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CZ: Why don’t you tell me a little about yourself? Who are you and what do you do?

Janice: For the past 14 years, I’ve been teaching in a state prison in Indiana.  I’m the “mama bear” to 50 adult men each day. They range in age from 17-74, with abilities from Kindergarten to 12th grade. The average guy is under 5th grade. We study the five subjects necessary to pass the GED test.

I’m also an author and speaker.  I wrote Locked Up With Success:  A Prison Teacher’s Guide to Closing the Achievement Gap in Any Classroom.  My “mission” when I speak is to spread the word about the value of correctional education. In addition, it seems counterintuitive, but I stress how the answer to public education is right under our noses – in prisons.

As if I’m not busy enough, I’m also beginning an exciting new venture.  I am putting my successful system online for anyone who is working on their GED. I have an organized but simplified way to help students pass the test as efficiently and quickly as possible. They’ll have personal access to me when they have questions or concerns. The emphasis will be on math because that is the biggest challenge for most students. The other emphasis will be on how to write an essay.

 In the past month much has come about through legislative action. The crack cocaine law has been passed giving hope to thousands and reducing the previous disparity, the courts have ruled against the overcrowding in California prisons yet again, and Representative Bobby Scott (D-Va) has introduced House Resolution 2343, a resolution which could impact the release dates of thousands upon thousands of federal prisoners. I’d almost say that we have come to a legislative perfect storm. The forces of economic instability, common sense, and action have merged to create…a very hopeful place, if you are a prisoner in America.

I am angry! Ok, I said it. I, a 25-year-old federal prisoner, who has bright red stars tattooed on his hands, am angry. I note my appearance and age because of the irony of the situation. The description that I just gave you of myself probably doesn’t inspire a general feeling of moral behavior or ethics. But both are front and center in the issue at hand.

The other day Mr. Batton and Mr. Rigney (one of the GED tutors) brought a new man to me. They introduced the man as a “well-learned man; a man who educated himself from behind bars.” He has salt and pepper hair, probably in his late 30s or early 40s, and comes across as a decent guy. Moreover, he was inquiring about becoming a GED tutor in the Education Department. All of this seemed to make him a potential asset to the Education Department. But boy was I wrong.

Today I went to Dental…yet again. While waiting up there at 9:00 a.m., the man came out of the Medical Department wing and sat down next to me. We struck up a conversation about his educational past. After all, I was a familiar face and the last time I had seen him was in the Education Department, where we spoke about him becoming a GED tutor or ACE (Adult Continuing Education) instructor.

In my classroom, I have found that by modifying my teaching methodology I can increase my student engagement levels. I know that some of this is common sense, but it bears stating because of how simple, yet effective, it all is. I hope you can find ways to employ these three methods of increasing student engagement levels. They might just make the difference between a student becoming inspired or not.

1. Instructor Location

When I first started teaching, I found that I preferred to sit behind my desk and just lecture. For me, this provided a sense of security and informality. But what it afforded me in comfort it took away in effectiveness and engagement.

As I’ve grown as a prison educator I have found that I’m more comfortable in my classroom. It’s no longer a classroom, but My Classroom. With this realization came a basic change in my teaching structure and methodology, a change that transported me from being nervous and fearful to innovative and engaging.