Last
year, I faced a classroom conundrum. I was losing the attention of my students.
I didn’t know how it happened, or even when it started. In order to
maintain the successful classroom I strived so hard to create, I had to stop
the momentum of listlessness. I could have chosen to pick up a book, read a few
blogs, or even watch a couple of videos. They are all very effective tools on
addressing issues in the classroom. This time, however, I decided to go to the
source – my students.
One
day, I asked my students to list how to improve their math class experience. I
put a box in the back of the classroom and gave students 10 minutes to respond.
They responded honestly, and I appreciated that they trusted me enough not to
fear truthfulness. The gist of the most popular choice was “I want to work by
myself when I first start to learn something. We work in groups too much.” This
was surprising. I love groups and math stations and I thought the students did
as well. After discussing the responses with students, I learned that they also
loved stations, but felt like they would get more out of them after they were
more comfortable with the math concepts.
The art
of doing it alone seems scary; we need to move through material and we don’t
want anything to go wrong with our lessons. I’ve always stressed to students
that it is okay to fail as long as they thought of it as an opportunity to
improve. Now, it was time for me to apply that philosophy to my classroom.
The Art
of DIA meant that after my lecture and some direct instruction, I gave students
a set of problems or an individual activity and stepped back as they went to
work. There is no talking during DIA time, and surprisingly, the majority of
students follow this rule. I monitor from a distance. I don’t walk up
to their desks, ask them what they are doing, or even ask them to explain what
they have learned. I don’t interfere with their personal learning space. Student know they can come to my table if they have questions.
Are you
ready to practice the Art of DIA in your classroom?
Set the expectations
The first step to a successful DIA experience is communicating the expectations during this time:
- How long will DIA sessions last? (I recommend 20 minutes or less)
- How many days per week will students participate in DIA sessions?
- How will students be able to seek help if they get stuck?
- Will students have access to online learning materials while working alone?
- Will students be able to listen to music with headphones?
- What are consequences for students not meeting expectations?
Provide access to learning materials
All
students learn differently. Some students learn best while modeling and working
with manipulatives (kinesthetic) and others grasp material by watching videos
(auditory and visual). Consider setting up areas in the room where students
have access to these types of materials; it gives them the opportunity to take
control of their learning.
Become an active observer
DIA sessions are great times to observe how students learn. You will begin to notice when students are struggling with material and when they mastering it. Make sure students understand that they CAN ask for assistance during DIA time.
All
students should engage in learning opportunities during DIA time. Invariably,
some students will finish early. Provide these students opportunities to work
on extension activities such as task cards or challenge problems.
The Art
of DIA has the potential to transform your classroom and improve student
outcomes.
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