In my first or second year of teaching, my mentor observed a lesson I taught on Imperial China.  My goal for the lesson was to boost student engagement. Afterward, her comment was memorable.

“Just think how good you’ll be in 3-5 years.”  -my mentor

Here’s the point: Teaching is hard. You won’t have it mastered by next week. Go easy on yourself.

And be nice to yourself when you honestly reflect on the student engagement you’re seeing in your classes.  

Sure, you have some good lessons.  But at this point in your teaching journey, some of your lessons are not very good.  Some days they are rubbish.  It’s ok.

But you should know this: on the long list of teacher job duties, engagement is right at the top. With that in mind, look for ways to boost student engagement in every class activity.

Student engagement is…everything

The research is clear that student engagement is a critical piece of the learning puzzle. According to the National Center on Safe and Supportive Learning Environments, student engagement correlates strongly with a positive school climate and academic achievement.  

Another study from the International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education noted that disengagement negatively impacts grades and cognitive development as well as being a predictor of student dropout.

3 Types of Student Engagement

Why You Should Be Hyper-Focused on Student Engagement: Easier Classroom Management

If you’re in that day-to-day survival mode every teacher experiences, focusing on engagement might be the trick to get that challenging class to settle in.  Okay, you want engagement.  And you really want to get a handle on those tough classes.  But how?  Here are three easy ways to boost student engagement starting tomorrow.

Three Ways to Boost Student Engagement in Your Lesson Tomorrow

#1 Boost Engagement By Increasing Student Talk Time

(Engagement type: behavioral, cognitive)

For most teachers, it is tempting (and relatively easy) to dominate the daily conversation inside the classroom.  Early in school, students are trained to sit quietly while the teacher talks.  Quiet students are easier to manage.  Silent classes give the appearance that learning is taking place.  Right?

Of course, there are times when you need to speak to a quiet audience.  But if you are relying too heavily on a “teacher talk, students listen” approach, it can lead to disengagement and boredom. 

What’s the solution? Aim for 50/50 talk time.  

Generally, teacher talk should occupy no more than 50% of a class period.  The remainder is for students to engage in structured, on-task, academic conversations.

The Rationale Behind Giving Students Time to Talk

Research indicates that social interaction promotes the processing of new information. In addition, student talk time increases test scores and performance on writing tasks.   

If one accepts the notion that learning is a social activity, teachers should attempt to limit the time spent with the traditional classroom model — one adult talking to 25 silent, passive students.  On-task, structured conversations with peers allow (even compel) students to discuss, use, and interact with new ideas.  

Those doing the talking are doing the learning.

Tips for Student Talk Time:

• Let students know exactly what ideas they should be able to articulate at the end of the conversation.
• Decide who in the group talks first.  Give time for every person to speak.
• Think about timing.  If you give 5 minutes for a conversation that is over in 90 seconds, you’re asking for chaos.
• Keep students accountable by asking them to share the ideas discussed in the conversation.  Check out our piece “Why and How You Should Be Randomly Calling on Students”
• Make sure everyone has a partner or group.  If you let students choose, some kids may be left out.

Want to try increasing student talk time tomorrow?  

1. Ask open-ended questions

In this way, you can naturally invite students to increase the length of their responses.  If an answer is shorter than you want, ask the student to explain their thinking with “Tell me more about that” or “How did you come to that conclusion?”.  On your end, avoid lengthy commentary (even positive) about each student’s response.  Praise early and often, but don’t monologue about it.

2. Use turn and talk

Students are paired up.  Depending on your desk arrangement, it can be the student who is seated next to them.  Be sure everyone has a person to talk to.  Provide time to discuss and then ask groups to share with the class any highlights of their conversations.

3. Draw out information instead of merely telling students what they should think

It took me a few years to get the hang of this one.  I discovered that I could ask questions that provoked students to articulate the very idea I had planned to say to them.

For example:

Instead of lecturing on why the Allies punished Germany so severely after WWI, I asked the class to discuss the pros and cons of harsh punishment for someone who has wronged you.  Students describe their innate desires for revenge while acknowledging the harm that severe consequences can have on future relationships.  I say nothing.

#2 Boost Engagement Through Student Movement

(Engagement type: behavior, emotional)

I know what you’re thinking!  

I was finally able to get everyone “Seated and Ready” at the start of class and now I want them out of their seats?!?

You might be familiar with “brain breaks,” a term for small mental breaks in a class period.  Movement breaks offer similar benefits like reduced boredom and increased desire to learn.  

The Rationale Behind Student Movement

As you plan your lesson, remember that the average attention span for middle and high school kids (the time increases with age) is about 10-15 minutes.  Like a battery being drained, our energy needs to be recharged from time to time.  Movement breaks are a great way to do that.

