Enjoying Learning

Learning by Doing

Students learn by doing. They like being active. Even more, they like being interactive.

Students enjoy learning when the process of instruction engages all of their senses. When the students enjoy learning, teachers enjoy teaching.

Reducing "Goofing Off"

Within the classroom, the main impediment to learning by doing is not doing. The many ways of not doing are known to us all from experience - whispering to the kid sitting next to us, passing notes, sharpening pencils just to be out of our seats, doodling, dawdling and gazing out the window. We will refer to these pleasures of the flesh collectively as goofing off.

Teaching a lesson would not be so hard if the students would just pay attention and get to work. It is the goofing off that wears you down.

When exasperation mounts, we swing into action. At such times, we sound like a recording of every teacher we ever had.

"Robert, would you please stop talking and get some work done?"

"Sandra, I am sick and tired of looking up to find you out of your seat."

"What are you two playing with? Let me see that."

Working Yourself to Death

How do you get a room full of kids to do what you need them to do all day long - hand papers in, pass papers out, get into their groups, line up, sit down, pay attention, take turns? How about the students who sit helplessly with their hands raised day after day and say, "I don't know how to do this." How about the student who says, "This is stupid."

After school you have parent conferences, committee meetings, and paper grading. You are on your toes all day long, and then you keep working into the evening. You can run yourself ragged.

But, some of our colleagues find the job energizing. These teachers do not work themselves to death. They work smart, not hard.