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Once I know my students' interests I can design lessons and units to more effectively engage all learners. I enjoy the challenge of engaging learners who enter the classroom with an "I don't like science" attitude while continuing to encourage students who are already motivated in the subject. I engage students through the variation of activity type (kinesthetic, logical/mathematical, linguistic, auditory, etc.), by related the content to their lives (or allowing them the space to make those connections themselves) and through my own nerdy excitement for the content.
This past year I have focused on phenomenon-based units. I have found that presenting students with an initial phenomenon and developing, with them, a driving question, leads students down a natural and exciting path of discovery. In the first unit of my Chemistry class, for example, students first turned pennies into "Gold". They spend the rest of the unit discovering content and using science practices that help them to answer the driving question.
I also engage students by differentiating the activities and lessons as needed to address all learner readiness. I have provided scaffolding in larger projects (providing timelines for project completion and multiple levels of structure) and have modified in-class activities. In addition, I make sure to circulate the classroom during student-driven activities to check for student understanding on the spot. I find that addressing misconceptions right away and guiding struggling students helps them to tackle the task at hand.
This past year I have focused on phenomenon-based units. I have found that presenting students with an initial phenomenon and developing, with them, a driving question, leads students down a natural and exciting path of discovery. In the first unit of my Chemistry class, for example, students first turned pennies into "Gold". They spend the rest of the unit discovering content and using science practices that help them to answer the driving question.
I also engage students by differentiating the activities and lessons as needed to address all learner readiness. I have provided scaffolding in larger projects (providing timelines for project completion and multiple levels of structure) and have modified in-class activities. In addition, I make sure to circulate the classroom during student-driven activities to check for student understanding on the spot. I find that addressing misconceptions right away and guiding struggling students helps them to tackle the task at hand.