Think about it. In sports, there are games. Games that are played in front of audiences, games that are high stakes, and games where the players show up, giving their all because frankly, it counts. Yet school is run like it’s one practice after the other. There’s never a game to look forward to, to demonstrate what you’re made of, to apply everything you’ve been learning at practice.
What if you could create those peak, memorable experiences for your students by elevating what you’re already doing in the classroom? Listen in as Caitlin and Jessica show listeners how to create more authentic learning opportunities where students are invested in the outcome and show up with their A-game.
In this episode, Caitlin and Jessica will give lots of inspiration and ideas for creating authentic moments in your classroom – moments that students will look forward to and remember for a long time. The secret to getting your students to bring their best effort is to treat your class more like a sport and your students more like a team.
Tune in now to hear:
- [01:20] Caitlin talks about her experiences with sports growing up and how much they taught her about life and teaching.
- [03:00] Caitlin discusses the need for “games” for students to look forward to. Not classroom games, but something that is high stakes, where students get to really utilize their ELA skills and feel invested in an outcome.
- [04:00] Jessica gives an example of her Jameson’s basketball game and how memorable it was for him, vs. his practices. She asks listeners, “When do your students get to feel this way at school?”
- [06:00] Jessica explains that teachers can create these special moments for students simply by elevating what they’re already doing in the classroom. She talks about her experiences as a student, participating in a mock trial in high school. As a 4th grade teacher, she used this same idea using The Three Little Pigs.
- [08:20] If you’d like to know the specifics on how to create a mock trial experience for students, you can hear the details in this podcast episode.
- [09:00] Cailtin recommends the book The Power of Moments for more information on the hows and whys of creating special moments.
- [11:30] Caitlin talks about Samantha, one of our EB teachers who really leveled up her mock trial with authentic experiences for students.
- [14:00] Caitlin points out another benefit of these authentic learning experiences: when you treat learning more like a sport, students work more like a team! She explains how this team mentality makes learning more meaningful for students.
- [15:50] So, what can you do this year to make school more like sports for your students? What lessons do you already have planned that you could elevate to a more authentic level? Cailtin shares some great ideas, like inviting admin as guests during presentations, hosting a publishing or viewing party, or inviting guest speakers into the classroom.
- [18:50] If you’re interested in joining the EB Teachers’ club to find community support plus great lessons full of memorable moments, click here to get started. We’d love to have you!
Click here to watch on Youtube!
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