Engaged Literacy.Engaged World: Facilitator Is the New Teacher Title

August 24th, 2017

Engaged Literacy.Engaged World :  Facilitator Is the New Teacher Title
Kathryn E. Jennings, M.S. Ed. Reading Specialist, Educational Leadership

In my new position as a district curriculum specialist, I will be visiting classrooms on a regular basis. As I observe more and more classrooms within many districts and many subject areas, the one common thread is that kids learn when they are engaged. The content, the teacher, the level of the student makes absolutely no difference. The difference is in the amount of the engagement of the student.

While this idea is not anything new, it is definitely a methodology that tends to be ignored. In today's world, we, as educators, must keep this very idea at the forefront.

When students are doing the reading, the writing, the working, they are the ones who are learning. As teachers, we tend to do the writing, the reading, and the working because we are helpers.

Often though, by helping, we are hurting. We are causing students to develop dependence when really we are working toward moving students to independence. Students will be the ones taking the tests that will determine much of their pathway in their education. Thus, we must learn to engage these students, and the one way we can do it is to put them in the driver's seat.

I always shutter at the term "teacher." I have been a facilitator of my classroom since I hit the ground sprinting a mere ten years ago. Thus, the 4 C's  of 21st Century learning have been easily woven into the heart of my pedagogy.

For the unfamiliar, the 4 C's  (University of Connecticut, 2015) are

• CREATIVITY,
• COLLABORATION,
• COMMUNICATION, and
• CRITICAL THINKING.

These four are unattainable without a facilitator. 

Now, don't get me wrong, there is still a time and place for direct teaching; however, we do need to consider that direct teaching does NOT need to be longer than 10-15 minutes at a time. 

While research has supported this for many years, it seems to be the first idea that we forget when we get going "teaching." 

An easy way around this trap is to remember the 4 C's and the idea of the facilitation. 

Remember, 

 kids need to be in the 

driver's seat in order for student engagement to happen.  

When I am doing, I am learning. When I am sitting and listening, I am disengaged. 

100% Engagement is the GOAL!