Damien Riley of Dynamite Lesson Plan offers classroom-tested tips and advice on how to engage students more successfully.

Dorit: Thank you Damián for this interview. First of all, I love the name of your blog. How did you first come up with the name of your blog?

Damián: You’re welcome Dorit, it’s great to share among colleagues and others interested in Education. I named my blog after something my teacher in teacher’s college told me in 1997. Like many new teachers do, I was struggling with behavior issues in my class. He told me something I will never forget: “The best way to control children is through a dynamite lesson plan.” I believe it so much that I named my teaching blog “Dynamite Lesson Plan.”

Dorit: You are a veteran teacher, what do you teach and how long have you been teaching?

Damien: Thanks for the nickname! He currently teaches fourth grade at a public school in Southern California. I am certified to teach K-6 and have been teaching for 9 years. Grades I have taught in the past include: 3,4,5,9, and I have taught college courses. So I like to think that I have seen a variety of ages to be able to offer help and share about more than just fourth grade.

Dorit: I also heard that you are a writer. What do you like to write and how long have you been writing?

Damien: I got my master’s degree in English hoping to be a writer and university professor. The college professor thing wasn’t for me, too much academic quicksand, but the writing has done well in a book publication and a variety of popular web publications. Book publishing came about when I answered a simple call for stories in my school newsletter. It ended up being published in a book. You can access my published and unpublished web writing on my online resume that I call Riley Central.

Dorit: On your blog, you focus on various ways that teachers can engage students. What do you think is by far the most critical and challenging area(s) for new teachers to acquire? How do you feel about the task of engaging students?

Damien: Great question about engaging students. People are attracted to energy. When a teacher is engaged and excited about what he is teaching, children are drawn to it. That place is where learning happens. How you get there as a teacher is highly dependent on the individual. If I see a new teacher talking about her assigned goal like she’s walking barefoot on broken glass, then I’ll ask her, “What part of that boring lesson WOULD you enjoy teaching?” I usually get some wild responses after a while. The conclusion we reached is that you have to be interested in children not buying. New teachers need to start finding ways to get comfortable with the material, the delivery, the “tech toys” like projectors, etc., and everything else they use to teach. As that comfort develops, children will want to come to class and learn. Children are like sponges but if there is no water…

Dorit: How has the Internet affected teachers’ ability to think in more dynamic terms to engage their students? Your students’ writing?

Damien: I like having a blog, but it may not be for everyone. The Internet makes it possible to instantly collect photos and information on a variety of topics every day for your children. I try to do my planning on Thursdays and Fridays after school. At that time I put together everything I can from the internet. It’s also a way to connect with teachers from around the world and break out of the “box” of thinking patterns in your school or district.

Dorit: What do you like most about the dynamic lessons?

Damian: Movement. Getting the kids moving gets their blood racing and makes them remember more about the lesson. I have volunteers get on the chairs and hold up signs, do hand motions, etc. I once even modeled “sequential order” by having a student follow my directions, which were trivial (get up, turn around, etc.) and when it got to me, I gave him a dollar! They still talk about it in September.

Least favourite?

Call non-volunteers at random. It is very necessary, but I wish I could call those who I know are listening. I use cards and numbers to the children to make it fun.

Dorit: What new approaches have you recently used to create dynamic lessons that speak to students?

Damien: Explicit Direct Instruction is really my model now. A great thing. You can search it on Google or on my site. I’ve written quite a bit about it.

Dorit: Do you have any tips for beginning teachers on how to create dynamic lesson plans and/or how to engage their students?

Damien: Find a teaching method or template that you like and pour your passion into it. Make note cards and stick them on your desk with things you know the director is looking for and do those things, but focus more on what excites you. That is what education needs today. Enough blah LOL.

Dorit: How do you define a dynamic lesson? Both as a classroom manager, lesson planner, and teacher?

Damien: Well, everything I’ve said so far defines it. I really like acronyms so let me use the letters from my website: DLP and answer your question:

D: The dynamic lesson has momentum.

L: When you go on stage, you are not lazy!

Q: You do it for the love of people, small or large

Dorit: What do you wish you had known about student engagement and dynamic lessons at the beginning that you know now?

Damien: If you look people in the eye and tell them you’re there to help, you’re always “in.” Don’t be intimidated by your manager when he watches you. See the vision of him reaching out to children in his path. I used to get really scared when they watched me. I think it’s always difficult, but now I see it differently. Life is so short that you can have so much influence as a teacher. And if your manager doesn’t fit your style, he finds the courage to keep looking for another job.

Dorit: Is there anything you’d like people to know about you that they might not know?

Damian: Not really. This was a great “dialogue”. Thanks for the wonderful questions. I would just like to thank the teachers and let them know that I am their advocate and if they would like to visit and bookmark my site I would love to meet them and network ideas with them!

Dorit: I’m sure your information and experience will be very helpful to new teachers. Thank you very much for this interview!