Student Engagement Posts
Kick Off the New School Year with These Back to School Activities
Here are five tried-and-true back to school activities that encourage collaboration, communication, and a strong sense of belonging:
Student Engagement Made Easy with HLP 18
In today’s classrooms, engagement isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the lifeblood of effective teaching. High-Leverage Practice 18 (HLP 18), "Use Strategies to Promote Active Student Engagement," lies at the heart of inclusive, responsive, and transformative instruction. But...
Excellent Ways to Foster Student Choice in the Classroom
Student choice is very important. Think about your own learning preferences. Do you prefer to work alone or in small groups? Do you prefer to learn a new skill by reading about it or by watching a video about it? You have likely developed clear preferences and,...
Powerful Would You Rather Questions for Virtual or Face-to-Face Experiences
This blog has allowed me to share ideas with educators across the United States and around the world. It has been very interesting to note which topics have been the most popular. Without a doubt, the most popular blog post on this site is How to Play Would You...
More Brain Breaks That Energize, Engage, & Focus Virtual Students
As follows are a few more exciting brain breaks that students of all ages might enjoy. You may also notice that although these particular brain breaks are well-suited for virtual learners, they will also work well in face-to-face or hybrid situations.
The Practical Side of UDL: Ideas That Will Engage & Inspire
Let’s explore the 3 brain networks associated with UDL. As related posts, videos, and resources are published, they will be hyperlinked below. The items that are not currently hyperlinked represent great content that will be offered in the near future, so please bookmark this post and check back often.
Brain Breaks That Will Energize, Engage, & Focus Your Virtual Students
Teachers have known about brain breaks for years, but there has never been a better time to use them than now. Virtual students sit in front of computer screens all day and need opportunities for physical movement. Brain breaks are short activities that are designed...
Exposing the Truth About On-Task Behavior
We hear a lot of well-meaning educators talk about the importance of students being on-task. Are they making eye contact while the teacher is speaking? Are their heads down and focused on their reading materials or worksheet? Are...
How to Engage Your Whole Class with Pinch Cards
Teachers are always looking for new ways to engage and educate students. Pinch cards offer simple, but powerful opportunities for students to respond to teacher questions or discussion points. As discussed in a previous blog post, the traditional model of one student...
Opportunities to Respond That Improve Engagement & Learning
Opportunities to respond (OTR) include instances where teachers elicit answers or responses from students. Unfortunately, the traditional OTR involves teachers calling on one student at a time to answer a question. When we call on a single student, it makes it easy...