Student engagement is a “student’s willingness, need, desire and compulsion to participate in, and be successful in, the learning process promoting higher level thinking for enduring understanding” (Bomia et al, 1997). Students who are engaged are motivated to complete tasks successfully, are focused on the task at hand, often ask follow-up questions, are willing to try and take risks, and often take part in rich content-based discussions with their peers. Teaching strategies that can improve student engagement include specific student discourse routines, collaborative and cooperative learning structures, use of chants, songs, and body moves to help memorize rote learning, effective use of teacher proximity and circulation (teacher moves around class to check in on students, listen to discussions, and informally assess), maintaining a swift yet appropriate teaching pace, using concrete manipulatives and/or realia to teach abstract concepts, and establishing a positive class climate.
Objective: By the end of this video, viewers will have an understanding of a variety of teaching strategies used to increase student engagement.
Essential Question: How does Mr. Minor’s strategies increase his students’ level of engagement during the lesson?
Questions to consider as you watch the video:
- How does the established pace, and structure in Mr. Minor’s class lead to greater student engagement?
- How do student discourse routines lead to increased engagement?
- How does using manipulatives increase student engagement?
- Why does Mr. Minor use chants, claps, and celebrations?
- How can I foster student engagement in my class?
Tools used for Student Engagement:
- Professional Learning Implementation Tool- Student Engagment
- LooksLike/SoundsLike Chart to establish routines and behaviors
- Classroom Climate structures and routines that foster student relationships and engagement
- Random Reporter, Think/Pair/Share specific routines that foster Student Discourse
- Framing the Learning, Anchoring the Learning best practice in opening and closing a lesson to increase student engagement and deepen understanding
Texts on Student Engagement:
- Strengthening Student Engagement- What Do Students Want? article by Strong, Silver & Robinson (ASCD)
- Art & Science of Teaching- Ask Yourself: Are Students Engaged? article by Marzano (ASCD)
- Motivating Students to Learn article by Voke (ASCD)
- Ten Steps to Better Student Engagement blogpost by Frondeville (Edutopia)
Related Videos:
- Additional Videos on Student Engagement
- Classrooms in Focus-Multiple Modalities
- Classrooms in Focus-Collaborative Learning
- Classrooms in Focus- Student Discourse
- Classrooms in Focus- Explicit Instruction
Have an idea or routine in your classroom for student engagement that you believe other teachers would benefit from learning about or seeing? Email PL, write “Student Engagement” in the subject line.
Tools used in the Lesson:
Lesson Plan: Area of Triangles