collab to share our observations and work to support our Ss. #G2Great
A4: Kid watching gives so much information about our students and classroom community. We can see their passions as well as things that turn them off as a learner. Have a colleague tape your students as you coach, teach, listen to find what you miss #G2great
A4 Effective kidwatchers don’t just view isolated experiences. Collective learning experiences allow patterns begin to emerge. This makes kidwatching a central feature of the reflective process. #G2Great
A4 When we are kidwatching, we have to get out of the way. We can observe the learning as it unfolds for each student. They are in the driver's seat, not us. #G2great
Yes- it's about what kind of environment and routines we establish. If the right conditions are in place, we can easily step back and step away and the opportunity for kidwatching presents itself. #g2great
To understand your Ss you have to observe them in their learning environment. So much is given away when Ss are interacting with peers that can aid you in how they learn best and what they are most comfortable with. Things you could not know about them without looking. #G2great
In reply to
@brennanamy, @DrMaryHoward, @hayhurst3, @franmcveigh
A4: (2 of 2) At the very least, I like to start and end Workshop with a couple of minutes of kid watching. I miss so much when I jump in and do MY thing without considering what the students are actually doing in that same moment. #g2great
I don't think there is anything more encouraging to me as a teacher than to step back and see that Ss are engaged in my classroom. It empowers us all. #G2Great
A4: Kidwatching = responsive teaching. We use it to celebrate and support the learning moves we want our students to make. Kidwatching informs the moves we make as lead learners. When we are engage in their learning process they are too. #G2great
#g2great A4 Sometimes I start my conferring block by kidwatching, or better yet, devote a whole Reading Zone solely to kidwatching. At this pt in yr, I know who struggles to get into zone or stay on task during ind work. Need to be attentive to how Ss work to help them improve.
#g2great A3 if you haven't experienced it yourself you become satisfied with the mundane, you don't hunger for more and you can't recreate the opportunity or experience for others
A4 I include an appendix teachers can use when they stand back to watch. Engagement is tricky – sometimes an engaged-appearing child is not and and child who appears to be elsewhere is deeply engaged. #G2great
When kidwatching, I was always nervous my principal would walk in and wonder what I was doing- was I sitting back? It may have appeared that way, but I was using my observations to drive what would happen NEXT. #g2great
A4. By stepping back and "kidwatching" — by not jumping in to solve problems kids can probably solve on their own —Ts can observe what Ss can do on independently AND give them an opportunity to move from motivation to engagement and time to become fully immersed #G2Great
Kid watching; essential.
A question I always ponder: How can any relevant curriculum be built w/o knowledge of those it was designed to inspire?
How are kids known to us? One way: kid watching.
Targeted, purposeful, responsive.
#G2Great A4
For me engagement feels like getting lost in facination. It's like uncovering something remarkable that leads to something else. I'm a seeker an explorer who is on the verge... #G2Great@EllinKeene@brennanamy@franmcveigh@DrMaryHoward
A5 We make room for conversations that allow kids to make sense of how books offer an entry point into the world with collaborative experiences to broaden that view #G2Great
A4 Great idea to spend a few minutes in the transition before conferring to stand back and kid watch. I love to move to different places in the room to get different angles. Very telling!! #G2great
#g2great A4 Sometimes I start my conferring block by kidwatching, or better yet, devote a whole Reading Zone solely to kidwatching. At this pt in yr, I know who struggles to get into zone or stay on task during ind work. Need to be attentive to how Ss work to help them improve.
