The ABC's of Student Engagement!

Teachers wear many hats- counselor, nurse, disciplinarian, teacher and so many more!  How can one person do so much at one time? How can you make sure your students are learning and growing, as well as following state standards and district curriculum while making parents happy and administrators happy with your job?  For me, the key is to focus on student engagement.  If my students are engaged, everything else falls in place.  My classroom manages itself, my parents are happy because their children are happy and learning, my administrators like what they see when they look at my classroom and my data, and I’m able to cover the curriculum required by the state and my district.  Really!  For me, here is how I work to keep my students engaged.  

ABC’s of student engagement

A – Activity    Keeping students moving is key!  The more you can have them moving, the more engaged they will be in an activity!

B-  Brain Breaks   Short brain breaks are key.  Here are some great ones that I like to use in my class when I see that glazed over look in the eyes of my students ( or hopefully before the glazed over look sets in!) http://www.thehappyteacher.co/2012/08/brain-breaks.html

C- Caring If your students know that you really care about them and that their success is important to you, they will “buy in” to your lessons and stay engaged. 

D- Dojo!  I love to use Class Dojo to keep my students engaged.  I find it is most beneficial when students are working independently and I am with a small group or conferencing one on one.  It is one of my favorite web tools!  Check it out at classdojo.com if you aren’t already using it- you won’t regret it!

E- Exciting It doesn’t take much to make your lesson exciting for your students.  If you are excited about the lesson, it will be contagious.  J

F- Flexible seating   I’m so intrigued in this idea!  For years, I have let my students move around the room and work where they want during independent working time, especially while I’m meeting with small groups.  They love the “power” of  they have to sit where and how they want.  I’m researching this concept online now (mainly through Pinterest and researching educational blogs) to build the choices and time used in flexibly seating in my classroom.

G- Growth Mindset  Help your students understand the power of determination, perseverance and learning.  For years, I used competition to drive my students.  While it worked for some, it didn’t work for everyone and in fact, it squelched the spirit of some of my students.  L  I still use it at times (very carefully) because I love it and some of my students thrive on it!  However, it is imperative that your students have a grasp of the “growth mindset” in order to have them still engaged even though they aren’t winning.  Check out the “Big Ideas” videos in Class Dojo for a great start to building this in your classroom.

H- Happiness   Be as happy as you can every day.  It is contagious.  Fake it til you make it.  Your life will be better, your students will love you, your coworkers will love you, and your students will be engaged and learn more.  It really is that simple.  J

I-Independence Students thrive on independence.  It takes time to build, but it is worth it!  You must set or review expectations EVERY time, hold students accountable and build on their growth mindset.  Keeping students engaged will build independent learners.  Isn’t that what we want?  Lifelong independent learners?  You must build it in baby steps. 

J-Joy  Find joy in your classroom!  Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAmZucyzyZM if you are having a rough day.  A joyful teacher creates a joyful classroom where students are engaged and excited to come to school and learn!

K- Kindness  Be kind to your students, train them to be kind to each other, and always honor kindness shown to you or others.  Building a “kind” climate will make students feel safe.  If they feel safe to take risks and grow they will be engaged in learning!  The two may not seem connected at first, but believe me, they are!  If students are worried that others will make fun of them for failing, they will be more worried about others watching them than the lesson being taught.  You must create a “safe” climate in your classroom for authentic student engagement to occur.

L- Laughter  Laugh with your students and at yourself. See “K” and “H” to understand why!

M- Memories Share special memories with your students.  Listen to special memories that they tell you.  Getting to know your students and letting them really get to know you will build a trust amongst you that will enhance student engagement!

N- Notice   Notice what works in your classroom and what doesn’t!  Be flexible and change accordingly.  If you find an activity that your students love and work hard at, find a way to alter it for different skills.  Also, if something doesn’t work for you, don’t do it again!  You should reflect on  the WHY it didn’t work- maybe you could change it slightly, or maybe it just isn’t a good fit for your classroom.  You might even find that things that worked for one group of students, doesn’t work for another!  Or, sometimes students get tired of an activity and you have to mix it up!  Constant noticing and reflection is key.  Don’t feel defeated if you find that you have to change up an activity- instead, feel the opposite!  Embrace the growth mindset for yourself and understand that learning is a process.  As lifelong learners, we have to continue to change to grow!

O- Open Be open to ideas that are working for others.  Listen to your colleagues for successes they are having, have learning walks in your school to find new ideas that are successful. Always be looking to improve!

P- Procedures, procedures, procedures… If you haven’t read Harry Wong’s The First Days of School, read it!  If you haven’t read it in a few years, read it!  His advice is spot on!  You can find it here- https://www.amazon.com/First-Days-School-Effective-Teacher/dp/0962936022

Q- Quality  Make sure the work you provide for students is quality work.  Remember Bloom’s Taxonomy from college- it really is important to vary the level of questioning!  With quantity they become bored and unengaged.  They will learn more from practicing 10 quality problems than from 100 questions that are just pure monotony. 

R- Relationships Foster the relationships with your students and the relationships they have amongst each other.  Students will encourage each other when you build a classroom community!

S- SeeSaw My favorite app to use in the classroom.  My students are excited to share their work with me and their parents.  Students can make projects through other apps (some of my favorites are pic collage, tellagami, kidpix, book creator, imovie) or they can make a movie or explain their work with digital drawings in the app.  One of my favorite things is when they are doing a simple activity with dry erase markers or card sorts while I’m working with a small group.  In the past, I wouldn’t have been able to monitor that their work was quality in this type of activity.  However, when they post a pic of their work, their parents and I can see (and comment) on the quality.  This promotes engagement in independent activities.  To start a class account, go to seesaw.me

T-  Talking Research proves that the people who are talking the most are learning the most (as long as they are listening to).  Allow your students opportunities to talk to each other and to practice their academic vocabulary.  Students will be engaged in their conversations!

U-  Uplifting  Create an environment where all students are uplifting to each other.  They will follow your lead and your expectations.  Create a classroom where all students feel safe to share their ideas and questions and you will have a class of engaged students learning and growing together!

V- Variety The most exciting activity becomes mundane when repeated too much.  Watch for cues from your students to decide when to retire an activity.  Put it in your toolbox to use again next semester or next year, but don’t wear it out.  Use variety to keep students engaged.

W-  Wonder  Using “I wonder” statements can give students opportunities to explore their thoughts and delve into those higher order thought processes.  Once those levels of higher thinking are reached, students are hooked!  Their engagement goes beyond a superficial level and who knows where their thinking will take them!  Look for ways to give your students the platform for these types of “I wonder” statements!

X-  Xylophone   (ok, maybe not an actual xylophone), but incorporate a catchy song or two into your lesson and watch the whole class join in the fun!

Y-  You!  Be yourself, have fun and let your students learn a little bit about you and your life, family, etc.  If they know you, and you know them, they will listen to you and work hard for you!

Z- Zing  Put a little zing in your lesson with a song, catchy phrase, gesture, anything!  It doesn’t take much, but a little effort to put “zing” in your lesson