BrentColey.com
  • Home
  • Books
    • Stories of EduInfluence
    • The Gift
  • Podcast
  • Blog
  • Speaking
  • Videos
    • Video Tutorials: Google Forms
    • Video Tutorials: Google Documents
    • Video Tutorials: Audacity
    • Math Review Videos
  • Resources
    • StudyCast
    • Student Podcast
    • Literature Circles
    • Flowchart Notes
    • Classroom Income Tax
  • About Brent
  • Contact Info

Thoughts on Teaching, Leadership, and Educational Technology

If They Aren't Listening...

4/10/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Cooperative grouping. Direct instruction. Use of manipulatives. Technology infusion. I’ve often heard teachers argue that one kind of lesson is better than others. Personally, I believe there are merits to each of the aforementioned types of lessons and that teachers should use all of them. Using only one type of teaching strategy is like taking only one type of vitamin. Sure it’s good for you, but your body needs a variety of vitamins to keep your body healthy.

While it is definitely important to vary our teaching strategies to ensure our students “get all their vitamins,” it is just as important (if not more important) to remember one thing – it all starts with classroom management. One of the first pieces of advice I like to give to new or prospective teachers is this:

If they aren’t listening, it doesn’t matter what you’re saying. 

Sometimes it’s easy for us as teachers to fall in love with the lesson, neglecting the question – “Are the students engaged?” I know I’ve been guilty of it. I could have crafted the “perfect” lesson, but if my students are doodling, spinning rulers on their pencil points, talking with classmates, or simply staring out the window, how perfect is my lesson, really? Think of it this way. One could spend two or three hours writing amazingly detailed sub plans. But what happens if the substitute teacher doesn’t read them? All that hard work went for nothing. In the same way, spending two or three hours on a lesson that is delivered without effective classroom management can lead to teaching without learning.

Should we strive to craft great lessons that incorporate a variety of teaching strategies? Absolutely. But let us not forget that a lesson is only as good as the atmosphere in which it is delivered. It’s been asked, if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? Allow me to put an educational spin on that question…if students aren’t listening, does a teacher’s voice make a sound?  

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    About Brent

    Brent has worked in the field of education as a teacher and administrator for 29 years. A former elementary school teacher and principal, he is currently Coordinator of Elementary Education in the Murrieta Valley Unified School District in Southern California. Read more about Brent here.


    Follow @brentcoley

    View my profile on LinkedIn

    RSS Feed


    Archives

    February 2025
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    May 2023
    July 2022
    October 2021
    September 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    November 2019
    January 2019
    September 2018
    December 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    December 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    July 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    October 2014
    July 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    April 2012


    Categories

    All
    Admin
    Android
    Assistant Principal
    Cell Phones
    Classroom Management
    Classroom Website
    Collaboration
    Cool Tool
    Copyright
    Creative Commons
    Ed Tech
    Eduinfluence
    Games
    General
    Google
    Ipad
    Iphone
    Ipod
    Language Arts
    Leadership
    Mac
    Mentor
    Organization
    Pe
    Plagiarism
    Plc
    Podcasting
    Productivity
    Self Care
    Story
    Studycast
    Teamwork
    Texting
    Vocabulary
    Whativelearned

Picture
Copyright (C) 2025 Brent Coley
Photos from somegeekintn, woodleywonderworks, Joybot, British Council Singapore, jseliger2, berkuspic, toddwendy, Alexandra E Rust, skippyjon, crdotx, tharrin, roybuloy, .FuturePresent., Just some dust, frankpierson, Jair Alcon Photography, Luigi Mengato, Muffet, stevendepolo, Pilar Soro, Sander van der Wel, jblyberg, jonathangarcia, DraXus, angeloangelo, Sthetic
  • Home
  • Books
    • Stories of EduInfluence
    • The Gift
  • Podcast
  • Blog
  • Speaking
  • Videos
    • Video Tutorials: Google Forms
    • Video Tutorials: Google Documents
    • Video Tutorials: Audacity
    • Math Review Videos
  • Resources
    • StudyCast
    • Student Podcast
    • Literature Circles
    • Flowchart Notes
    • Classroom Income Tax
  • About Brent
  • Contact Info