#g2great A4 I think about all of the things that can go unspoken, unnoticed everyday & how much we could learn as a fly on the wall...no agenda...just eyes laser focused on behaviors and interactions that, in passing, may have seemed insignificant, pause+presence is powerful
A4 As a K tchr, I KidWatch a lot. It's amazing how much we miss during the course of the day! I learn a great deal: social, emotional, who is leading, who is following, etc... #g2great
A5: I think engagement goes hand in hand with empowerment. We want to foster the mindset: I am engaged, therefore I am empowered. I can move forward with my learning. I can move forward with making a difference and making a change. #g2great
A4 Kid watching is the BEST- the nuggets you gleam lead to conversations and a building of vocabulary and discourse about process. Give St those words to describe their learning and watch them soar #g2great
A2 @BobProbst and I asked over 1000 kids what big world problems they wanted to solve and then we asked how much time they have at school to focus on this. Answer: None. Engagement starts with asking kids what matters to them. #G2Great
A4 Eavesdropping, contrary to what your mother told you, is the most important skill! I use it in restaurants (ooops, classrooms) all the time #G2great
A4: Kidwatching gives us insight into habits and reactions. Each child is unique, and the look of engagement for one will not be the same look of engagement for another. We watch kids to know kids. And we’re better for it. #g2great
A5 Learning needs to be about make an impact/difference in the world. Create authentic learning tasks with your students that allows students to learn in the community & improve life. Show them they are active, responsible, important citizens. Lead with kindness & heart. #g2great
A5- By not allowing for meaningless busywork. Our time with students is precious- how are we honouring that? How will we make today (and tomorrow, and the next day) meaningful and purposeful? #G2great
A4 I tell kids I’ll be watching to figure out what I can figure out about them. I ask them to tell me a few things I should watch for that would show me they are engaged with what they are doing. #G2Great
A5b Be the change you want to see in the world. We need to really live this mantra and movement. Take it upon ourselves to make a change, no matter the age, no matter the obstacles. Let’s work at it together. #g2great
And best of all, Kidwatching COMES from the heart because it means that we are so curious about kids that we are willing to close our mouths and linger in those wonderful learning moments MOllie #G2great
A4:kidwatching - the most important formative assessment tool we have which gives us the most important data to know. Kidwatching is the heart of what we do. #g2great
A4 When we talk to kids about their level of engagement and when we develop a language of engagement in the classroom, they become more aware of and independent in their own engagement. #G2great
A4. Kidwatching allows Ts to become engaged—to observe, wonder, notice, to become curious and fascinated by our kids, to appreciate them as learners. Kidwatching allows us time to form our own theories about learning as we constantly tweak our practices #G2Great
So true, Ellin! I have a fifth grade student who is truly engaged while reading but his body is often wiggly. Yet he’s totally immersed in his book! #g2great
A3: My philosophy has always been grounded in Brain Cambourne's 7 Conditions of Learning because he is so right... the 1st condition, Immersion is a time to shower students with the content and context in which they are learning! #g2great
A4 Eavesdropping, contrary to what your mother told you, is the most important skill! I use it in restaurants (ooops, classrooms) all the time #G2great
A5: Making global connections, take advantage of the culture we live in and the tools available. The literature we use to inspire them. Empathy, compassion and kindness need to grow. #G2Great
#g2great A5: When Ss find true engagement, they will want to make a difference. We have to be willing to take the steps alongside them that make this possible.
A5 1st we think about what we DON’T do. If we simply assign worksheets & trivial activities, we can’t expect kids to see books as a doorway to change. #G2Great
A5 Moving from internal motivation (I do it for me) to the more developed forms of engagement (I do it for "we") is the most important move we can facilitate for kids. So many great educators have written about the critical need to have courageous conversations. #G2great
@DrMaryHoward this is my favorite part of kid watching- to find the patterns and to see a small piece of the puzzle and step back to see a broader view and how those pieces may or may not fit together. #g2great
A4 Effective kidwatchers don’t just view isolated experiences. Collective learning experiences allow patterns begin to emerge. This makes kidwatching a central feature of the reflective process. #G2Great
A5 Yes. Reading ought to give us the opportunity to change ourselves and in doing that, perhaps give us the ability to change the world around us. #G2Great
#g2great Engagement flows into a drive for what comes next.... The engagement should not stop when the work in the classroom stops. "I did this and did it well in the classroom... What will I do next? Where will I go? What difference can I make?"
