The Pulse of the Classroom
... by Colleen M. Bedrosian (A Cal Poly Pomona Student (TED 406))
Engagement observation(s) made during "messing about" activities at a weekly meeting with children attending a Boys and Girls Club.
What was seen, heard, or photographed:
This week's "messing about" activity centered on learning about our pulse and became an instant hit among the students. They were engaged with the first question "Where have you heard the word pulse?" Many students raised their hands to volunteer the answer and some yelled out, "the doctor's office!" They all volunteered their own answers for every question that followed such as "how do you define pulse?" and "what makes your pulse go faster?" The most popular question asked turned out to be, "Do you like to move?" Of course they do and, in this activity, they did.
Immediately following these teachable moments, the teachers started to lose the students when a group of older boys came in and scanned the room before taking their seats. Saying things like "listen up" and walking around the table refocused many the students and most of their engagement returned. All of the students eventually became involved and gave 100% to the outdoor activity that followed the front-loading introduction. The students liked the game of tag so much, they were jumping up and down squealing with excitement. Many children watching wanted to get involved, even though they were not a part of the class. The energy and desire to engage was contagious.
When the game of tag came to an end, the students were engaged in conversation about it as they were instructed to sit in a circle on the ground. They were told to take their own pulses again and the students joked about how high or low they were. All of them volunteered their final results and one student yelled an incredibly high number. As a result, many joked about calling a doctor and being dead. Everyone involved had a great time with this activity and most of the students wanted a repeat performance. How much more success with an activity could a teacher desire? A rapid pulse is definitely evidence of engagement!
Why I noticed it (there could be multiple reasons):
An "intruder" seems to significantly and negatively impact engagement.
Physical activity seemed to re-focus the kids.
