a few weeks ago we welcomed Bradley Busch from Inner Drive who gave a talk to boys and staff. Here are his main points:
a. How can we motivate students?
- Create autonomy: pupils are encouraged to make their own choices. This fosters independence and an inquiring mind. However, too much choice can be bad.
- Foster mastery: encourage pupils to focus on individual development and to stop comparing themselves to others.
- Give pupils a purpose for what they are doing: if not, they will lose interest. This can be individual development, to build a passion for the subject or to contribute to group work. Give students a purpose beyond exams for what they are doing.
b. How can we improve memory?
- Make students think more deeply about their responses. Ask them WHY?
- Encourage them to space out their reading– cramming doesn’t work as well.
- Do regular tests and quizzes. These need to be done in a supportive environment rather than to give negative feedback. You don’t need to give a grade or they can peer mark.
- Ask pre-questions before you teach. Encourage them to guess the answer.
A few more tips to share with students:
- Reading out loud is more efficient than silent reading
- Highlighting information you want to remember is not very useful.
- It is easier to remember things if you divide them in chunks.
If you want to listen to Bradley’s talk go here:
https://soundcloud.com/user-667838070/audio-01-15-2018-20-46-37
For more information see here:
https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2017/oct/06/what-every-teacher-should-know-about-memory
https://blog.innerdrive.co.uk/studies/4-the-one-about-spacing-your-learning
https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/dunlosky.pdf