A5: I honestly think that when we provide the resources, scaffold (when nec) and sustain engaged learning- students often find ways to bring their learning, collaboration, & experiences beyond themselves. #g2great
It’s quite something to behold isn’t it. And it has nothing to do with kids sitting dutifully at their seats doing our bidding (or the bidding of a program). We need to re-envision what is possible when we let go of the ties that bind #G2great
I think that kidwatching & its true purpose is one of the hardest aspects of teaching-you are observing with a teaching lens & with a heart lens ( what is the subtext of what you observe?). This is where true teacher collaboration can be most effective. #g2great
In reply to
@hayhurst3, @EllinKeene, @brennanamy, @franmcveigh, @DrMaryHoward
A5: Deep, thought provoking literature, informational text that encompasses social and world issues while eliciting strong emotional reactions, is an opportunity for students to reflect on the past, present, and future. A time to question their intentions #g2great
A5 We ensure that we inspire, support, gently nudge & invite more questions than we ask. We trust books to do the work they are meant to do & make room for kids to explore personal understandings. #G2Great
A5: Show students the possibilities when their voice is moved beyond the four walls of the classroom in authentic ways. The is great power felt when your voice feels valued. #g2great
A4 Kidwatching is powerful stuff. I want to combine that with asking kids often to talk to me about their learning. I can observe, but they are the #1 experts in helping me interpret the kidwatching. #g2great
It IS hard to step back and simply soak in the wonder of it all but it’s so powerful (you just made my heart so happy to see you here tonight my friend!! #G2great
I think that kidwatching & its true purpose is one of the hardest aspects of teaching-you are observing with a teaching lens & with a heart lens ( what is the subtext of what you observe?). This is where true teacher collaboration can be most effective. #g2great
In reply to
@hayhurst3, @EllinKeene, @brennanamy, @franmcveigh, @DrMaryHoward
A5 We have the world at our fingertips with high quality, provocative books. I'm often asked for a list of my favorite books. I think we all need to create our own lists that align with our engagement! #g2great
A5: Deep, thought provoking literature, informational text that encompasses social and world issues while eliciting strong emotional reactions, is an opportunity for students to reflect on the past, present, and future. A time to question their intentions #g2great
Ideally, it seems, we don't want engagement to be something that happens in the classroom, and then students go home and watch TV or play video games...Instead, their engagement continues and it leads to bigger and better things beyond school... into community and world. #g2great
A5: Foster empathy in our students. Allow them to think about, question, and discuss the problems they see in the classroom, school, and world and allow them to use their passion to find ways to help #G2great
A5 I would infuse authentic writing experiences and I have to say it comes back to the texts we read. My St this year were fired up over some of the things we read that led them way beyond the text #g2great
A5: Seems like enacting change is a natural progression from engagement, it stems from the emotional resonance. Just like in Field of Dreams....if you engage them, change will come. #g2great
I love that idea of eavesdropping and it’s important that we do this a regular basis since we’re looking for POWER PATTERNS rather than one shot noticings. #G2great
So funny! When you know your kids these behaviors are accepted. I have kids that have to stand or perch or lay on their back or fiddle with origami as they read. It’s really hard for some to just sit. We need to adjust our picture of engagement #G2Great
That's the whole point of reading! To be changed and to wish to see change-when our kids see this, they are truly engaged in what they choose to read. #G2Great
A5 Yes. Reading ought to give us the opportunity to change ourselves and in doing that, perhaps give us the ability to change the world around us. #G2Great
A6 We must gather the most amazing student-centered resources we can find. We can’t expect engagement to become a reality if we hold onto resources devoid of inspiration- inducing fuel! #G2Great
A5: I model thinking of others as I consider my own actions -&trust in students that they will do this, 2. Ss see and feel what we do- They want to feel empowered and want to lend a hand. We can help this happen (sometimes by getting out of their way) #g2great
A4 Perhaps before we can watch our kids with any true vision, we need to step back and watch ourselves. Are we engaged learners? Are we more compliant than engaged? What would kids see if they engaged in teacher watching? #G2Great
A5. We need to invite Ss into conversations about social issues, and yes, even the "controversial" ones. Kids can't know what they might care about if we shy away from certain topics. We need to listen to what kids and connect their conversation with the world #G2Great
Engagement has so much more to do than creating meaningful reading, math, science lessons... Yes, certainly we do that, but ultimately, our job as educators is to instill engagement as a way of life for our students. #g2great That will change the world.
A6 To me it is about having authentic relationships based on heart and kindness. You need to be a family, a community, who knows one another, who respects each other, empathizes, has compassion, so that together we can make change happen. Share our joy and love. #g2great
We surely do and then we elevate that love when we embrace THEIR questions and wonderings. It takes more comprehension to ASK a good question than to answer one so we celebrate those too #G2great
A6 It doesn't have to be perfect. No one is able to create all those conditions simultaneously or all the time. We share responsibility with them If they're aware of the conditions, they can work toward creating, especially the unseen/unheard conditions independently. #g2great
#g2great A6: Essential condition for engagement is choice, voice, and authenticity. You also must have safety, kindness, collaboration, and wonder...So many essentials!
