1. Now, students know that questions are expected. 

When students know that everyone is required to have a question, they will naturally be listening carefully in order to be prepared.

2. Asking students to write down a question naturally enhances their engagement. 

It is expected and assumed that they have questions about the content because the content is interesting and important.

3. Classroom culture improves. 

There’s a sense that everyone is “in this together.” Asking questions and discussing them is the norm.

4. The required questions lead to discussion, which leads to more questions! 

If students are asking higher-order questions and talking them over with their peers, they’re learning! It may seem like a minor adjustment, but the simple semantic shift of asking your students to “write down a question,” will make a world of difference!

Interested in more ways to boost engagement? Here are 4 more tips to cultivate an environment of inquiry.

1. Build a safe and supportive classroom culture.

Take the time to do silly ice breakers. Have fun! Find common ground with your students and bond with them. Cater to their interests and show them that you care about them as people first. When they feel valued, they will be more willing to share their thoughts on academic topics.

2. Scaffold and Support

Not all kids come to us with excellent speaking or listening skills. In the era of smartphones and social media, it’s becoming increasingly rare to have quality face-to-face conversations. Throw in a pandemic, and we’ve got our work cut out for us! Providing sentence stems is helpful, not just for your ELL kiddos, but for your shy kids whose minds go blank when the spotlight is on them. Once they’re comfortable with academic conversations, they’ll be able to move away from the supports. In the meantime, put stems on the wall and require their use by everyone. It takes the pressure off.

3. Model it

Many of us need a demonstration before we’ll try something new. Academic conversation is no different. Grab a colleague or a student that’s conversationally gifted, and model how you want conversations to go.

4. Practice

Before you dive into important content, practice with a fun topic. If the students are interested in what they’re talking about, they’re more likely to participate. Once they have a trial run under their belts, they’ll feel more comfortable when the time comes to talk to each other about the curriculum and content.

Conversation is what it’s really all about. With a little work, you can make this the norm in your classroom. Soon, you’ll have students that thoughtfully discuss their questions and ideas with their peers. Their conversations will create even more questions and new ideas. Suddenly, we’re not doing all the work, they are. Students are at the center and teachers become a guide, a facilitator. Boring classrooms and quiet kids will take a backseat to somewhat noisy, but happily engaged learners who take ownership of their education.

Reference: https://boredteachers.com/post/switch-to-write-down-a-question

1. Silent 60: Start the class by having all students sit quietly for 60 seconds to get themselves ready for learning. You can add a focus on a particular sound in the room, an image you provide (e.g., a dot on a piece of paper, an abstract picture you put up on a screen), or their breathing. Start with 15 seconds for early elementary students and gradually increase. Begin with 20–30 seconds for upper elementary.

2. Powerful Listening: Ring a bell, use a wind chime, or employ another object that makes a long, trailing sound. Ask students to listen and raise their hands when they no longer can hear the sound. After all agree that the sound has stopped, set a timer for one minute, ask students to sit quietly, and then when time is up, ask them what they heard during that minute.

3. One Minute for Good: Start the class by having students reflect for a minute about something that has gone well or something that they are grateful for. This can be done in writing, pair shares, or small or large group discussions. Larger groups work best for early elementary.

4. Morning Classroom Conversations: Start the day with a quote that can stimulate short conversations to help middle and high school students begin to interact with classmates in supportive ways. Sample conversation prompts can be found here.

IN THE MOMENT

5. Three Breaths: Have students take three deep breaths at regular intervals, such as before class changes or whenever strong feelings of anxiety or tension arise. Teachers should instruct students on this breathing technique and create visual reminders and prompting signals for students to begin. This is a valuable practice for staff as well, as expert mindfulness teacher Danielle Nuhfer, who has compiled an array of marvelous techniques in The Path of the Mindful Teacher, shared with me:

“The great thing about Three Breaths is that if the teacher would like to share with students what he/she is doing, they can. I’ve been known to pause, put my hand on my chest/heart, tell my class that I need a moment, and take three breaths. This is something that is a great way to demonstrate our own emotional regulation. When students witness their teacher work through a stressful situation in a way that demonstrates awareness and presence, they may remember that themselves. Sometimes this kind of role modeling can be more impactful than even teaching a lesson to our students about emotional regulation.”

6. Body Scan: Educators benefit from learning to focus on their bodies. Make sure you are feeling centered with both feet on the floor as you teach your classes or meet with students or colleagues. Notice when and where you are feeling tension or when your breathing is shallow or labored, and use Three Breaths (or more!) to help you feel some relief. Don’t hesitate to let students or colleagues know that you are taking a few moments to gather yourself via breathing.

7. Speak Your Mantra: Develop a phrase that helps you keep focus and keep perspective. Repeat it often—when you encounter roadblocks and when things are going well. Put it in places where you will see it because when emotions run high, we can lose sight of our more cherished values. Some examples:

• “I am preparing all of these children for an uncertain future.”
• “I want all students to enjoy well-being, happiness, and peace.”
• “My goal is to prepare students for the tests of life—not just a life of tests.”

ENDING THE DAY

8. Concluding Reflections: Many have extolled the value of reflection, from Sir John Templeton, founder of the character-focused foundation with his name, to the SEL exemplar Responsive Classroom. Mindfulness experts like Nuhfer have joined that group. Below are five of her favorites for closing the school day, plus two of my own:

• Something I learned today…
• I am curious about…
• I am looking forward to tomorrow because…
• Something I’ll do (next, later today, this weekend, before the end of the week, etc.)…
• A question I still have is…
• I had the best feeling today when…
• Something from today that I am grateful for/thankful for/appreciative of is…

Most teachers start off as teachers who use mindfulness; moving to become a “mindful teacher”—what Nuhfer describes as a teacher who “acts with awareness about what is happening in the moment,” at every moment—takes practice with multiple techniques, reading the relevant literature, being aware of implicit biases, and being part of a community of like-minded educators who help each other improve.

Reference: https://www.edutopia.org/article/8-activities-students-and-teachers-create-mindful-classroom/?fbclid=IwAR1Ad0OtfbMmyj89Liy4CAwY1P1WSazHSl7iLnO08FD_fwrBN50mUkRMyl0

1. Mark it missing, and ask what’s going on. Their answer might surprise you.

I am showing grace, but they must show effort and communication with me. Yes, zeros happen but can be overturned. Students need to follow through. —Tara

2. Invite students to reflect on why they aren’t doing any work.

3. Teach students coping strategies.

Begin or end a class with meditation exercises to help students get focused. Check in with students during independent work. These are simple and small ways to support your students.—Kerith

4. Ask students to write a weekly email and set goals.

5. Consider grading assessments, but not homework or other types of practice.

6. Try positive reinforcement and celebrate students’ small wins.

7. Even when you’ve tried everything, never give up on your students.

Reference: https://www.weareteachers.com/students-arent-doing-work/?fbclid=IwAR0cBaaGwcH3nElvccZskQlyKFsc0gFBtp06yFFBwX2Wzb5kQNKeL6ITMGM