Throughout
the school year, I’ve been inspired by listening to feedback from several
advisory groups who represent various stakeholders within our schools and
community. This year, some of these
groups began meeting for the first time, such as our community faith leaders,
while others have been revived, such as the Superintendent’s Business Advisory
Council. In addition, we have expanded existing
advisory groups, including the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Panels
(elementary and secondary), in an effort to include more voices and create
greater opportunities for feedback.
At
a recent student advisory panel meeting, I asked secondary students to discuss their
favorite lessons and innovative teaching techniques. The students were divided into several groups
and provided several amazing examples. I
was convinced that students have the highest regard for our remarkable
teachers. I then posed a different
question to them, “Of all of the lessons you have been taught, whether you
enjoyed the lesson or not, what percentage of the lessons do you feel can be
applied in a real-life situation?”
Without
exception, all of the students paused.
They contemplated their response and then spoke, but some were apprehensive. Out of approximately 30 students, all but one
indicated that they only saw a real-life connection in 5-15% of the lessons. Taking the mid-point of the responses, we can
surmise that students are seeing a connection in roughly 1 out of every 10
lessons that they are taught. Admittedly,
this is not a scientific study. However,
I believe it is far more important—it represents the voices of those we teach.
To
be clear, the intent of the question was to gauge the relevance of lessons from
the students’ perspective in order to gain greater insight. It was not intended to question the quality
of the lessons currently taught by our exceptional educators. As noted above, students clearly have an
abiding respect and love for our teachers, as do I. Rather, my question was all about making
authentic connections.
For
instance, we have all attended conferences, lectures, and professional
development sessions. While some may
have been entertaining, they did not necessarily have a significant impact upon
us. However, others made a lasting
impression upon us, which I believe remain with us because they have an
immediate application to our lives and/or profession—they were relevant. They serve to influence and inspire us. Our students are no different and need these
type of relevant connections in order to remain engaged and inspired.
My
son and I experienced one of these moments while he was in elementary school. He took Tae-Kwon-Do for several years and
even earned his black belt. This
involved a lot of repetition, but the instructors also tried hard to “keep
things fresh,” which was a key reason my son kept coming back. One Saturday morning, the students seemed
rather lethargic and class was not going well.
The master teaching the class called everyone together and explained to
them that before every class, he would imagine that this would be the last time
he would ever have to work with his students.
He said he would ask himself, “How will I teach this class if it is my
last one? How will I connect with
students, and what do I want them to know and remember?” By doing this, he strived to make every class
truly meaningful. It was a very
transparent moment with the students. Instead
of being reprimanded for being disengaged, the students saw an instructor who
cared enough to keep himself accountable to them and wanted them to remember
his lessons long after the class ended.
The teacher connected with the students in an authentic way; the class
rallied and ended on a high note.
I
know that we all care immensely about our students in a similar way, and the
quality of teaching in our classrooms is outstanding. Now, let’s concentrate on making sure our
students are able to make authentic, relevant connections to the lessons we
teach them. I’m not suggesting that we
must completely overhaul our curriculum.
There are still incredibly relevant lessons in everything from classic
literature to mathematical formulas. Rather,
I submit to you that sometimes it is appropriate to simply explain to students
that while a particular formula, problem, or passage may not itself be directly
used later in life, the process of problem solving, using the scientific
method, writing, editing, revising, etc. are skills that are critical life
skills, invaluable across a wide range of professions. In addition, I challenge you to find specific
ways to connect the curriculum to the world in which they are interested, such
as designing a problem or lesson around a topical issue, or allowing students
to present their work to an authentic audience.
This will immediately increase the relevance of the lesson, yielding
higher levels of student engagement and achievement. This is at the heart of education!
When
you are planning your next lesson, or just reflecting, ask yourself, “If I only
had today to make a difference in the lives of my students, what would I want
them to remember and be able to apply?”
While this question may seem a touch grim at first, you may be surprised
to learn how making relevant connections with students becomes your first
thought rather than a secondary thought. Our students have spoken—they need and want to
understand the connections. Our themes
this year of “Relevance, Equity, and Innovation” are not new fads or trends, or
boxes to check off a laundry list of “best practices.” Rather, they represent a daily journey of
growth, reflection, and constant improvement.
I thank you for taking that journey with me. It will serve our students well.
I really appreciated the perspective you shared regarding your son's Tae-Kwon-Do instructor's insight. It provided an opportunity for me to pause and reflect on the importance of the students' ability to apply the information and strategies we have taught them independent from teacher guidance and instruction. The need to create relevant connections to scaffold these opportunities for our students is constant and apparent.
ReplyDeleteI taught Family and Consumer Sciences. Everyday I shared my objective and started the class by saying "how will you use this information in your life?" Class started after we had two or three examples on the board of ways the students could use the information in their life. I taught at a "hard to staff high school" and seldom had any discipline issues. The students knew they were walking away with information they needed.
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