A6: I think the most essential condition is that everyone feels SAFE! Thinking to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs... Once I feel safe, I can let my guard down, and I can then become wholly and fully engaged. #g2great
A5 I believe making learning relevant is the key to engagement. Students need to know how the learning connects to the real world. When teachers connect learning to the real world then students can become more engaged. #g2great
A4: I agree! Listen in everywhere; in airports when adults talk with little ones, in all kinds of settings, even in our college classrooms. I basically life watch. It is central to being a learner. #G2Great
A4 Eavesdropping, contrary to what your mother told you, is the most important skill! I use it in restaurants (ooops, classrooms) all the time #G2great
A3: Time. We can't be rushing them, we need to give them time to become engaged. I see so many classrooms trying to fit so much in. Slow down, engagement requires time. #G2Great
A4 Perhaps before we can watch our kids with any true vision, we need to step back and watch ourselves. Are we engaged learners? Are we more compliant than engaged? What would kids see if they engaged in teacher watching? #G2Great
A6- To me, an essential condition for engagement is trust. Trust in our students to know themselves as learners and trust in the community we've worked hard to create. Compliance-driven classrooms are usually lacking in trust. #G2great
A5 I love what @KyleneBeers said earlier about asking kids what problems they care about solving. If we start there, kids are engaged enough to think beyond themselves and formulate solutions for their wider community. #G2great
A6: Hearts need to be invested in the classroom. If our minds and hearts are wandering (and it's so easy for that to happen!), it's more difficult to become engaged. How can we eliminate the tendency to "wander"? #g2great
A6: Easiest way to get going: Work FROM student interests & curiosities instead of trying to "build in" their voice, perspectives, & passions. Much more authentic- and relevant learning yields engaged participation & leading. #g2great
A5 I believe making learning relevant is the key to engagement. Students need to know how the learning connects to the real world. When teachers connect learning to the real world then students can become more engaged. #g2great
#g2great A5 The way I have been getting Ss to think about positive chgs in the world is through the BHH strategy of reading. What Ss take to heart drives this application into the real world. \@KyleneBeers@BobProbst
A5 Engagement results from students' motivation to put their voices out into the world; to craft a message in order to impact an audience is powerful for students. #G2great
A6 Access to meaningful, purposeful, engaging texts is key. We gather texts personalized to Sts & offer ample time to engage in them w/o an unworthy instructional agenda. #G2Great
Our kids our teacher watching every single learning day. That's the truth of it. Are we living up to what they wish to see/hope to see? That's a question I ask myself every teaching moment of my day. #G2Great
A4 Perhaps before we can watch our kids with any true vision, we need to step back and watch ourselves. Are we engaged learners? Are we more compliant than engaged? What would kids see if they engaged in teacher watching? #G2Great
Ideally, it seems, we don't want engagement to be something that happens in the classroom, and then students go home and watch TV or play video games...Instead, their engagement continues and it leads to bigger and better things beyond school... into community and world. #g2great
Safety.
To be my authentic self.
To take risks w/ my learning.
To share my developing thinking.
To be a part of an expansive learning community.
To learn more about myself & the humanity of others...
Safety. Is. Critically. Essential.
