Transforming Student Engagement And Motivation In A Classroom

Each of this week’s articles provided ways to transform student learning and increase engagement and motivation in a classroom. Through reading, it is evident classroom environments are just as important as content. I fist read Dwek’s article, Brainology: Transforming Student’s Motivations to Learn. This article challenged different ways our brains learn and process information. In addition, it posed questions and ideas about how to best influence student learning. There is a difference between seeing intelligence as “fixed” versus as something students have control to grow and change. Driving this idea are the questions, why do children stop learning when challenged and how can they reach their full potential? These two mindsets, fixed and growing, viewed school

This chapter was titled, Engaging Classroom Climates. The chapter discussed various ways to construct a learning environment where students are engaged and thrive. There were practical examples throughout the entire excerpt about how to create an effective classroom. Reeves states to create an engaging teaching style instructors must adopt involvement, structure, and autonomy support. When reviewing these topics, as a new teacher, I am concerned about structure. In a science class it is easy to muddle or complicate topics. With this in mind, I hope to understand how to best communicate learning goals and topics to students. I have also witnessed the struggle with autonomy support in classrooms. I have heard of ways teachers “trick” students into thinking they have control. I am still unsure how much control is too much in a classroom. This excerpt contains heaps of information about classroom environment, I am just still unsure how to effectively do this in a classroom. Questions to consider: What are examples you have seen or experiences of student engagement in classrooms, specifically science