A graduate of the University of South Florida and Hahnemann Medical College, Steven A. Field, MD, serves as a teacher for the School District of Hillsborough County in Tampa, Florida. Steven A. Field, MD, has held this position for several years and teaches high school students about such subjects as biology, health sciences, and space science.All teachers are tasked with keeping their students engaged in their lessons and in learning. Below are a few ways to promote student engagement in the classroom:Connect it to real life: illustrating how lesson materials connect to real life are a great way of showing students why the material is important. It can easily be done by using specific examples from everyday life or by linking their lessons to regular routines, such as calculating tax or washing the hands. Further, teachers who use culturally relevant materials help students stay engaged and interested in school-based learning.Use assessments to adjust teaching: at the beginning of each year, teachers can have each student complete an assessment to figure out where their current knowledge is. Over the course of the school year, these assessments can be regularly used to see where students may still be struggling and where teaching approaches may need to be changed. Assessments are also a great tool for holding students accountable for their education and can serve as a motivator.Give students a choice: by allowing students to choose how they learn, teachers help them feel more involved and engaged in the classroom. These choices can revolve around how students learn as opposed to what they learn. Students should be able to provide feedback about the pace of the classroom in accordance with how comfortable they feel and choose how they prefer to work on classroom projects.
Steven A. Field, MD graduated from Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He also holds a master of science in public health from the University of South Florida. For nearly a decade, Steven A. Field, MD has served the School District of Hillsborough County in Tampa, Florida, as a teacher of earth science, AP biology, and other science courses.The Advanced Placement (AP) program was established by The College Board to help prepare students in the United States and Canada for higher learning opportunities. AP classes can serve as an effective link between high school and college, but can also overwhelm individuals who may take on a workload greater than they are capable of managing.There are a few things to consider when selecting AP courses. Perhaps most obviously, students should only pursue AP learning for subjects in which they have typically excelled. A student who generally receives straight As but is a C student in English should not take AP English simply to impress prospective colleges, as the coursework can prove too challenging and may even negatively impact their other studies. A student’s schedule both in and out of school should also be closely analyzed when selecting AP courses. These classes require extensive reading, writing, and studying, and can become overly burdensome for individuals already engaged in numerous school clubs and athletics.Finally, parents and students who believe they possess the skills and time to manage multiple AP courses must decide exactly how many classes are right for them. Throughout North America, there are more than 30 unique AP classes. Though there is no official recommendation for the number of AP courses a student should take each semester, four or even three courses might be too many; some high schools have even imposed their own limits in this regard. For more information on AP classes, students and their families should discuss the subject with trusted teachers and guidance counselors.