#G2Great A6
@DrMaryHoward@EllinKeene
A6: Sense of ownership. Ss have to feel that the space is there's to grow and explore in. Without that comfort it will be difficult for them to relax and learn. #g2great
A5: One essential condition to support student engagement is purpose - if students do not understand the purpose of what they are learning they will not be truly engaged #G2Great
A5 Our youngest Ss are constantly learning about themselves and how they fit into this world. We have created opportunities for them to realize that they are a part of a larger community. They are reading and writing for authentic purposes. #G2Great
And not LEVELED - My 5th graders enjoyed the "first grade leveled" WHO WOULD WIN series - it's about how to engage students in READING FOR THE LOVE OF READING. #g2great
Absolutely! So important for kids to understand when compliance is essential. Had a fire alarm today. It was completely unexpected and kids did not handle it well. Teachable moment for my students and me. #G2Great
A6: the environment is critical. Do students feel safe, do they feel valued, do they see themselves in the texts they read? I don’t think engagement can be effective without some vulnerability. A safe place encourages that. #g2great
I’m signing off folks. Thank you @EllinKeene for writing this book and thank you @franmcveigh and @DrMaryHoward for all you do to support #G2Great. And to each of you teachers - thanks for being there, watching kids, encouraging them every day. #G2Great
YES I still love comic books I grew up on (casper, Archie and Veronica) and GASP an occasional VC Andrews just to take a trip down memory lane #G2great
And not LEVELED - My 5th graders enjoyed the "first grade leveled" WHO WOULD WIN series - it's about how to engage students in READING FOR THE LOVE OF READING. #g2great
A6 Kids must know by our every action that we value student-ownership of the instructional process. If we plant our feet at the center of learning, then theirs aren’t. We have to step aside & invite them in! #G2Great
Yes, we have to be in the room fully present in the moment. This is such an important point Dylan. Engagement can't be phony - we risk seeming superficial and that is hard to recover from. #G2Great@EllinKeene@brennanamy@franmcveigh@DrMaryHoward
In reply to
@dylanteut, @EllinKeene, @brennanamy, @franmcveigh, @DrMaryHoward
A6 Time. Time. Time. Reflection. Reflection. Reflection. Sometimes stepping away from "the plan" is going allow us to see the hidden treasure. #g2great
#g2great A6 There have been many big chgs for me this yr in 4th gr. Besides voice & choice, flexible seating has been a huge game changer in my room. Ss know they are free to move abt rm once mini-lesson(s) are done. W/o fail, they take advantage of option and are better for it.
So agree! I’m itchy myself and get it! No boxing into a framework with preconceived ideas. Engagement is always evolving and dependent on our students. #g2great
A6: Might be obvious, but I the teacher must CARE and act like it! I've witnessed too many painful lessons where teachers themselves were unengaged- no way could they expect students to be engaged! #g2great
This is why I love using action research in my classroom. Treading new territory is exciting for me and my passion for learning naturally bubbles out into the classroom. #g2great
A4 Perhaps before we can watch our kids with any true vision, we need to step back and watch ourselves. Are we engaged learners? Are we more compliant than engaged? What would kids see if they engaged in teacher watching? #G2Great
A7. This goes back to being able to describe what "engagement" is. Then Ss can self assess. Where am I on the path to engagement? Better than last month? What's my evidence? Internal self-check = self-awareness = path to engagement!
#G2Great
@KeithEGarvert Oh the boxes! I think of those kids that have the box that looks like it made its way around the world with the most obnoxious delivery man. How do they ever break out? #g2great
A6. And LISTENING. Listening to our Ss when they share their worries and thoughts, not dismissing them, even if we see it differently. Thanks @MrazKristine#empathy#G2Great
Yes, we have to be in the room fully present in the moment. This is such an important point Dylan. Engagement can't be phony - we risk seeming superficial and that is hard to recover from. #G2Great@EllinKeene@brennanamy@franmcveigh@DrMaryHoward
In reply to
@dylanteut, @EllinKeene, @brennanamy, @franmcveigh, @DrMaryHoward
Teachers often remark about how slowly I seem to go with kids. It isn't dumbing down; it's providing the space to think, sometimes in silence and making sure that everyone knows it's okay! #G2great
A6 Time. Time. Time. Reflection. Reflection. Reflection. Sometimes stepping away from "the plan" is going allow us to see the hidden treasure. #g2great
A6. AGENCY. To support engagement, we must create as many opportunities for students to become agents of their own learning. Agency is about action, either for oneself or for others. That's key. Students must have opportunities to ACT. #G2Great
Our kids our teacher watching every single learning day. That's the truth of it. Are we living up to what they wish to see/hope to see? That's a question I ask myself every teaching moment of my day. #G2Great
A4 Perhaps before we can watch our kids with any true vision, we need to step back and watch ourselves. Are we engaged learners? Are we more compliant than engaged? What would kids see if they engaged in teacher watching? #G2Great
A7 We create an environment that offers a safe space for learning side by side w/peers or on their own. Otherwise, we forever walk on instructional quicksand. #G2Great
A7- We can promote it by continually checking in with our students: How did this go for you? How did you feel about this? Why do you think you felt that way? What would make things different? What I think is very often irrelevant. What they think never is. #G2great
