One of my favourite games to play when I’m teaching is searching for the thing that makes the lesson content make sense for my students.
Content: Finding a way in via content is simply using specific learning that seem to light up the student. If I want to teach a song in Te Reo for instance, I might have greater success using a translated Disney song rather than another one. It’s win win, I get to teach the desired outcome AND we get to deliver it using content that lights up a particular student or class. Content could be the way in.
Metaphor: Story examples or the right metaphor can be a great unlocker for some students. When I was teaching pōwhiri once, I used the example of inviting a friend over to your house. As a class we discussed all the things we would do to make them feel welcome. We then began making comparisons between this example that they could understand and the lesson content of the pōwhiri we were learning. Metaphor could be a way in.
Wrapping paper: Sometimes the way in is purely presentational. If I present some learning in a more mysterious manner, some kids click in more. If I’m playful and throw away that might draw others in. I’m not wed to any one presentation or teaching style. What ever sparks wins! So be flexible in your presentation approach and let their engagement dictate your style. How you ‘wrap’ the learning might be the way in.
There are many roads to Rome, but again the fundamental trick is to look for the spark; what am I saying or doing that seems to light them up? When a student is leaning forward with interest or sparkly in the eye- then they can learn anything. ANYTHING!
