When I design a lesson, I aim to move the students through a specific process. You guessed it, it's the Interest-->Intrigue-->Inspire Method. It's not hard to understand, but it is very hard to do, and it takes practice (and plenty of failures) to perfect. In fact, if you're a teacher who can do this with most of your lessons, I applaud you! You've successfully implemented what I've termed The i3 Method.
Teachers must give students a reason. However much we tend to use the logic, "We just have to get through the material," it simply will never capture students' attention. To INTEREST students from the start of class or a new topic takes thought and craft. We need an anticipatory set...a hook. I want my students to come into class wondering what might happen. I must create a curiosity in them. While some of us can wing it, careful planning is key. Here are some ways to start out:
Once the students are interested, I can then bring them along for the ride. It may be a teacher centered lesson, but most likely my lesson allows for some student choice. The next step is to INTRIGUE them with the possibilities, the outcomes. What doors will they open for themselves throughout the class? Perhaps they can choose to work alone or in partners or in groups of 5, depending on your design. Perhaps the lesson allows for kinesthetic movement or a colorful activity or a written response. I have found that when students get to choose their methods (within boundaries), their engagement builds. When you include multiple intelligences or various learning styles, students respond. Try some of these things to move from interest to intrigue:
Finally, I want the students to do something with the new strategy, skill, or bit of knowledge into which they've been diving. I want to INSPIRE students to use the lesson presented in some other way, to come away from my class with the desire to continue their learning (or teaching). I would like to see a valuable response. Hopefully they will "sail away" with it and apply it elsewhere. Some of these responses will be simple, some perhaps more complex. Some of their responses may even be unpredictable because, you know, sometimes kids are unpredictable. The following list is hard to make because it depends on the students, but their responses could look something like these:
I am quite transparent in my teaching and in what I divulge to my students regarding my methods. I want them to know how I desire to work with them and how I carefully design lessons for them. Once they know this, they can begin to model the same ideas.
Take writing, for example:
I challenge my student writers to evoke a response in the intended audience. At the least, I want my student writers to INTEREST their readers with engaging material. Beyond that, though, I want them to INTRIGUE their audience with fresh ideas. But once in a while I read student writing at the 6th grade level that has managed to INSPIRE the reader to look at a scenario in a new light and to act on the idea.
Modeling the i3 Method in your teaching will hopefully lead students to do the same.
The First i: INTEREST
Teachers must give students a reason. However much we tend to use the logic, "We just have to get through the material," it simply will never capture students' attention. To INTEREST students from the start of class or a new topic takes thought and craft. We need an anticipatory set...a hook. I want my students to come into class wondering what might happen. I must create a curiosity in them. While some of us can wing it, careful planning is key. Here are some ways to start out:
- Show a gif to start your topic. :)
- Put up a picture related to the content.
- Ask for a volunteer to come up front and demonstrate something (arrange beforehand or let your volunteer be surprised).
- Unveil a new bulletin board (or a piece of the bulletin board).
- Play a song or just the chorus that relates to your point.
- Share a deep quote verbally or put it on the screen.
- Have students open Google Classroom and follow a pre-planned prompt.
- Take a poll on Google Classroom or Socrative.
- Hide and have your special guest start your class, then come in later.
- Decorate your doorway to start your class...or your day. Think: streamers or balloons.
- Just stand in front of the class and grin at them (my students will tell you that I'm the king of awkward).
- Put an instruction on the board and see how many students catch on.
- Tell a personal story (or a story from a character from the lesson) that relates to the topic.
- Have students do a quick-write on the topic.
- Ask a student to start your lesson (or assign the students in an order).
- Show a piece of artwork related to your topic and discuss the connection.
- Wear a costume or bring a prop to present the material.
- Give students "sandbox time" to explore the topic or the tech used in class.
The Second i: INTRIGUE
Once the students are interested, I can then bring them along for the ride. It may be a teacher centered lesson, but most likely my lesson allows for some student choice. The next step is to INTRIGUE them with the possibilities, the outcomes. What doors will they open for themselves throughout the class? Perhaps they can choose to work alone or in partners or in groups of 5, depending on your design. Perhaps the lesson allows for kinesthetic movement or a colorful activity or a written response. I have found that when students get to choose their methods (within boundaries), their engagement builds. When you include multiple intelligences or various learning styles, students respond. Try some of these things to move from interest to intrigue:
- Pair share or work in groups (maybe even encourage independent time).
- Let the students move around the room or pick their "corners."
- Have students plan a small skit to teach a concept.
- Strategically place the most memorable piece of the lesson wherever you see fit.
- Play "devil's advocate" around a concept with the students.
- Insert a song into the middle of your lesson, or make a song from the material.
- Go PBL and present that problem for students to plan to resolve.
- Hold discussion groups, but make sure to lead them through the process so they learn your expectations. I like to split into small groups, then go whole group.
- Assign a project and a time frame, but let students choose their method of presentation (poster, written response, Google Drawing, diagram, white board or white board app).
- Interrupt the lesson or group work with an alternate idea or with a carefully withheld statistic.
- Toss around a hacky sack for a group discussion.
- Create a worthwhile and well-designed slides presentation for students to follow along or take notes.
The Third i: INSPIRE
Finally, I want the students to do something with the new strategy, skill, or bit of knowledge into which they've been diving. I want to INSPIRE students to use the lesson presented in some other way, to come away from my class with the desire to continue their learning (or teaching). I would like to see a valuable response. Hopefully they will "sail away" with it and apply it elsewhere. Some of these responses will be simple, some perhaps more complex. Some of their responses may even be unpredictable because, you know, sometimes kids are unpredictable. The following list is hard to make because it depends on the students, but their responses could look something like these:
- "Can we do that again tomorrow?"
- "It worked well to study together in Mr. T's class when we created a Quizlet. Could we try it here?"
- "Do you think that would work in my/our other classes?"
- "Can we contact another class and connect our ideas with them?"
- "Can we contact another school?"
- "Could we write to the author?"
- "Could a Flipgrid work with my cousin's class in (insert particular school, state, or country)?"
- "How can we use this solution to help somebody who's underprivileged or in need?"
- ...and so many more responses depending on your class and students...
Whatever inspiration you're providing your students, I would encourage you to allow them to dream big. Some may come up with smaller dreams, something close to home, and that's OK, but encourage your students to take risks and come up with ideas that produce real world results. While we aim to teach students material and skills that are important for them at this point in time, it's worth showing them what can happen for them in the future as well if they apply themselves and the skills and knowledge they've gained in your classroom.
At the end of the day, the level at which you inspire your students to act will determine their creativity and imagination for what can occur in their futures. The struggle to manage curriculum and testing with creative response is real. As I said at the beginning, it takes practice (and plenty of failures) to perfect!
I am quite transparent in my teaching and in what I divulge to my students regarding my methods. I want them to know how I desire to work with them and how I carefully design lessons for them. Once they know this, they can begin to model the same ideas.
Take writing, for example:
I challenge my student writers to evoke a response in the intended audience. At the least, I want my student writers to INTEREST their readers with engaging material. Beyond that, though, I want them to INTRIGUE their audience with fresh ideas. But once in a while I read student writing at the 6th grade level that has managed to INSPIRE the reader to look at a scenario in a new light and to act on the idea.
Modeling the i3 Method in your teaching will hopefully lead students to do the same.
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