Q: Has classroom learning changed much over the years?

Teaching looked so different 25 years ago! Only a few decades ago, ‘knowledge impartation’ was the currency of education. The role of the teacher was to be the ‘holder of the knowledge’, while students generally memorised it and regurgitated it.

Q: What does learning look like today?

Knowledge is freely available at our fingertips, so the currency of education today is more about the transferability or application of knowledge, or ‘learning to learn’. Now it’s important how a student synthesises various pieces of knowledge and decodes fact from fiction (or fake news!). Of course, knowledge acquisition is still absolutely vital, but how students then apply that knowledge is where the emphasis lies.

Q: What’s a key challenge that teachers face today?

We’re competing more and more for the attention of young people. (Of course, there have always been distractions). When a teacher walks into a classroom today, we know that they’re competing with mobile phones, computers, wrist technology and LOTS more.

Q: How do we actively engage students?

With competition for attention, the need to engage students is critical. We best engage them when they are in their ‘zone of proximal development’. The ZPD, of course, refers to the range of abilities a student can perform with some guidance, but can’t yet perform on their own. Some call it the Goldilocks Principle – when students are doing activities that are not too hard or not too easy, but just right! They’re in their ZPD and they’re captivated! And when a student is in their ZPD, a teacher can provide them with appropriate assistance (scaffolding) to help them accomplish a new task or skill.

Q: Does engagement mean enjoyment? 

Over the last few years, some have started to believe there needs to be a component of ‘enjoyment’ too. There is a notion that engagement and enjoyment are somehow synonymous – but they aren’t.

Some of the hardest tasks a person engages with are not necessarily those they’ve ‘enjoyed’ but rather, those that have provided a lot of ‘satisfaction’. The captivation they feel in their ZPD doesn’t have to be a whole host of fun. It just has to be at the right ‘temperature’ to engage them. 

Q: So what does engagement look like?  

Engagement is about ‘adding value’ to a young person’s learning journey with every interaction. If we take them from where they are and add value to their learning journey, then we are engaging them in their ZPD! When we consider how to take the knowledge that they’re interacting with and get the ‘pitch’ right, it also allows them to ‘learn to learn’ – to apply that learning into unfamiliar situations. The successful student of today will be measured by whether they can transfer what they’ve learnt and use it in new circumstances.

The product of engaged learning is ‘satisfaction’, so choose tasks based on a perception of student satisfaction, not student enjoyment. Start with the learning outcomes, then find the best task that suits it. The outcomes will be twofold. Firstly, of course, it’s about the learning and curriculum. The second outcome will be those important ‘learning to learn’ skills. When we find their zone of proximal development, and make space for student-driven, student-inspired learning… we add value, engage students and give them transferable knowledge. 

Activities, instructions, tools, and resources that are used to aid in this learning process are all ‘scaffolding’. Problem-based learning needs to be incredibly scaffolded – what are the outcomes and what am I putting in place to make it accessible to every learner? A teacher needs to know when to inject the right level of support to the right student at the right time. Find each student’s ‘starting point’, then add ‘scaffolding’ to work towards the outcome for that learning project. 

Give students something they can see, touch and explore. Concrete materials help make abstract ideas visible and tangible. Whether it’s counting tiles, building blocks or mini whiteboards, hands-on tools give students the opportunity to test ideas, solve problems and make meaningful connections across their learning. 

Choice is empowering, so build in flexibility. Some students will be captivated and want to do extension work, so activate and spark their curiosity. Differentiate groups with different tasks.

Every student should feel a sense of success. Engagement means feeling like they have genuinely succeeded in some way. So have one task that you can differentiate skill levels with a high ceiling/low floor strategy.

Trust is an important currency in the classroom. Education is a social endeavour at its essence, and your students have to believe you’re on their side. Relationships are important. Build trust by providing effective boundaries and keeping them consistent. So when you say ‘trust me, we’re doing this for a reason’, they DO trust you and your methods. 

It’s important to know your students and ‘how’ they learn – what gets them excited, not just the ‘what’ of learning. When you know your students, you can interact best with each of them and get them to their version of success. They have to know what success looks and feels like for them.

Chase enjoyment, and inevitably, you won’t achieve it! You can’t compete with the sophisticated technology giants that provide your students’ entertainment. But if your class is properly engaged, then they will have ‘reflectively enjoyed’ the lesson because satisfaction leads to reflective enjoyment.  

Q: Any final thoughts?

Yes! Chase the lightbulb moments, the moments when they are in their ZPD, have been supported through intentional scaffolding and students feel empowered. They will be engaged, and that will be satisfying – for you and for them.