5 Ways to Engage Students

 One of the hardest things I have to deal with, is that of motivating students who see little use for school or for math.  Their parents and grandparents may never have finished high school, yet are doing well within the context of living in an isolated village.

Unfortunately about 52% of registered students are absent at any one time which can make it difficult for students to learn the material because they end up missing foundational pieces.  I believe this is why many of my incoming freshmen have significant gaps in their knowledge of mathematics.  Of the 48% who make it to school another 10 to 15 percent either sleep or do absolutely nothing because they either don't have the skills or have exhibited this behavior in previous grades.

One thing that is going to help students during the second semester is the iPads that were finally issued to my classroom.  I've been waiting for them to be distributed since August and I only got them at the beginning of December about 1.5 weeks before holidays.  Now I can post thing on Google Classroom so students can keep up with material when they are absent or are traveling.

So what are some ways that might help students become more motivated.  Motivated to come to class.  Motivated to keep up with work.  Motivated to even try.  Some of the suggestions I've read will not make a difference to motivating my students but some will.

1.  Relate the mathematics they are learning to the real world and to the world they live in.  Since my students live in a village accessible by air, trying to do problems with trains or automobiles leaving two different cities makes no sense but if I rewrite those problems using places they know and vehicles such as ATV's or Snow Machines, they can then relate to the problems.

I know one teacher who taught her students the words and pictures for items they'd likely encounter on a standardized test and equated the items to ones they understood.  For instance, many students fish using a piece of board and fishing line rather than a rod and reel so she taught them the rod and reel while relating it to their more traditional fishing methods.

2. Allow students to divide up in small groups of three to four people who will work on the problem assigned by the teacher.  The first group with the correct answer and the group with the highest number of points at the end of the period receive a prize. Another activity along this line is to provide a menu where students choose certain problems to do.  Students do well with choice so they can work problems they feel better able to do.

3. Use props to grab their attention or to illustrate formulas or concepts being taught.  Props can help students learn the material better.  If they are engaged, they are learning.

4. Assign problems with more than one answer.  Let the students know there is more than one answer and challenge them to find as many as they can.  Or chose a problem with more than one way of ding it and challenge students to find the multiple ways.

5.  Finally set up an environment which allows students to feel safe.  If they don't feel safe, they won't try and will set themselves up for failure but if they feel safe, they will try.  Its a matter of balance.

Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great weekend.