Have You Taught Today?

the first 5 minutes: ignite student learning

Excerpt from

“The First 5 Minutes: Ignite Student Learning: by Curtis Chandler:

I have a teaching colleague who was a very talented track and field athlete back in the day.

In one of our recent conversations about teaching and learning, she shared a bit of “sprinter wisdom” that is making a notable difference in my classroom.

She explained — “Great lessons are a lot like running the 100-meter dash—a strong start makes all the difference.”

Most educators would agree that – when done well – the opening minutes of class have the potential to ignite a ‘wildfire’ of engagement and effort among our students. But a poor start – one that fails to pique learners’ interest, establish real-world relevance, or engage students in authentic, challenging learning tasks – is akin to trying to start a fire with wet matches and kindling.

My thoughts in flow:

When I was in the classroom, the day was made or broken by how I approached the day or session of time.

When I came prepared with intriguing activities and introductions, my class and students were more engaged. The level of interest usually matched my level of excitement for the topic I was teaching. Think about when you arrive at a meeting and the presenter is not ready or you can tell they are shooting from the hip.  Did you feel anything? Frustration? Boredom? Did you checkout?

How many times have you been in a boring meeting where the person addressing you is merely delivering knowledge without any thought to how it relates to you or your situation? Again, how did you engage the material they were presenting?

We expect exciting, relevant PD. Shouldn’t we be delivering the same to our students?

Do we have to have a party in our class to make the most of the lesson, hour, or day?

NO!

Some of the most potent lessons do not have a lot of bells and whistles, but they always make you think. If a student leaves your class and has not been altered or made to think, then have you taught?

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