Engagment

One of the biggest aspects of teaching people struggle with is classroom management.  I never took a management class in college and I soon discovered that classroom management would have been difficult to teach.  Everyone has their own preference on how to manage a class.  There are many different methods to ensure productivity in a classroom relating to classroom management.  These can be as simple as seating arrangements, rules, how the teacher presents him/herself, etc.  This post will deal with classroom management and how to ensure productivity to the highest degree.  The answer is simple, the method is difficult.  The answer is engagement.

When students are engaged in what they are doing, they are less apt to be disruptive, disrespectful, and defiant.  Below are my keys to engagement, and I stress MY as they may not work for everyone, but the beauty of teaching is we can tweak things to our liking.

1. Purpose.  When students see a purpose in what they are doing, engagement is easy.  The hard part is ensuring students see a purpose.  Guide students to seeing a purpose.  I used to stand at the front of the class and rattle off reasons why things were purposeful and I don't many of them stuck, so instead I started flipped it and started asking, "why do you think this is purposeful?"  I am getting great feedback and students are creating things based on the purpose they see.  I tell myself, if I ever say 'because I said so,' then the purpose is not there so there is no point in teaching it.  I also hate the phrase, "you will use this someday."  We can't ensure or guarantee that, so why do we say it.  I don't use algebra everyday, or at least I'm not aware of it, so when my math teachers told me I would use it someday they were lying to me.  If my math teachers would have said we were doing these difficult equations to foster problem solving, higher order thinking, and creativity I think I would taken it a little better.  I don't know it's just a thought though.
2. Creation Based Learning/PBL/Freedom Based Learning.  I like giving students options and choices because it helps them find a purpose that is gauged more towards their interests.  Not every student likes creating a Google presentation, or a prezi, so I never require that out of them.  Instead I let them decide.  I will give the students the criteria and then let them run with it.  The other day I assigned a timeline activity to the students dealing with The Lightning Thief and The Odyssey.  I had students creating prezis, Google drawings, poster boards, videos, snapchat stories, and using other websites.  The results are amazing and it keeps me from getting bored looking at the same thing over and over again.  We still write and read in my class, as it is ELA, but I do give out projects and activities in between.  I put the emphasis on the learning, the understanding, and the transfer over the projects though.  It's great to have "fun" activities, but the purpose has to be placed on the learning goals, not the "cool" factor of a "fun" activity.
3. Enthusiasm.  Most teachers are passionate about the material they teach, but many fail to have enthusiasm towards their teaching.  I try to be as excited as possible when I talk to students, and engage in their learning.  I preach about attitude, character, and leadership in my classes (my infamous "soapbox" lectures) and I think this shows the students I truly care about them and my career.  I am happy and I show it, and that transfers to the students.  I am engaged in my teaching, and when I am engaged the students find it easier to be engaged as well.  I have always said "look at a classroom full of bored students and I guarantee the teacher is bored too." (I got that quote from somewhere but forget where).  Present things with a positive tone, and direct students to a purpose.
4. Let the students create the map.  I use this cheesy saying in my classroom a lot, "I can point you in the right direction, but I won't create the map for you."  I allow students to create and solve problems.  Too many times I see teachers solving the problems for the students and then ask the students to repeat the process.  That's boring and doesn't foster problem solving skills to the highest degree.  What if you give students a concept, principle, idea, topic and then have them figure it out through research and present the idea?  I feel as if the students are getting much more out of the lesson that way, and they are engaged because they are responsible for the learning.  This changes the definition of a teacher, which can be unsettling.  A teacher is no longer meant to give answers and regurgitate information to the students.  A teacher now has to play roll as a guide or facilitator.  
5. Be invested.  I hesitate including this, but I think ti is important.  Students tend to respect and "like" the teachers that are truly invested in the school they teach at.  Going to sporting events, making appearances, getting out of the classroom, staying late, arriving early, having conversations, being involved, etc.  Students see this as a caring mentality.  If you are involved you care, bottom line.  Be invested in every students education, but also show you care about each student individually by being available and being involved.  You are not in this career for the money so quit acting like it by expecting an extra 100 dollars on your paycheck for helping out at a school dance, or going to an event. 

I think there are more ways to create an engaging atmosphere in your classroom, but those are my five approaches.  I think if you can at least apply these then engagement will come.  If your students are not engaged always think back to purpose, and figure what is missing.  It takes a lot reflection to be a great teacher, and I am by no means perfect, but if you can reflect, tweak, and try again, it will make your experience and the students experience so much better.