I’m signing off folks. Thank you @EllinKeene for writing this book and thank you @franmcveigh and @DrMaryHoward for all you do to support #G2Great. And to each of you teachers - thanks for being there, watching kids, encouraging them every day. #G2Great
A6: Establishing a community in which all voices, opinions, and interests matter. A real student centered classroom in which students drive everything #G2great
A7: With engagement, there should also be a sense of pride. Whatever goal is in mind for the students, when they get there, we want them to know they are there and be proud they are there and proud of the way they got there. #g2great
My dear friend, @LauraSarsten7 has had conversations with her students about "why it is more interesting to be interested." And MAN the learners she worked with each day were interested! #g2great
A6: Love...just LOVE. Show students you care. Even when they are not engaged, just asking them what would make them more engaged is the first step! #g2great
A6: Essentials = comfy classroom, artwork and photos on walls, music playing, books arranged like a bookstore, shared student supplies because 6th graders always forget their pencil! AND time for STUDENTS to be the teachers #g2great
A7: Agency is the thing I think of. If we can help students to have agency for their learning it will have a positive impact on their learning #G2Great
A7 We need to build engagement and responsibility by sharing the leadership and supporting autonomy. We need to allow students to make choices, to empower their voice and to design their learning. They need to find their value and worth and decide their impact. #g2great
A7: If our expectations are low, and "finished products" after engaged moments are nothing to beam about, we're not instilling a sense of responsibility. We want those end results to be something students want to share with the world, and do it boldly. #g2great
Are you familiar with @pranikoff work? She has some remarkable insights about scribing conversations and reading them back to children. Also a @HeinemannPub author... #G2Great Very powerful.
In reply to
@tomlittogether, @MrazKristine, @pranikoff, @HeinemannPub
A6: Love...just LOVE. Show students you care. Even when they are not engaged, just asking them what would make them more engaged is the first step! #g2great
#g2great Building that community from day 1 is so important. My new chllg is weaving new Ss into that environment. Our district has lots of Ss entering and exiting throughout the yr. It can be wonderful or it can be less wonderful.
A6. And LISTENING. Listening to our Ss when they share their worries and thoughts, not dismissing them, even if we see it differently. Thanks @MrazKristine#empathy#G2Great
Yes, we have to be in the room fully present in the moment. This is such an important point Dylan. Engagement can't be phony - we risk seeming superficial and that is hard to recover from. #G2Great@EllinKeene@brennanamy@franmcveigh@DrMaryHoward
In reply to
@dylanteut, @EllinKeene, @brennanamy, @franmcveigh, @DrMaryHoward
A6: Essentials = comfy classroom, artwork and photos on walls, music playing, books arranged like a bookstore, shared student supplies because 6th graders always forget their pencil! AND time for STUDENTS to be the teachers #g2great
A7: A personal story... In my dating life, my sister told me to lower my expectations. I did, and it was the worst date of my life with a girl. High expectations lead to much more meaningful dates- AND I put more effort into making it a FANTASTIC experience! #g2great
Are you familiar with @pranikoff work? She has some remarkable insights about scribing conversations and reading them back to children. Also a @HeinemannPub author... #G2Great Very powerful.
In reply to
@tomlittogether, @MrazKristine, @pranikoff, @HeinemannPub
#g2great I also have gotten better at letting go of more and more of the CR "decorating" allowing Ss to be the ones to create their space. The more they feel they contributed, the more engaged they are naturally.
A7 We must plant seeds of invitational urgency for Sts engage in the literacy process both with & w/o us. This has nothing to do with compliance and everything to do with engagement. #G2Great
A7. When we name an action, it becomes repeatable. I love how @EllinKeene reminds us to notice and name for students the moves they make when they are engaged learners. If Ss can identity these moves and conditions, they can replicate them independently. #G2Great
A7: A personal story... In my dating life, my sister told me to lower my expectations. I did, and it was the worst date of my life with a girl. High expectations lead to much more meaningful dates- AND I put more effort into making it a FANTASTIC experience! #g2great
Yes! I call it processing time! Learners need to be given the time and space to just think. I have been on a mission in all my PD at school to get rid of the words "wait time" and change it to "processing time" #G2Great
Teachers often remark about how slowly I seem to go with kids. It isn't dumbing down; it's providing the space to think, sometimes in silence and making sure that everyone knows it's okay! #G2great
A6 Time. Time. Time. Reflection. Reflection. Reflection. Sometimes stepping away from "the plan" is going allow us to see the hidden treasure. #g2great
A7 In kindergarten, I think it begins by studying and identifying our emotions. How does recognizing and understanding our emotions lead us to define our engagement? #g2great
A7: Helping students find and value their own passions. Let them explore and when something isn’t working for them, letting know it is okay to find a new path #G2great
A7 We have to give students choice and we have to let them direct their learning. We often keep students out of the data conversation, when in reality it's their data & they should own it. The data should be shared with students. Ss should use data to set their own goals #g2great
#g2great I also have gotten better at letting go of more and more of the CR "decorating" allowing Ss to be the ones to create their space. The more they feel they contributed, the more engaged they are naturally.
