Ch 5 : How Do I Captivate Students? Eight Strategies for Engaging the Hearts and Minds of Students by Celeste Dickson

Growth Mindset

cedickso — 2025-03-26 14:56:47 UTC

Research conducted by Dr. Carol Dweck has changed the way that we look at intelligence. If students face challenges, and believe that they can learn from them, they are more likely to grow. A fixed mindset will have students shy away from difficult tasks, not creating any new synapses in the brain.

Balancing Teacher Talk Time

cedickso — 2025-03-26 15:06:57 UTC

"Researchers have found that students’ comprehension, engagement, and test scores improve when they get to discuss what they’re learning."

It is time to shift to student-led learning and lessons, which connects to social constructionism. Knowledge is constructed through interaction.

Strategies to Engage and Motivate Students

cedickso — 2025-03-26 15:08:09 UTC

Praising Effort As Much as Praising Intelligence

cedickso — 2025-03-26 15:23:54 UTC

How teachers operate has a huge impact on student mindset. It is important to encourage students effort in the classroom just as much as student intelligence. Making the effort to learn, even if you make a mistake is still learning! I motivate my students with tickets that can be exchanged for goodies when they give their best effort in solving problems or attempting to create generalizations of concepts.

Mistakes are Vital to Learning

cedickso — 2025-03-26 15:32:09 UTC

All my students are mathematicians, and they are capable of math. Even the greatest minds make mistakes, and they celebrate each one!

Strategy 1 : Create a Social Learning Environment

cedickso — 2025-03-26 15:48:33 UTC

-Collaboration and student interactions are a priority.

-Discussions offer more opportunities for students to give more reasoned explanations

-Students learn to listen and reflect to what their classmates are saying.

-They can develop mathematics fluency when analysing the arguments of peers.

-Reduce classroom anxiety.

Appropriate Amount of Teacher Talk Time

cedickso — 2025-03-26 15:54:49 UTC

David Sousa (2015) says that teacher talk time should be done in 15-20 minute intervals to promote student attention and retention.

Whole class teacher talk time should only cover 20-30% of the class period.

Meaningful Student Interaction

cedickso — 2025-03-26 16:00:51 UTC

When the teacher is not talking to the whole class, this creates the opportunity for the teacher to meet with small groups of students with a more catered help. This is a great way to support students with various levels in a meaningful way instead of assuming a "one-size fits all" whole class solution. This also can lead to catered differentiation and scaffolding.

Giving Students Choice

cedickso — 2025-03-26 16:08:50 UTC

Differentiation can be as simple giving students choice in their learning. This strategy improves student motivation, student engagement, and keeps students on-task. There is no better classroom management strategy than engaging classwork, which can be chosen by the student.

4 Ways to Differentiate

cedickso — 2025-03-26 16:15:29 UTC

Content : Give tasks with varying levels of difficulty that have various stages to give students access to their starting level.
Process : Keep the same learning outcomes for all students, but allow them to choose their own way of getting there.
Product : Not every assignment needs to look the same from each student. Let them pick out how they are going to demonstrate mastery of the concept.
Affect : Connect with students meaningfully, in the way that they need to be lead. Each student is different. Foster strong relationships with each student to understand the best way to motivate/support them.

Strong Student Relationships

cedickso — 2025-03-26 16:18:31 UTC

Examples of Student Choice

cedickso — 2025-03-26 16:23:49 UTC

Hint Jar or Hint Cards
1. Students can choose to get a hint when completing work if needed.
Choice of Medium for Project
1. Video, Presentation, Website, Performance, Paper, etc...
Tri-Mind Strategy
1. Analytical approach, Practical Approach, or Creative Approach to a math situation