My superintendent is constantly saying "I hear you talk more about student engagement than anyone". There is a reason. I feel like we are losing our kids due to the lack of engagement across all of our schools. In some schools that are perceived as excellent due to their report card data, they look fantastic when you look at the test scores. Recently, I spoke with a new superintendent who had been a principal in another district and he said it very well when he stated his previous building was "perceived" as excellent because of their test scores...however, here he was with his new team and visiting our building for the programming and how we were preparing students for the future because he knew "excellent" was more than a test score.
At a state conference with a team of great educators from across Ohio in 2018, I was fortunate to get to present "Future Ready" and the importance of preparing our students for future careers. About midway through the discussion, the question was posed, "Will this improve my test scores?" As a group, we responded that they were in the wrong session if they wanted to talk about test scores. Here is my challenge to you, I believe that if you increase student engagement and give students a purpose for being at school, the test scores will increase as well. Unfortunately, this is the greatest challenge for us as educators. We also feel the pressure of state report cards and we fall into the trap of "teaching to the test" and making sure we cover every standard in order for us to feel like, "I did all I could". We have got to change. We have to connect students to purpose to be engaged in their learning.
Look at this graphic from Phillip Schlechty and it really holds true. A lot of our kids fall into the strategic and ritual compliance area. They are good at playing school. They do so to avoid negative consequences from home and complete tasks/assignments for their grades. Unfortunately, we also have students everywhere in the lowest levels of engagement. These are the students who not only have stopped doing the work but also are now making it difficult for others. In some cases, they have little hope or desire. They see no purpose in what is being asked of them and would rather spend their energy avoiding the work. When they have no hope or cannot connect to a purpose, you might as well forget it. This is often why incentivized programs fail.
So how do we increase hope and engagement?
STEM is the way! STEM is more than Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. It is an engagement tool and a paradigm shift in how we present material/content to our students. We have to shift from being the "givers of knowledge" to the facilitators of exploration and allowing students to connect to their personal emotions. Heather Sherman, with the Ohio STEM Learning Network and Battelle, has called STEM: Strategies that Engage the Mind. When you look at both approaches which are both critical to our student's future, we can develop an engaging learning experience. First, 90% of jobs in the future will be STEM-related so these areas are critical to be embedded into our daily practices. When you think of STEM as how we engage our students, this is the key. How do we move a student from strategic compliance to truly being engaged? To take the famous speech from Jim Valvano at the ESPY's, "If you spend time each day where you laugh, think deeply, and are moved to tears...that is a heck of a day". We have to engage our kids emotionally in their learning where they can connect to a purpose.
Our kids are not interested in sitting in their seats and listening to someone go on about pollution, independent variables, or a civil war. IF they can Google the answer, why not let them? Then go deeper. Why not bring STEM into the classroom through authentic real-world problems. Recently, our 8th graders partnered with a local business, Micro Machines, and helped the owner by creating ideas on how he could recruit and retain additional employees. Students created videos, social media posts, sweatshirts, and signage as part of their proposals. Mr. Yost, the owner was blown away by the presentations and quality of their projects. How did this happen? How did our 8th grade ELA teacher, Miss Goolie, take a bunch of 14 and 15 yr olds (that many write off as incapable) and inspire them to help Mr. Yost? Through engagement. This was not a fake project. This was authentic learning and students went above and beyond to develop proposals and ideas for Mr. Yost because they had a real audience. STEM is the Way.
We need a paradigm shift across the country. Give them a sense of purpose. Give them the responsibility and they will rise to the occasion. When they become authentically engaged at the highest level, test scores will go up and discipline issues will go down.
Thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings. If you want to connect, or feel strongly about disrupting the traditional school and all things STEM-related, please follow and connect with me in the Twitterverse @PrincipalCMill.
Looking for resources around STEM and student engagement. Here are a few of my favorite. I am receiving nothing for these recommendations but find them all to be powerful resources.
Dave Burgess' book, Teach Like a Pirate. Dave's book will give you various ideas for "hooks" and how to up your engagement game. This is a great start.
Dr. Lori Elliott's book, PBL Anywhere. Dr. Elliott's book will give you a framework of going from standards to authentic learning through PBL. An amazing resource for blending standards and transforming your classroom.
Jason Learning: This is a great resource for authentic problems. While you can align to standards, there are so many Problem Based Learning scenarios ready for you to blend your standards into.