#g2great A7: Most Ss are not given this kind of authority over their own learning environment. Someone here said Trust. I think we have to trust our Ss and they trust us before they can feel responsible for their own engagement.
Yes! I call it processing time! Learners need to be given the time and space to just think. I have been on a mission in all my PD at school to get rid of the words "wait time" and change it to "processing time" #G2Great
Teachers often remark about how slowly I seem to go with kids. It isn't dumbing down; it's providing the space to think, sometimes in silence and making sure that everyone knows it's okay! #G2great
A6 Time. Time. Time. Reflection. Reflection. Reflection. Sometimes stepping away from "the plan" is going allow us to see the hidden treasure. #g2great
Real listening.
Paying attention to what thy don't say as well as the words we hear.
Not pre-judging.
Not listening to respond.
YES!
#G2Great@tara_smith5
A6. And LISTENING. Listening to our Ss when they share their worries and thoughts, not dismissing them, even if we see it differently. Thanks @MrazKristine#empathy#G2Great
Yes, we have to be in the room fully present in the moment. This is such an important point Dylan. Engagement can't be phony - we risk seeming superficial and that is hard to recover from. #G2Great@EllinKeene@brennanamy@franmcveigh@DrMaryHoward
In reply to
@dylanteut, @EllinKeene, @brennanamy, @franmcveigh, @DrMaryHoward
I am always excited to be in my class and try to help my Ss feel that too. Building a strong classroom community helps the students feel part of their learning which makes them want to participate more. Quality lessons and activities mixed with this is a big step. #G2Great
In reply to
@brennanamy, @DrMaryHoward, @hayhurst3, @franmcveigh
A7 We make a commitment to allow kids to take responsibility for their own learning. We can’t expect them to do what we aren’t willing to allow them to do. We set the stage but then we move to the sidelines. #G2Great
A7 I guide (and cheerlead) by the side and then take the training wheels off when the time is right for my K learners. This means planning lots of opportunities throughout the day for students to have choice and then spread their wings and fly. #G2great
I am so guilty of being far too speedy! It took me a long time to learn (even teaching undergrads!) that I need to devote time to allow processing! #g2great
Teachers often remark about how slowly I seem to go with kids. It isn't dumbing down; it's providing the space to think, sometimes in silence and making sure that everyone knows it's okay! #G2great
A6 Time. Time. Time. Reflection. Reflection. Reflection. Sometimes stepping away from "the plan" is going allow us to see the hidden treasure. #g2great
#g2great A7: Most Ss are not given this kind of authority over their own learning environment. Someone here said Trust. I think we have to trust our Ss and they trust us before they can feel responsible for their own engagement.
A7 When we have the mindset that we share our class, that we make decisions collectively and include students, let their voices count, ask them what is important for them to learn, they become responsible for themselves and support peers. #g2great
#g2great A7 Providing Ss w/soft starts in morning is a great way to encourage Ss to be responsible for own engagement. Choice is inherent and space/time becomes valued for trying new things/working in new groups/ways.
I remember years ago, the last day of summer, a colleague asked me why my CR was so blank and will I be ready. I told her of course, bc the Ss will create the environment. #G2Great (Her room was quite the opposite!)
#g2great I also have gotten better at letting go of more and more of the CR "decorating" allowing Ss to be the ones to create their space. The more they feel they contributed, the more engaged they are naturally.
A8. My engagement (especially in learning) depends upon intellectual urgency and emotional resonance for the "stick-to-it-ness when the task/learning gets hard. If it's too easy, i'm not changing perspective. Not much learning!
