Here at SCM, we’re asked a lot about how to teach compelling lessons that capture and keep student attention.
Some believe it isn’t possible.
—That social media has polluted hearts and minds so thoroughly that nothing can penetrate. It’s understandable to think this way, especially if you follow common teaching practices.
Meaning, attempting to engage students with lessons that are . . .
- entertaining
- conceptual
- vague
- applicable
- technological
- superficial
- broad
If you’re still teaching like this, you’re dead in the water. Although the descriptors are mine, they represent how lesson delivery is commonly recommended.
Let’s take each of these one at a time, reveal their weaknesses, and offer a better, more compelling counterpoint.
1. Entertaining
If you try to entertain your students into paying attention with elaborate and ever-exciting activities, you will fail. You can’t compete with their after-school, online world.
That ship has sailed.
Further, it’s not the creative, silly, colorful, novel, or flashy that captivate students. Not anymore. It’s the teacher with an expert-level knowledge of their subject.
2. Conceptual
Most students, particularly elementary age, aren’t ready for conceptual learning. Yet, it’s shoved down their throats as if it’s the most important thing in the world, especially in math but every other subject as well.
Big picture learning is not only confusing, difficult to teach, and mind-numbingly boring for students, but it only make sense after mastering the basics.
Repetition isn’t a bad word. Rather, it’s one of the most effective tools for learning and building confidence and self-worth.
3. Vague
While visiting classrooms, I’ve said to myself more times than I can count, “What’s the point?” In other words, what’s the purpose, benefit, impact, objective, usefulness?
“Why are we sitting here and why should we listen?”
For every lesson you must ask yourself, “What are students meant to learn and how can they prove their learning?” If you can’t answer this question, then your students are going to melt into their seats.
4. Applicable
The obsession with making every lesson applicable and relevant to students’ present-day lives—as if there must be an immediate connection or they can’t learn—loses them to their daydreams and reinforces their dislike for school.
It’s the stuff they have little connection to, and have never heard of, that sparks their interest and desire to learn.
Escaping into Edo Japan, Bastonge 1944, Pasteur’s lab, Ramses reign, Black Widow Pulsars, and the 1000s of options you have to draw students into mysterious and fascinating worlds is what gets their heart racing.
How many apples they can buy with their imaginary budget does not.
5. Technological
YouTube lessons, video examples, laptops, voice notes, tablets, blah, blah, blah. The idea that students must learn using technology because it’s ubiquitous in the world is silly.
Learning outcomes are worse in every measure compared to books, beakers, and math compasses. They already know more technology than most teachers. They already spend too much time staring at screens.
Pencils, lined paper, and bound books engage and develop the brain, fine motor skill, and communication ability far better. They also calm the body, quiet and discipline the mind, and wash away anxiety.
6. Superficial
Choosing article excerpts over great literature makes students dumber and less emotionally intelligent. Likewise, four applicable and conceptual story math problems pale in comparison to mastering 35 equations that then can be applied.
It’s depth, detail, and success that get students’ intrinsic engines revving. Doing well while being awed by the beauty of art, literature, math, and science is what really prepares them for the “real” world.
It arms and empowers them with flexible thinking, empathy, compassion, creativity, appreciation, and clear communication skills.
7. Broad
This is perhaps the biggest factor. And it’s epidemic. Teacher guidebooks and materials skim the surface of lesson topics—more now than ever before—which is equivalent to giving students Ambien-laced gummy bears.
This is happening for two reasons:
1. Politicians, policy makers, and publishers lower the bar more and more to match poorer achievement and test score results.
2. Teachers don’t know their subject matter well enough to go deep enough to capture student attention.
Students love detail. They love depth and mystery. They love the cool stories and realms, kingdoms, peoples, and discoveries outside of their everyday experience.
—Egyptian princesses who practiced martial arts, dolphins asleep on only one side of their brain, Roman armor battle-dress rituals. In other words, cool stuff.
Challenge Them
Students want to be challenged. They want to be pushed. They want to learn something new, weird, scary, shocking, gross, sad, inspiring, amazing, and achingly beautiful.
But it takes a teacher who knows their topic to deliver it.
It takes a teacher who loves teaching content so much that not only do they become experts who can go deep into their objective with detail, re-creation, and storytelling, but do it with passion.
I realize that there are some obligatory constraints. However, if you look, you’ll find more than enough freedom to skew your teaching toward what awakens and challenges students and away from what puts them to sleep.
There is a lot to this topic, which we’ll revisit in future articles and videos. In the meantime, to learn more, see The Happy Teacher Habits and Inspire (at right).
PS – Check out this week’s YouTube videos:
1. The 7 Biggest Mistakes with Difficult Students
2. How to Stop Students from Lying
3. How to Stop Students from Interrupting
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