Understanding Students’ Interests and Background Design Question 8 – Element 36

Understanding Students’ Interests and Background How will you use students’ interests and backgrounds to produce a climate of acceptance and community?

Before we begin… Before we begin talking about element thirty-six, let’s be sure that there is an understanding about how the elements in Design Question 8 are related. This information is important as you plan your lessons. Watch the video on the next slide. Please take notes, documenting how the elements in Design Question 8 are related.

Introduction to Design Question 8 How do the elements in Design Question 8: Establishing and Maintaining Effective Relationships with Students relate to each other? Introduction to Design Question 8

How do the elements in Design Question 8 relate to each other? Elements 36, 37, & 38 from Design Question 8 address teacher-student relationships Students who have close, positive and supportive relationships with their teachers will attain higher levels of achievement than those students with more conflict in their relationships. Student success can be attributed when teachers intentionally give students the sense that he/she is providing guidance and control both academically and behaviorally Student success can be attributed when teachers provide a sense that everyone in the classroom is part of team, a true community of learning. Now let’s talk about element 36, specifically. Rimm-Kaufman, Sara, PhD, and Lia Sandilos, PhD. "Improving Students' Relationships with Teachers to Provide Essential Supports for Learning." American Psychological Association, n.d. Web. 02 June 2016.

Review Teacher and Student Evidence NOTE: This list of evidence is not all inclusive but is instead a list of possible examples.

Review Scale for Element 36

Desired Effect for Student Learning Strategies will only produce desired effect when implemented accurately and in the right context. The desired effect for element 36 is “Students’ perceptions of acceptance and sense of community are enhanced as a result of the teacher exhibiting understanding of students’ interests and background.” To receive an Innovating rating, the teacher must monitor and make accommodations so that every student in their classroom achieves this desired effect.

Before watching the videos, think about… How do you find out or determine the interests of your students? How do you communicate your understanding of what they are interested in?

Examples of Element 36 Understanding Students’ Interests and Background Note: you must be logged into iObservation to view the following videos. Once you have logged into iObservation, click resource library and type the following into the search bar: Understanding Students’ Interests and Background (Fifth Grade) Understanding Students’ Interests and Background (Ninth Grade)

Now that you have watched the video, reflect… To achieve an Applying rating, how could you monitor the sense of community in your classroom? Need some ideas? Click here To achieve an Innovating rating, what are some ways you can adapt and create new techniques for creating of community in your classroom that addresses ALL unique student needs and situations? Need some ideas? Click here

Remember… Knowing a student's interests can help you create learning activities to match those interests. If a student who loves basketball comes to you with a question about a math problem, you might respond to her with a problem involving basketball. If a student who speaks Spanish at home comes to you with a question about English vocabulary, you might answer his question and then ask him what the word is in Spanish and how he'd use it in a sentence. This type of specific responding shows that you care about your students as people and that you are aware of their unique strengths (i.e., fluency in another language). Personalizing learning activities and encouraging student connections to the content promote student engagement. Information can be gathered through interest surveys or during conversations. Teachers should make an effort to learn about current events that may be of interest to students "Design Question 8: What Will I Do to Establish and Maintain Effective Relationships with Students?" Effective Educators. Learning Science International, 2016. Web. 10 June 2016.

It’s Your Evaluation, Make the Most of It! Your evaluator will only rate you on what he/she sees which is OK because it is not necessary for you to have everything checked in the teacher and/or student evidence to receive a good rating. Also, remember you can invite your evaluator to your classroom to see you using this element. You have control of what your evaluator sees.

Is this element in your PGP? Then you need to… Sign into www.effectiveeducators.com. Click on the Growth tab and then click on the Plans option. Open your current plan and fill out a new Reflection Log, answering the appropriate questions. Decide how you will change your teaching as a result of viewing this module. Execute your change, reflect on its impact, and fill out another Reflection Log in iObservation.

Is This Element in Your PGP? Sign into www.effectiveeducators.com. Click on the Growth tab Click on the Plans option. Open your current plan and fill out a new Reflection Log, answering the appropriate questions. Decide how you will change your teaching as a result of viewing this module. Execute your change, reflect on its impact, and complete another Reflection Log in iObservation.

How Are You Supported? Here are resources in case you have further questions: Your evaluator Another evaluator on your campus Your school’s Classroom Practice Mentors (CPMs) For more examples and resources visit the All About Marzano website Everything you ever wanted to know (and more) about Student Interest And Background - Pasco County Schools