Authentic Audience in the Elementary School

If Margaret Wise Brown (the author of “The Important Book”) were to write about an authentic audience, I think it would go something like this:

The important thing about an authentic audience is that the audience is meaningful to your students. An authentic audience can increase student engagement and effort in their learning. The audience should be relevant to the material you’re discussing. It is best if the audience can provide timely feedback. But the important thing about an authentic audience is that the audience is meaningful to your students.

            Students are much more likely to put in extra effort if they know they’re preparing for a special or unique audience. Teachers are the same way! Think back to your PDAS days. I know it’s a mood killer, but it will make this point easier to relate too. Think about how much time and effort you put into preparing that one lesson. You gave it your all because you knew your administrator would be basing the majority of your evaluation off of that one lesson. Now think about how much time and effort you put into your lessons on a daily basis. A lot of teachers write lesson plans because we have to and our administrators are going to make sure we have entered them. Likewise, our students tend to do average work because we make it a requirement and it will be for a grade. If we want students to give it their all, we need to provide them with a meaningful audience.

            When considering an audience for your students, it is imperative that the audience is relevant! Would you value teaching feedback from a three star Michelin chef? While I respect Gordon Ramsay’s ability to cook and his British accent, I would not take what he had to say about my teaching to heart. Similarly, students are more likely to apply constructive feedback from someone that’s “in the business” as opposed to the person teaching about “the business.” If we want students to go above and beyond, we need to provide them with a meaningful audience.

            Like with most components of teaching, there’s not a one-size-fits-all audience for our students. In order to pick a meaningful audience, you must first get to know the kids in your class. Once you know what makes them “tick,” you can do a better job in choosing your audience for each assignment. Instead of trying to find a variety of audience members for one assignment, it is my recommendation to provide a variety of audience members throughout the year. If we want the most from our students, we need to provide them with a meaningful audience.

            Unfortunately, it is becoming harder to keep students engaged and to get the most out of them. One way to remedy this challenge is by providing students with an authentic audience that is also meaningful!

Faren DeRieux - I graduated with my Master’s degree from Austin College in 2009. I played college soccer, and I still play in adult leagues! This is my 7^th year to teach (fourth year in Sunnyvale). I have two daughters: Tori (3 years old) and Brianna (10 months old).