Meaningful Connections

The Art of Connection: Enhancing Learning through Meaningful Engagement

In the last few years, I’ve felt the importance of connecting the syllabus with what is going on outside the classroom walls, prioritizing depth over length, and relevance over teaching meaningless content. When students know that what they are learning has a purpose and can be connected to their own lives, they learn better. Let’s explore how to make meaningful connections for better learning! 

Sometimes making this connection means choosing modern voices for our literature class, sometimes it means designing projects that are relevant beyond the classroom. Other times, alternative ways to assess learners like writing blog posts or giving a  speech are great ways to bridge what they are learning in the classroom with the outside world.

Today I want to share with you an activity I did with my students to help them find meaningful connections between their lives and the English language. 

Have students make a list of what they value most in life (activities, people, etc.). Then, ask them to brainstorm what they’ve learned in your class during the last term/year/month. Once they have both lists ready, tell them to draw lines between the two lists and make connections. Finally, ask them to write a paragraph explaining those connections. I did this activity with my learners last Wednesday as we were closing the term, and they really enjoyed it. Sounds good?⭐️
Finding relevance in what we do is super important for deeper learning and meaningful connections! Check out some of my students’ work 🥰

 Do you think you’ll experiment with more connections to the outside world inside your classroom? I’d love to hear your ideas, or the amazing things you’re already doing with your own learners! Drop a comment below if you’re in the mood.

Love, Paula.

Looking for Freebies, Teaching Tips, How-Tos, or Lesson plans?

fun
Subscribe Now