Myth Busters

Myth #1 

Planning for engagement means my lesson must be over the top.

In order for students to be engaged, students have to be motivated and actively learning throughout your lesson.  This can happen in a variety of ways and there is not set recipe for student engagement. 

Tapping into your own teacher creativity as discussed in the previous module, will make your lessons more authentic and enjoyable for everyone involved. 

Myth #2

The best way to engage my students is by making everything digital. 

Just like in life, your classroom must be balanced. Students enjoy hands-on learning just as much as creating something digitally. If you use too much of one or the other, your classroom could become a place of compliance.  You have to mix it up and always keep it fun! 

Myth #3

An engaged student is an attentive student. 

Just because a student is tracking you with their eyes, nodding when you speak, and following your directions perfectly doesn't mean that the student is engaged in their learning. It could just mean that they are being compliant. How many times have you feigned attentiveness in a workshop or a meeting when your mind was really a million miles away? Just because a student seems attentive doesn’t necessarily signal that she is actually engaged. 

Myth #4

Engaging teachers don't make mistakes. 

Engaging teachers see teaching as an opportunity to try new things, make a difference for their students and plan lessons that they can execute confidently. That doesn't mean that they don't make mistakes. However, they aren't afraid of making mistakes and see it as a place to grow instead of a place of failure.