Why Engagement?
Teaching is not like it used to be. A new fast paced generation has changed the process of learning dramatically. Students’ attention cannot be held nearly as long as it used to. Student apathy has gone through the roof and all we can manage to do is teach the ones who listen. But it’s not working. I’ve seen this rabbit hole over and over again for many teachers who change nothing. Same old PowerPoints, same old notes, same old activities from a decade ago. If students are not engaging with the material they are not learning. This fact is true regardless of how effective you believe your strategy or activity to be. Boredom can breed creativity in non traditional settings, but it is detrimental in our structured school systems. Let’s increase engagement.
The Three Ps
I was a Biology major in college. One of my science pre-requisites for my degree was Physics so I took it over the summer. I encountered a professor who was excellent at instruction, passionate, and personable. It’s very similar to the Christopher Emdin’s pedagogical experiences with the black church mentioned in his book. This professor had us hanging on his every word and we wanted to work hard for him every day. I almost completed a minor in Physics due to the many subsequent courses I took with that professor. One of the simplest and impactful things you can do to increase engagement at any level is simply being professional, passionate, and personable. If you can reach your students’ hearts, they will jump over the moon for you.
Strategies Matter
Are you using the same tired strategies. It may be time to switch it up. Explore some of these tiered engagement strategies as you plan your lessons. When I was in school, many of the low engagement strategies were prevalent and I got by. However, as generations have passed I’ve seen more and more engagement strategies needing to be used to get kids over the apathy hump. There is a reason your administrator is probably talking about engagement as well. Where do your current strategies line up? How can you possibly improve them?
| Low Engagement Activity | More Engagement Activity | Higher Engagement Activity |
| Lecture-based instruction | Interactive discussions | Project-based learning |
| Silent reading | Group reading sessions | Literature circles |
| Worksheets | Hands-on activities | Inquiry-based learning |
| Independent work | Partner work | Cooperative learning groups |
| Teacher-centered Q&A | Student-led Q&A | Socratic seminars |
| Teacher gives directions | Teacher models with examples | Students create their own examples |
| Note-taking | Graphic organizers | Mind mapping and collaborative notes |
| Watching videos | Guided video analysis | Video creation by students |
| Drill and practice | Gamified practice sessions | Game design by students |
| Assigned topics for research | Choice in research topics | Student-designed research projects |
| Teacher-selected texts | Student choice of texts | Student-written texts |
| Direct instruction for writing | Peer review sessions | Writing workshops |
| Teacher feedback only | Peer feedback and reflection | Self-assessment and reflection |
| Worksheets on concepts | Concept mapping activities | Concept presentations by students |
| Reading questions from a textbook | Close reading strategies | Student-led text analysis |
| Pre-made quizzes | Quizzes with immediate feedback | Student-created quizzes |
| Listening to teacher examples | Role-playing or simulations | Problem-based learning |
| Classroom discussions led by teacher | Debate activities | Student-led discussions |
Combating Apathy
I would be foolish to think that apathy doesn’t exist in our schools. You can do all “the things” and students still won’t respond. This is the hardest thing for any teacher to overcome. Here are some thoughts.
- Don’t attempt to discipline a student out of apathetic mindset: We can become so overwhelmed by student apathy and believe we have to do something that we discipline students for not caring. “If you don’t do your work today, you’re getting written up.” This is simply ineffective and counter productive.
- Care more: Many teachers get overwhelmed and fall into the trap of “If they don’t care, I don’t care”. Counsel with the students often and hold them to expectations of performance. Get parents involved. They may fight against your efforts or they may vocalize their disdain for the subject, but they can never look back and say you don’t care. Care more than the students.
- Seek help: Students have a life outside of school. Sometimes students have things going on and they have someone at the school that they trust. It’s not personal, but it may not be you. Ask around to other teachers and support staff to see if they have a deeper connection with the student. They may be able to help build motivation and trust for the student to be successful.
Let’s Engage
Engaging students doesn’t have to be rocket science. We owe it to this and future generation of students to create engaging and meaningful lessons that students will take with them. Now go change the world!
Struggling to plan engaging lessons? Check out my Unit/Lesson Planning template here that can help you think through some other engagement strategies.
What are ways that you successfully engage students in the classroom? Comment below!
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