ENGAGEMENT IN ELA

Think/Reflect

Pick an age between 10 – 18 – think about what you were like:

What did you enjoy? What were you like in school? What didn’t you enjoy?

What were your favorite classes? Why?

My name is Jen; I am 12 years old. School is good but sometimes I am bored. I tend to finish my work quickly and I don’t like waiting for the class to catch up. I get in trouble a lot for talking to my peers who aren’t finished and for being fidgety. I am sent to sit by myself at the back of class a lot so I don’t distract others.

I am most engaged when I am reading or writing. I am good at writing stories but my teacher can’t read my handwriting. I love to read. I also like to work in groups because I like being able to talk about what I’m learning. I like anything hands-on so I am good at projects. I don’t like PE because I am really clumsy and always get picked last for teams.

What did I notice about my 12-year-old self?

Identified as having behavior issues. However, I was possibly gifted, needed activities that allowed for cooperative

and hands-on learning. I may have had fine motor skills issues.

Turn and talk

EXPERIENCE

Home schooled vs. Home School

Academics & Behavior: A

Symbiotic Relationship

High quality academic instruction- content matched to student learning needs and frequent high quality feedback by itself can reduce problem behavior

Implementation of school-wide positive behavior support leads to increased academic engaged time and enhanced academic outcomes

Adapted from (Algozzine & Algozzine, 2007; Horner et al., 2009; Lassen, Steele, & Sailor, 2006)

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Think of the students….

List some of the behaviors you have observed in students who are not

engaged.

Rebellion

Rebellion• The student is disengaged from

current classroom activities and goals.

• The student is actively engaged in another agenda.

• The student creates her own means and her own goals.

• The student’s rebellion is usually seen as acting out—and often in encouraging others to rebel.

Implications• Learn little or nothing from the task

or activity assigned • Sometimes learn a great deal from

what they elect to do, though rarely that which was expected

• Develop poor work habits and sometimes develop negative attitudes toward intellectual tasks and formal education

Retreatism

Retreatism

• The student sees little that is relevant to life in the academic work.

• The student feels unable to do what is being asked or is uncertain about what is being asked.

• The student rejects both the official goals and the official means of achieving the goals.

• The student is thinking about other things or is emotionally withdrawn from the action.

Implications

• Do not participate, and therefore learn little or nothing from the task or activity assigned

• Develop belief that they are not accepted by their teacher and/or peers

Ritual Compliance

Ritual Compliance

• The emphasis is on minimums and exit requirements—what do I have to do to get this over and get out?

• The student seeks to avoid either confrontation or approbation.

• The work has no meaning to the student and is not connected to what does have meaning.

Implications

• Learn only at low levels and have a superficial grasp of what they learn

• Do not retain what they learn

• Seldom can transfer what they learn from one context to another

Strategic Compliance

Strategic Compliance

• The official reason for the work is not the reason the student does the work—she substitutes her own goals for the goals of the work.

• The substituted goals are instrumental—grades, class rank, college acceptance, parental approval.

• If the task doesn’t promise to meet the extrinsic goal, the student will abandon it.

Implications

Learn at high levels but have a superficial grasp of what they learn

Do not retain what they learn

Usually cannot transfer what they learn from one context to another

Your List

Which of the types of disengagement does your list describe.

Student list of engaging strategies

Group Activity

Generate a list of activities or strategies you have used that fall under the

umbrella of the ones listed by students.

Exit Slip

If there are particular PD ideas/wants/needs related

to behavior please list them on the post-it’s and place on the white “suggestions for

PD” sheet.

Complete the evaluation form please.