Quote Reflection

When we are interested in what we are learning, no one has to force us to keep learning: we just do.  If you’ve ever watched kids when they are playing sports, planning a field trip, or discussing their favorite celebrity, you know how different they are when they care about what they’re doing. – Dennis Littkey

I selected this one because I’m really trying to focus on student engagement, at this time. I feel like the biggest obstacle to students learning, especially right now, is that so many of them just tune out when they come to class. What we’re doing isn’t valuable or relevant to them, they just want to go home and play games or hang out with their friends. School is an inconvenience and a chore.

It is also, however, a tremendous social force in their lives. If we can transform lessons into a social act, something that brings them closer to their friends and classmates, they will want to engage. If they want to do it, and want to do it well, they will excel.

I picked this meme, not because it was directly related to the quote or my reflection, but because it was posted into one of our classes by a student, apropos of nothing, because they found it funny. The student was having fun in class, and that's exactly what my goal is.

This kid... not having problems learning things. She's on track. I want the other kids to enjoy school enough to do things like this.