"In a learning episode, we tend to remember best that which comes first, and remember second best that which comes last. We tend to remember least that which comes just past the middle of the episode." (Sousa 2001)
Most teachers, like myself, chunk their lessons allowing students to collaborate or reinforce knowledge in between the larger ideas. This provides extra time for students to assimilate their new information. Discussing with their peers helps students make sense of anything they find confusing and to clarify any misconceptions they may have in a safe environment. I have 1-minute check-in's but this does not always keep those students who pretend they are understanding in the foreground. I can lose sight of them. There are many students who are afraid to ask questions in a large group discussion for fear of ridicule. In smaller groups or pairs they are more likely to interact. When there is a class discussion happening, it is difficult for me to assess who is understanding the concept and who is not. But, when students are placed in collaborative groups, I can walk around and observe, listen, and informally assess their acquisition of knowledge. This for me is the best tool I have to truly see if they are learning.
During this collaborative time, I provide time for remediation where my students who have mastered the content can walk around and help those who may have not yet, succeeded with mastery. "Yet" being the operative word. Even when students are using the makerspace, having a debate, edcamp or other active learning activity, I stop them periodically to simply debrief with one-another. A small-group purposeful talk helps bring students into a community setting by letting them get comfortable asking each other for assistance. As well as allowing those students who need some enrichment to collaborate on taking the lesson one-step further. Peer-to-peer tutoring is a great tool I use in addition to my one-to-one check-in's. When my students are free to chat and share ideas frequently, confidence grows and relationships strengthen. In this last quarter, where students are antsy and distracted, it is necessary to give them more time to just talk and be kids. This may seem counter-intuitive to some, but in my experience, it is worth it because if you let them peer-interact for a minute or two, they will re-center & refocus on the task at hand.
The brain does not only track time in terms of class periods and hours of the day. It also tracks through events and state changes such as our mental and physical state. So getting up and moving is a change of state. Taking notes, then turning to a peer and talking is a change of state. The more changes of state I provide the better I can help my students stay active and engaged. By introducing these brain breaks, moments of transition and think-pair-share, I have many start and stop times, each an opportunity for primacy and recency. Thus, the more I facilitate possibilities to create retention. Memories of discrepancies, hooks, seed questions, tinkering etc. This allows students to synthesize and add new knowledge to their schema. Just like an episode of a sitcom, a class period needs an A story line- one with the main concept and the B story line the one where it is tied to interest & relevance for our students. At the beginning of class I have a teaser, or hook to get them involved in the story. It is their story so why not get them involved in it. The gag or inside joke, for me comes mid-lesson through a discrepant event or misconception solved, then finally a sum up of the topic, the closure of the lesson.This is some kind of small group adventure, a skit or makerspace creation. I set up each class like an episode, with "commercial breaks" this way I can make sure they watch the entire episode and remember it afterwards. Give students the lead to be the actors and write the script and engagement will increase ten-fold.
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