Controlling Students' Compelling Whys
As a teacher, you can exert control over student Compelling Whys in three ways:
- Through what you say (verbally, through nonverbal body language, and through voice intonation).
- Through what you do (by creating an environment that supports learning).
- Through the teaching strategies you choose to use (by designing lessons that incorporate all learning channels).
Verbally, teachers can make connections between what they are teaching and any of the Compelling Whys. Teachers can inspire students with their "Teacher Talk." Connections need to be formed between what is taught and the students’ reason for learning, for example, you can tell students how what is being taught may be used in their lives.
Your body language and voice intonation can speak to students' Compelling Whys, for example, you could address the Compelling Why for Fun by making funny sounds and gestures when imitating a character in a story the students are reading. If you tell students that "learning is fun," you must have congruence between what you say and what you do. Students quickly figure out if you are sincere or insincere. This is especially evident if you say one thing and convey something else through your body language and voice intonation.
The teaching strategies that speak to students' reasons for wanting to learn and remember include:
- how you present material.
- the kinds of activities you have students do.
- how you review what has been taught.
- the way you honor individual differences.
- how you prepare students for tests.
- the kinds of assessments you give to your students.