Student Engagement with Jacob Clifford

Summary

The speaker emphasizes the importance of student engagement in the classroom by discussing factors that lead to disengagement, such as external issues, fear of mistakes, perceived difficulty, unfairness, apathy, and lack of community. Strategies to combat these include getting to know students, reducing fear through experiential learning, connecting lessons to real-life skills, and selling the value of education. The talk encourages educators to be salespeople for their subjects, focusing on the first day's lesson to excite students and keep them engaged throughout the year.

Takeaways

• 🧩 Engaging students starts by understanding when they disengage, such as facing personal issues, fear of mistakes, or feeling the subject is too hard.
• 👨‍👧‍👦 Knowing students on a personal level helps teachers identify and address the issues that lead to disengagement outside of school.
• 🤸‍♂️ Reducing the fear of making mistakes is crucial; teachers should create a supportive environment that encourages learning from errors.
• 🤲 The concept of 'experiential learning' is introduced as a strategy to help students understand that learning is a process that involves overcoming difficulties.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Practice is emphasized as a key component of learning, with the idea that students should not expect immediate mastery but rather persistent effort.
• 🏆 The importance of connecting learning to real-life applications and long-term benefits is highlighted to motivate students to see the value in their education.
• 🎯 Teachers are encouraged to develop a 'sales pitch' for their subject to explain its relevance and importance to students' futures.
• 🗣️ Translating students' negative statements about subjects into positive skills they are actually learning helps reframe their perspective on education.
• 📚 The script suggests that the first day of school should not be focused on syllabus and rules but on an engaging lesson that excites students about learning.
• 🌟 A memorable anecdote about 'Diamond Shreddies' is used to illustrate the power of making a subject appealing and engaging to students.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the speaker's discussion?

The main focus of the speaker's discussion is on strategies to engage students in the classroom and prevent disengagement by addressing various reasons why students might give up or lose interest in school.

What are the key reasons students disengage according to the speaker?

The key reasons students disengage include facing other issues, fear of making mistakes, perceiving school as too hard, not seeing the benefits of school, teacher being unfair, being apathetic, and not having a sense of community.

What strategy does the speaker suggest for when students are facing other issues outside of school?

The strategy suggested is to 'Know Thy Students', which involves learning their names quickly, connecting with them, and understanding what's going on in their lives to recognize when something outside of school is affecting them.

How does the speaker address the fear of making mistakes in students?

The speaker suggests reducing the fear of making mistakes by reassuring students that difficulty and challenges are part of the learning process, and by using experiential learning activities to demonstrate that practice and persistence lead to mastery.

What example does the speaker use to illustrate the concept of practice and persistence?

The speaker uses the example of Jerry Rice, the all-time leader in NFL receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, to show that greatness comes from getting up and starting over after making mistakes.

Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of connecting lessons to real-life skills?

The speaker emphasizes connecting lessons to real-life skills because students often don't see the immediate relevance of what they're learning in school, and this connection helps them understand the value of education in their future.

What is the 'sales pitch' strategy mentioned by the speaker?

The 'sales pitch' strategy involves teachers having a concise explanation of why their subject matter is important and relevant to students' lives, which they should communicate to motivate and engage students in the learning process.

How does the speaker suggest teachers should start the school year?

The speaker suggests that teachers should start the school year by teaching their best, most engaging lesson first to excite and interest students, rather than focusing on classroom management or the syllabus on the first day.

What is the significance of the 'Shreddies' cereal example in the script?

The 'Shreddies' cereal example is used to illustrate the importance of marketing and 'selling' the value of education to students, just as a product is marketed to consumers.

What activity does the speaker use to demonstrate the concept of experiential learning?

The speaker uses an activity where participants are asked to extend their thumbs and pinky fingers in a specific pattern, first with one hand and then with both, to demonstrate the process of learning through doing and the importance of practice.