When we plan classroom activities, more often than not, we also take into account the levels of student receptivity we can realistically anticipate. We also plan for potential disruptions and try to structure our plans to avoid these and maximize student engagement. However, as teachers, we must admit that this can be a bit of a trial and error process with each new set of students. There is always something to learn about classroom management, which is very well framed in this blog I came across.
A classroom should have good student management in place, but it should also include lessons/activities that are engaging. It is very difficult to have one without the other. You can spend hours creating an amazing lesson, but if your students don’t pay attention, then they will not be successful or find value in your plan. If you create your lessons with only you in mind, then the likelihood of students finding it engaging also decreases. In this scenario, you won’t necessarily have open rebellion, after all, your class is well managed, but you also won’t see student ownership of learning, that sparkle that lights up their eyes when they are excited about what they get to work on. And really, isn’t that what it’s all about?
Read the full article Management vs. Engagement for more.