Involvement

What strategies does the teacher use to actively engage the students? How effective are these?

I feel so privileged to be working with this certain teacher!  She has been a teacher for about 5 or 6 years now, and is FABULOUS!  I don't think there was a strategy that I read about that this teacher doesn't utilize!

One strategy that I notice she uses to keep her kids focused while they are participating is calling attention to their good behavior.  Oh my goodness, it works like a charm!!  If she wants the kids to all be sitting quietly on the carpet and listening to her story, she will simply say, "Wow, look at Robbie!  He is sitting with his arms folded, looking at me....Thank you Robbie."  The class immediately reacts and follows this students behavior, in hopes that they will get called out as a good example! 

This teacher also uses holiday themes to help teach her students.  For example, for St. Patricks day she had her students sort the "Colors of the Rainbow" (skittles) and use them in math problems.  Now that we are nearing Easter, we have given the students a worksheet full of Easter eggs with a tiny math problem hidden on it.  The students then use magnifying glasses to find the math problem, write it out, and then solve it.  It's great!  The students have had so much fun with this activity, and their math skills have improved so much!  Its not the same old, boring routing!  Its new and exciting for them! :)