Suggestions to change the dynamics of the classroom into an active learning environment.
Our educational training programs suggest teachers are guides on the side but too often they are still a sage on the stage. If you dissect the saying, sage on the stage, illustrates how students are listening and being passive learners in the classroom. Students are answering questions that are teacher directed. On the flip side, guide on the side proposes the teacher assists the students. Guide on the side teaches with mini lessons and allows the student to explore different concepts.
Students and teachers will have a more enjoyable time in the classroom if they adopt the guide on the side attitude. With a few alterations to lessons, students will be more willing to participate in class and share their work. Students learn best from each other, it is ideal for them to teach rather than sit for hours being passive learners.
Incorporating the guide on the side philosophy can be implemented by changing the rules of traditional games to review math, science or social studies. A classroom game of baseball is an excellent alternative to review worksheets on a particular subject.
Manipulate a word or two in a famous poem or short story to create mad libs. Often, students are taught the basics of grammar with worksheets, instead have them identify grammatical components in a story. A student is more willing to identify the nouns of the story if they are allowed to replace the noun.
All this active learning is ideal but a teacher or two may question how it is possible when they need to teach and manage the class simultaneously. My suggestion is to manage the class with more games.
Behaviour management is key for learning to occur in the classroom. Change a few rules in Chinese Checkers or tic tac toe to have students listening and acting appropriately in the classroom, most of the time.
School is serious but it does not have to be boring. A student can learn about the human heart by constructing one or listening to one. As well, they can read the facts about the heart and decipher what is important based on criteria set forth by the teacher based on the curriculum. If a student gets excited about a concept they are more willing to further research it on their own time
