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It’s halfway through the school year. I am startled awake from a nightmare that the principal dropped by my classroom just as I noticed my students escaping through a secret passage. Others were engaged in off-task behaviors, and some were sleeping. Thankful that this was just a dream (nightmare), I consider how I can re-engage my students and create a classroom environment where they seek knowledge, not just a nap. The best way to engage students and not have them try to escape is to teach the students you have now and not the ones you expected at the start of the year. This can be accomplished by implementing three key concepts. 

Recognize the unique nature of this generation 

One great way to know your students is to notice common characteristics about this generation. In his 2017 book, Marching off the Map: Inspire students to navigate a brand new world, Dr. Tim Elmore noted that this generation of students believes that technology is as important as air and water. This is a generation of addiction and anxiety. You’ve probably even noticed them multi-tasking on up to five screens at a time. All of this impacts attention span. When thinking about some of the obstacles and the desire to multitask with technology, a teacher must consider lesson planning. Purposeful technology use, engaging lessons, and safe classroom environments all support student learning. 

Provide authentic, relevant lesson planning and assessment 

As described in almost every education textbook, lesson plans start with a hook to activate prior knowledge. Additionally, students need to understand the why. Why does this material matter? By creating an interesting reason for students to learn the material, students will more easily engage. Authentic assessment allows students to show what they’ve learned in meaningful ways that apply to real life. Examples could include project-based learning, portfolios, experiments, presentations, or other performance-based assessments. If we want to know that the Professional Development session we are sitting in is meaningful and applicable to our work, why wouldn’t students want to know that their learning is also meaningful and applicable? 

Establish and maintain strong procedures 

Fickle implementation of procedures and boundaries causes confusion for students and frustration for the new teacher. Establish clear routines and procedures and train the students in how to follow them. Practice and reteach. By establishing procedures for daily tasks like where to turn in homework, what to do when absent, when to sharpen a pencil, etc., the teacher and the students will perform more successfully. Review Fred Jones Tools for Teaching, Harry Wong First Days of School, and Rick Smith Conscious Classroom Management for more specifics. Students push boundaries but feel safest when they can trust their teacher’s response. 

The first few years of teaching are filled with a lot of learning opportunities. By knowing your students, providing authentic learning and assessment opportunities, and by establishing procedures, the years can be easier, and your students may not try to disappear through a secret passage.

References 

Elmore, Tim, and Andrew McPeak. Marching Off the Map. 2017. 

Jones, Fred H., Patrick Jones, and Jo Lynne Jones. Fred Jones Tools for Teaching: Discipline, Instruction, Motivation - Primary Prevention of Classroom Discipline Problems. 2014. 

Smith, Rick. Conscious Classroom Management: Unlocking the Secrets of Great Teaching. 2nd ed. Conscious Teaching LLC, 2016. 

Wong, Harry K., and Rosemary T. Wong. The Classroom Management Book. 2018. 

Dr. Cerling is the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs and former Dean for the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at Houston Christian University. She teaches courses for pre-service teachers and for future superintendents. Her particular areas of research include GenZ, teaching strategies, Holocaust education, and authentic assessment. She is co-author of the book Authentic Assessment in Action: An Everyday Guide for Bringing Learning to Life through Meaningful Assessment.