Guide to Tripod’s 7Cs™ Framework
Captivate
Teachers who captivate spark and maintain student interest in learning. They stimulate and engage students by cultivating curiosity and inquiry and by making lessons interesting, relevant, and enjoyable.
Message to Students:
“I find ways to make lessons intellectually stimulating and relevant.”
Sample Student Survey Items
(for different grade levels)
- I like the things that we are learning in this class.
- I like the ways that we learn things in this class.
- My teacher makes lessons interesting.
Indicators of an Exemplary Classroom
Teachers effectively captivate through practices like these:
Designing stimulating lessons
The teacher designs lessons that capture and hold students’ attention.
- The teacher designs lessons that are responsive to students’ interests, backgrounds, and questions.
- The teacher conveys the relevance or importance of key facts, ideas, concepts, and skills.
- The teacher highlights ways that lessons can contribute to students’ lives.
Facilitating active participation
The teacher engages students in interactive learning experiences.
- The teacher uses a variety of methods for promoting interaction among students as they engage with ideas and materials.
- The teacher asks open-ended questions and encourages students to raise additional questions.
- The teacher uses appropriate technology to engage students in learning.
Reflection Questions
Consider these questions as you reflect on your classroom practice:
- How do you make your lessons relevant to students’ lives and the world outside of school?
- How well are your lessons paced? Are they too fast? Too slow? Is pacing differentiated for varying skill levels?
- How interactive are your lessons?
- How successfully do your lessons pique students’ curiosity and engage them actively in inquiry?
- How do your vocal inflections, movements, and mannerisms communicate your enthusiasm and contribute to capturing and holding students’ attention?
- How effectively do you use appropriate technology to engage students in learning?
- How do your assignments sustain students’ interest?
Sample Strategies
Try implementing teaching strategies like these in your classroom:
- Discuss how news articles or video clips relate to topics or concepts you are teaching.
- Create projects that engage students in applying what they are learning in meaningful real-world contexts.
- Use simulations or interactive online activities to engage students in learning.
- Provide opportunities for students to use digital tools to explore, create, and communicate, both individually and collaboratively.