So get ’em up out of their seat. 

The benefits of student movement in the classroom include higher concentration and retention along with reduced stress.  While the majority of research in this area has been with elementary-age students, recent studies show that movement boosts learning with college students.

Tips for Student Movement:

• Establish and remind students of behavior expectations when out of their seats.
• Be specific with your directions.  Where are students going?  What are they doing when they get there?
• Be vigilant.  If you see a student having a hard time avoiding physical contact (for example) maintain your physical proximity.
• Again, be wary of timing.  If you give three minutes for a task that requires 30 seconds, expect issues.
• Remember, this isn’t a “brain break.”  The students should be actively engaged in the learning while they move.

Want to incorporate student movement into your lesson tomorrow?  Here’s how:

1. Play “Would You Rather?”

Ask students thought-provoking questions related to your topic (or not).  

Would you rather… Live in France before the French Revolution or after? Eat lunch with Isaac Newton or Albert Einstein? Have your mother or father drop you to high school every day?  Possess the ability to see 10 minutes into the future or 150 years into the future?

Students pick a side, stand up, and walk to their area.  Ask them to defend their rationale.  (Shout out to Mrs. G for showing me this one.)

2. Four Corners

Create a small set of warm-up questions to reinforce yesterday’s lesson or preview today’s lesson.  Each question (best with opinion-based or open-ended questions) comes with four answers.  Each corner of the room represents one of the answer choices. 

Ask students to stand up and go to the corner that represents their choice.  Give students 30 seconds to talk with like-minded people in their corner about why they chose that option.  Have students share with the class.

3. Give One-Get One

Give One-Get One works best when there are lots of ideas or answers. For example: “Make a list of all the rights/protections granted to American citizens under the Bill of Rights” or “What is one thing you learned about photosynthesis during this unit?”

After thinking and creating their own list, students stand up and circulate the room.  When they meet another student, they each share an idea.  Students can add to their list as they collect new ideas.

.#3 Boost Engagement With Student Choice

Engagement type: emotional, cognitive

Student choice can be a powerful engagement tool.

Imagine, if you can, an existence in which you merely did as you were told day after day.  Rather than inspiring young people, the school day devolves into an exercise in following directions and “doing as you’re told.”  

The Rationale Behind Student Choice

Educators work hard to avoid the “one size fits all” approach to instruction.  But let’s be practical.  Faced with 30 (or more) diverse learners in a class, the challenge of meeting everyone’s needs is beyond daunting. 

Mixing in student choice is one way to address those needs.   Differentiating your lesson in various ways — see below — helps meet the needs of all your students.  Research supports this: if students are empowered with choices in the learning process, the result is increased motivation and engagement.  

Primary ways you to incorporate student choice:

1. Choice of what information to study.  Examples include selecting a novel from the list or picking one scientist to research.

2. Choice of how to access the information. For example, would you prefer to read an article or watch a video clip about the topic?

3. Choice of the assignment (learning product) to complete.  One example: students can write a letter to the editor or create a music video. 

Tips for Student Choice:

• Try your best to make all choices about the same amount of work.
• The choices need to be meaningful and align with the learning goals as well as the values of the students making the choice.
• Make the choices simple.  Too many choices tend to squash excitement and can lead to a “you choose for me” attitude.
• Communicate with students as to why you opted to give them a choice.  Students can be very insightful when it comes to their own learning needs.

Want to incorporate student choice tomorrow?  

1. Provide two warm-up questions with similar concepts but different contexts.

 If you want to start class by discussing the impact of inequality on society, you can ask about it in two ways.  One question about the Three Estates in France in 1790.  The other question about society today.  Let the students vote on one question to answer and discuss.

2. Offer two ways to take notes.

Are you asking students to complete a reading assignment?  Give them the choice of answering your premade reading questions or filling out one page of Cornell notes.  (If you already have the reading questions, making copies of a blank Cornell notes template requires no extra work.)

I’ve tried this with high school sophomores and without fail, about half the students would rather answer my reading questions and the other half prefer to read and pull out key ideas on their own.

3. Let students pick from several learning products to show they met the learning objectives. 

For example, at the end of the lesson, students can write a summary, draft a 12-line poem, or create a six-panel cartoon strip with illustrations and captions.  

Start by trying one strategy to boost student engagement

As you begin implementing strategies to boost student engagement, you will find that students respond in a positive way.  They want to be engaged and they want to work for you–you just need to find the opportunities and provide the structure.  Try one of the strategies listed above.  Good luck!

Brad has taught history at the middle and high school levels for 19 years, almost exclusively in American public schools.  He holds a master’s in educational technology and is passionate about elevating the status of professional educators.