Interdisciplinary Learning to Grow Student Engagement with Casey Ikeda and Jacob Janin
February 2, 2021
interdisciplinary learning

How much can you get done in an hour, versus an entire day? When we try to push too much information through a small window, educators are often limited in their lesson plans and students sometimes can’t see the bigger picture.

Switching from a traditional one-hour class model to a full day of interdisciplinary instruction can spark student engagement and ignite their expression.

Today’s guests, Casey Ikeda and Jacob Janin, talk about the power of personalizing classes and collaborating to create interdisciplinary learning experiences. And they share examples of projects that connect students to passion and purpose.

By taking an interdisciplinary approach and helping students overcome obstacles through student-teacher and community connections, and fostering agency, we can grow student engagement and set them up for success.

About Casey Ikeda and Jacob Janin:

Casey Ikeda and Jacob Janin are teachers at Leadership Preparatory Academy in Seattle and members of the school’s leadership team. Casey teaches social studies and serves as community relations officer, and Jacob teaches English and is the chief learning officer. In their roles on the leadership team, they attend to the relationships of students and teachers beyond academic progression. They recently created a holistic report card system that includes student goal-setting and reflection, habits of success, and academic progress.

Casey and Jacob have a long history together, from their time as Ultimate Frisbee rivals in high school to their success as a teaching team at Leadership Preparatory Academy. They know relationships and trust are key to student engagement, and they encourage students to draw on their experiences and extend them with new learning.

Jump Through the Conversation

[2:00] How having good mentors inspired Casey to teach
[4:05] Why and how Jacob relates to students who may be reluctant to write
[5:52] Casey shares some of his students’ impactful, community-focused projects
[8:53] Casey and Jacob discuss their history together and why they make a great team
[14:06] Casey and Jacob on the struggles and rewards of using an interdisciplinary model
[27:33] Casey’s Magic Wand: Remove barriers between teachers and students and connect on a personal level
[28:27] Jacob’s Magic Wand: Every student and teacher has an hour of exercise and an hour of therapy before class every day
[29:30] Maureen’s Corresponding Magic Wand: We all need to move more and attend to our personal wellbeing–whatever it takes to be centered, regulated, and ready to engage

Links and Resources:

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

Latest Episodes

Unlocking the World of Literacy with Marnie Ginsburg

Reading is simple, right? Not for everyone, and it’s especially challenging for those who don’t have access to all the tools and resources they need to be successful. This week we hear from Marnie Ginsburg, founder of Reading Simplified, who has dedicated her career...

Leading Like a Teacher with Miriam Plotinsky

The further away administrators get from their roots as teachers, the more they forget what it’s like to be in the trenches. The result is often either a real or perceived lack of empathy for teachers. Both teachers and administrators have vital roles in the school,...

Following the Evidence for Effective Policy with Darleen Opfer

We all want what’s best for our learners, but oftentimes biases get in the way of having productive conversations about what learning should look like in the classroom. Instead, we need to have evidence- and research-based conversations that support what truly works...

Latest Blog Posts

Why Isn’t Educational Change Happening?

School change is so much harder than I thought! When I did my doctoral research on school innovation and created a hands-on learning school-within-a-school in the 90s, I had no idea that I’d spend the next few decades making tiny changes. Changes that often...

Instilling a Practice of Gratitude in Uncertain Times

Thanksgiving looks different this year. Traditions are being shattered in 2020 and new realities are emerging. Thanksgiving is no exception. After Canada’s Thanksgiving in October, COVID statistics jumped, reminding us that, sadly, the pandemic isn’t taking a break...

Building Interdisciplinary Learning into Traditional Classrooms

A traditional classroom setting is just that...traditional. Teachers must teach specific subjects for a required amount of time, often using prescribed curriculum materials that may be a decade old. There’s little consideration for the individual learner--their...

Categories

Coming Soon!

Subscribe

Listen to Education Evolution on Apple Podcasts
Listen to Education Evolution on Spotify
Listen to Education Evolution on Stitcher
Listen on Google Play Music

Related Posts

Leading Like a Teacher with Miriam Plotinsky

Leading Like a Teacher with Miriam Plotinsky

This week on the podcast, we’re welcoming back author and educator Miriam Plotinsky. She’s sharing about her latest book, Lead Like a Teacher, and talking about what school leaders can do to build more trust and a more collaborative school environment.

Sign Up for Podcast & Blog Announcements
and Get our Free Guide:
Five Interdependent Hacks to Lead the Creation of a Learner-Centered Culture!

By providing your email address you are agreeing to receive email communications from Education Evolution.
You can unsubscribe at any time.