A Journey From Good to Great: Elevating Engaged Learning at Islands Elementary
A Journey From Good to Great: Elevating Engaged Learning at Islands Elementary
Hailey Borden
Our campus is on a continued journey to greatness. Islands has been an A-Rated school since 2021 and is dedicated to fostering a tight-knit campus family. Now, we are also actively working our way to greatness in education school-wide by not just learning, but learning how we learn.
Our journey begins in the brain.
Did you know a student’s age reflects their average attention span? At 6 years old, the average 1st grader might have an attention span of 6-7 minutes before tasks can feel tedious. Insights like this help Islands staff understand how our students’ brains work so we can apply this understanding in the classroom, enhancing knowledge retention while providing activity-based, collaborative learning experiences that excite and engage. We know students take in information at a quicker pace, because of digital platforms and games. They are used to content constantly feeling exciting and bringing them answers quickly. To respond to this we are turning some of our lessons into incentive-centered tasks. Students use pause-and-process-based learning techniques (say, make, do, write) to solve problems and build relationships with one another. These techniques ensure their learning is moved from short-term to long-term memory and help students enjoy the process of learning as much as they enjoy getting the answer.
Grade level teams meet weekly as part of Professional Learning Communities to design opportunities that foster critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and perseverance in learning during daily classroom activities. Mrs. Allen’ 5th grade Social Studies & Science block has been strengthening their teamwork and group-work skills by participating in hands-on tower-building activities while learning about the Scientific Method and The Thirteen Colonies and Mrs. McCoy’s Kindergarteners have been practicing beginning letter sounds, drawing pictures of things that begin with their assigned sound, then proudly presenting their posters to the class.
Classrooms like these are places where engaged learning thrives. Students are encouraged to take ownership of their learning, enjoy hands-on, teamwork-driven activities, and foster positive relationships with other learners. Routines and procedures are still important foundations to every classroom, and are built upon by active learning experiences intended to give students a strong baseline knowledge for the grade ahead.
“Teaching is more than delivering information; it is about creating opportunities for students to use, apply, and demonstrate what they have learned,” says Islands’ Instructional Coach Karly Fox. “At Islands Elementary, we don’t just want our Dolphins to learn it — we want them to engage with it, make connections, and remember it.”
Follow us on our socials to get exciting updates from our campus OR schedule a tour to learn more about what Islands can offer your student.
