How many times have you heard, “when will I use this?” when you introduce a new skill to your class? When you hear this, you know a change of mindset is in order so your students will be encouraged to do their best.
Showing your students #RealWorld application for the skills you are teaching will increase their motivation.
One activity that you can implement at any time of the year is a #Real World bulletin board.
You can introduce this activity by sharing math and grammar mistakes.
- Let your class find the mistake(s).
- Discuss the school and real world connection: using fractions or percentages when shopping, not editing signs before posting them, etc.
- Discuss what happens when adults make mistakes in the real world.
- Discuss the advantages of paying attention to details. Smart shoppers will notice math mistakes which helps them spend their money wisely.
You can find some examples on my Pinterest board.
Encourage your students to become detail-oriented by making #RealWorld an ongoing extra credit assignment throughout the year. Tell your students to be on the lookout for mistakes when they are in public places. If they spot a mistake, ask them to take a picture of themselves standing next to the sign. Print a copy of the sign for your #RealWorld bulletin board.
The next time you begin a lesson and one of your students ask “when will I ever use this?” point to the bulletin board. It is the perfect reminder!
Sources to make my blog post graphics can be found HERE.
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