March Superstar – Engagement

Research has demonstrated that engaging students in the learning process increases their attention and focus, motivates them to practice higher-level critical thinking skills, and promotes meaningful learning experiences. Liane Buckley, Gifted and Talented Program Teacher at Bayles Elementary, is the  Engagement Guiding Principle Superstar. She shares how she engages with her students sets them up for success. 

Teaching the talented and gifted students at Bayles she consistently creates lessons that allow the students to interact while they are learning. When teaching her students about the brain, they enjoy making a Brain Hat. This engaging activity allows them to make a model of the brain and have engaging discussions about how it works to help them learn and manage their emotions.

                       

BUILD a BRAIN Hat is a fun and fully engaging hands-on activity where students apply their knowledge of the anatomy of the human brain to create an actual hat they can wear on their head. She has found that teaching them about the way their brain works is fun and helps them to be more successful.

“I try to give students tools they can use for the rest of their life. To do this, they have to know that I’m truly invested and care about their future. Also they have to believe that what I am teaching them is important. Engaging them through interesting lessons, building a sense of belonging, collaborative activities, confidence building, and allowing them to have a voice in the classroom will contribute to their success!” – Liane B. Buckley