junct professor of math at the University of California, Santa Barbara, gave me a new perspective on this in her book “Researched Based Strategies To Ignite Student Learning.” She
says: “The trick is to connect students’ memory of a lesson to another set of circuits that
get activated more frequently.”
She used this trick to teach the Pythagorean Theorem. She instructs students to
walk around their living spaces and snap pictures of right angles. In class, the students use
these images to solve for the hypotenuse. Then, every time the students see the objects
they photographed, their brains recall the Pythagorean Theorem.
4. Encourage active discussion.
By active discussion, I mean a discussion where many students participate and critical thinking is going on. I use many techniques to encourage active discussion. Sometimes
students are hesitant to share their opinion in front of the entire class, but are willing to
share with one person. To get everyone involved, I do an activity called Chatterbugs. Students form an outer circle and an inner circle with the same number of members in
each circle. Then I ask a question and they have one minute to discuss the answer with the
person across from them.
Another technique I use to encourage active discussion is called “Vote with your
feet.” I post a statement – if students agree, students go to this side of the room. If they
disagree, they go to the other side. Be sure to go over rules for academic controversy
FIRST because this generates tremendous discussion – and sometimes very heated arguments.
3. Embrace technology.
I know our students are already juggling so many forms of digital technology, but
today’s young people are comfortable with all this technology. 56% of TCC’s population
are under 24. They grew up with it. They seek it out. They are CONNECTED TO IT!
I decided several years ago, that it was high time I embraced this digital culture
instead of fighting it. I encourage students to use cell phones and laptops in the classroom - obviously not to check email and text, but to take notes, do research, take pictures
of lectures, record lectures, and to earn bonus points! Not only do I end class with a review question, I also end class with a bonus question that they can answer on their cell
phones.
2. End class with a Ticket out the Door.
I use a short questionnaire that gives students a chance to privately voice concerns.
I have gotten some of my best feedback this way. I take this feedback into account when
preparing the next lesson.
I saved Tip # 1 I left for last, because it is my overriding philosophy of teaching…and of life.
1. Have fun.
If I’m not having fun teaching, I know my students aren’t having fun learning. My
philosophy of teaching is best exemplified in a short YouTube video called “Piano Stairs.” I
encourage you to watch it if you haven’t already.
Yes, engaging students in learning is a lot of work. But when you see your
students working to climb those steps and then they reach the top, they may occasionally
be worn out, but they are happy because they feel successful. And on the last day of class
when they thank you, or even better, years later find you to tell you thank you for making
them work so hard to climb those steps, well, at those moments, it’s so worth it.
6
5
Congratulations
to
Dr. Margaret Lee
Dr. Margaret Lee has
written two articles that
have been accepted for
publication recently. One
is an essay, “Sound and
Structure in the Gospel
of Matthew,” which will
be included in a collection of essays on the
emerging discipline of
performance criticism,
entitled From Text to
Performance, forthcoming from Wipf and Stock
Publishers. The other is a
dictionary entry for
“Sound Mapping,” the
interpretive method that
Margaret invented in her
doctoral dissertation to
analyze Hellenistic Greek
literature as speech. The
entry will appear in the
Dictionary of the Bible in
Ancient Media, a new reference tool to be published by T&T.