#G2Great
I think that our excitement is the foundation that inspires theirs. We can’t expect them to feel the excitement of learning (and thus engagement) if we don’t #G2great
I am always excited to be in my class and try to help my Ss feel that too. Building a strong classroom community helps the students feel part of their learning which makes them want to participate more. Quality lessons and activities mixed with this is a big step. #G2Great
In reply to
@brennanamy, @DrMaryHoward, @hayhurst3, @franmcveigh
A7: If our expectations are low, and "finished products" after engaged moments are nothing to beam about, we're not instilling a sense of responsibility. We want those end results to be something students want to share with the world, and do it boldly. #g2great
A8 I focus on perspective building & emotional resonance. Next year, it's all about building love, compassion & empathy. Learning & understanding by listening, by knowing the voices and stories of others. We need to be inclusive in all senses. We need to lead with heart. #g2great
A8 I see emotional resonance & sense of aesthetic as interrelated. I feel as if it lays a foundation for the other two pillars in such a personal way. #G2Great
#g2great I posted a similar response. It is a shared space, so there are some things that I contribute, and the rest is eventually completed by the incoming Ss so they feel valued and seen.
A7: Ss need to be meaningfully engaged. Without meaning for the Ss there's no engagement, purpose, motivation, or cooperation. They need to have a vested interest and purpose. It's CAN'T be for good grades; just to pass a test. #g2great
A8 Each pillar is so critical on its own but they also work in tandem to promote engagement. One builds upon the other so it seems as if they form an invisible thread connecting them. #G2Great
A8: If I don't care about myself, I don't care about others; and I don't care about what the world has to offer and I have to offer the world, engagement is nearly impossible. #g2great
A7 When we have the mindset that we share our class, that we make decisions collectively and include students, let their voices count, ask them what is important for them to learn, they become responsible for themselves and support peers. #g2great
Teachers often remark about how slowly I seem to go with kids. It isn't dumbing down; it's providing the space to think, sometimes in silence and making sure that everyone knows it's okay! #G2great
A6 Time. Time. Time. Reflection. Reflection. Reflection. Sometimes stepping away from "the plan" is going allow us to see the hidden treasure. #g2great
A8: It's why I, as a lead learner, MUST lead by example. Constantly showing my care and need for further learning; demonstrating what it means to be an empathetic human; sharing those aesthetic moments I notice and taking time to appreciate and absorb them. #g2great
Loved listening to your podcast, @EllinKeene! Your conversation with @Tom_Newkirk is magic. There is nothing like hearing your mentors work through ideas with passion and joy! Thank you @HeinemannPub#G2GREAT
A8 Chapter 4 and the chart on p 62 is a goldmine with such a lovely description of each of the pillars. The four pillars is such beautiful way to think of those things that can truly lift engagement to a whole new level! #G2Great
A8 The 4 Pillars of engagement came from years of observations and interviews about engagement vs. compliance, external motivation, or half-hearted participation. They tell you in no uncertain terms! They know engagement is but they need a language to describe it. #g2great
A8 Every day without fail, I hope I've set conditions for intellectual urgency because I want kids to have an insatiable appetite for knowing more. I dream their "normal" will be always wanting more knowledge/understanding. #g2great
A8. I love when something comes in class & Ss say, "Wait, I need to know more!" And sometimes the Ss who look"off-task" are actually looking up the answer to their question on their phone or computer. That intellectual urgency is something to celebrate, not discipline. #G2Great
A8: I have a tendency to bend more to the emotional and aesthetic pillars with my students. I feel that is how I engage with them to inspire their engagement. Curious to learn about these pillars. #g2great
A8 The 4 Pillars of engagement came from years of observations and interviews about engagement vs. compliance, external motivation, or half-hearted participation. They tell you in no uncertain terms! They know engagement is but they need a language to describe it. #g2great
Signing off to work on HW. I have missed these #g2great chats and need to come back! I couldn't miss the one with my education hero @EllinKeene ! Thanks @DrMaryHoward and team for a stimulating hour! I was truly ENGAGED!
A8 Every day without fail, I hope I've set conditions for intellectual urgency because I want kids to have an insatiable appetite for knowing more. I dream their "normal" will be always wanting more knowledge/understanding. #g2great
A8: My 2nd graders have intellectual urgency down pat. The part I want to work on with them is perspective bending. They have a hard time taking another’s opinion into account. #G2great
Signing off to work on HW. I have missed these #g2great chats and need to come back! I couldn't miss the one with my education hero @EllinKeene ! Thanks @DrMaryHoward and team for a stimulating hour! I was truly ENGAGED!
