The atmospheric turbulence and regular raindrops coated this Tuesday in a tired haze. Nevertheless, the students and I soldiered on in the planning of their Grammar Projects.
I first took a moment to share with them a few key tricks that we teachers use to make lessons more engaging. First, I shared Schlechty’s Eight Engaging Qualities which, when utilized in a lesson, help students feel more connected to the content:
1.Personal Response-more than one right answer
2.Clear/Modeled Expectations-student knows what “success” looks like
3.Emotional/Intellectual Safety-Freedom to take risks
4.Learning with Others-learning socially
5.Sense of Audience-student work is shared
6.Choice-students have meaningful options
7.Novelty and Variety-unusual learning experiences
8.Authenticity-connects to prior learning
With a rain-themed playlist including songs such as “Blame it on the Rain,” “Singing in the Rain,” “Set Fire to the Rain,” and “Purple Rain,” fueling their work, the students had the rest of the class to complete their grammar projects.
Homework:
- Read for 30 minutes.
- Begin finishing work on your Grammar Presentation Project.
PowerPoint:
