Find ways to engage students more effectively with actionable classroom strategies. Enhance motivation, participation, and learning outcomes.

Motivating your students to participate can be a challenge at any time of the year, but it can be especially tough with the spring semester in full swing. In education lingo, participation, more formally known as student engagement, is the amount of attention, interest, or effort students demonstrate in the classroom. From responding to questions to completing work, engagement is a big factor in overall student success. If your same-old techniques just aren’t getting the results you want, it might be a good time to try something new! After all, Harrington, Sinfield, and Burns (2021) noted that “developing an ethos and culture of partnership in one’s teaching practice requires adopting a questioning, reflective stance and a willingness to consider and challenge one’s assumptions and existing ways of thinking and working”<a href="https://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/5178/1/Harrington%20et%20al%20%20%282016%29%20Student%20Engagement%20%28chapter%206%20-%20proof%20copy%29.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">1</a
 >. So, if it’s time for you to try something new, here are a few best practices that might be the engagement strategies you’ve been looking for!&nbsp;


 Circulating is a great way to increase participation. By walking around the room and checking in with individual students, educators can quickly gauge understanding and manage behaviors without disrupting the class. While it can be tempting to focus on students who may be off task, research shows that it is also important to connect with those who are following instructions. One 2005 study noted, “teachers should not ignore students who are engaged in [on task behavior]. Instead, they should reinforce students for engaging in desired behaviors.”<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christopher-Skinner-5/publication/227718083_Enhancing_academic_engagement_Providing_opportunities_for_responding_and_influencing_students_to_choose_to_respond/links/5ba2878e299bf13e603cd9f8/Enhancing-academic-engagement-Providing-opportunities-for-responding-and-influencing-students-to-choose-to-respond.pdf?origin=journalDetail&amp;_tp=eyJwYWdlIjoiam91cm5hbERldGFpbCJ9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">2</a
 > Even a simple nod of the head can go a long way to keeping students on task and engaged! Furthermore, by circulating you can support students who may not have the confidence to share or ask questions in a whole group setting. Here are a few more resources about circulating to explore:

<ul style="margin-left:20px">
 <li><a href="https://teacherhead.com/2023/06/28/the-view-from-the-back-the-power-of-circulating/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The View from the Back: The Power of Circulating</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://instructionalmoves.gse.harvard.edu/circulating-room-elicit-participation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Circulating the Room to Elicit Participation</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.differentiatedteaching.com/walk-your-classroom/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Teacher Movement in the Classroom: How to Maximize Your Steps</a></li>
</ul>
 

 Wait time refers to the amount of time from when a question is asked to when the teacher calls on someone to respond. To increase engagement, it may be tempting to shorten this time so that the pace is increased, livening things up. However, the best strategy may be the opposite. One 2024 international study found “there is a strong positive correlation between the average length of wait-time and active classroom engagement. Longer wait-times result in more engaged students, whether in online or face-to-face classes.”<a href="https://digi-journalphils.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SC-0624-030-Umali-et-al-Updated.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">3</a> It seems that having more time to process what was said and develop a response encourages more students to participate. Try counting to ten before calling on a student to see if increased wait time makes a difference for your students.&nbsp;


 The benefits of movement breaks really can’t be overstated. After all, “systematic review evidence suggests that active breaks can reduce sitting time; increase physical activity; improve cognitive function, mood, on-task behavior, and perceived competence; and strengthen teacher–student relationships”<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/07303084.2024.2308253" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">4</a
 >, according to a 2024 study in the Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. With so many benefits, why not give them a try? Consider screening a few short videos that you can pull up as needed. Even a simple stand and stretch break can make a difference in getting those wiggles out! Here are some other great ideas to get you started:

<ul style="margin-left:20px">
 <li><a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/blog/fighting-the-winter-blues" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CCE Blog: Fighting the Winter Blues</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/blog/giving-students-frequent-breaks-can-support-their-success" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CCE Blog: Giving Students Frequent Breaks Can Support Their Success</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.weareteachers.com/brain-breaks-for-kids/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">64 Educational Brain Breaks Your Students Will Love</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/catalogs/tip-sheets/integrating-movement-breaks-your-class" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Integrating Movement Breaks into Your Class</a></li>
</ul>
 
With so many distractions flying around at this time of year, it can be challenging to convince your students to engage in classroom activities. By continuing to explore new and better ways to capture their attention and interest, you’re doing everything you can to help them stay on track! Want to learn more about increasing engagement? Here are some resources to get you started:
<ul style="margin-left:20px">
 <li><a href="https://www.totalparticipationtechniques.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Total Participation Techniques</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.teachhub.com/classroom-management/2024/03/unmute-the-classroom-unleashing-the-power-of-student-participation/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Unmute the Classroom: Unleashing the Power of Student Participation</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.3plearning.com/blog/20-student-engagement-strategies-captivating-classroom/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">20 Engagement Strategies for a Captivating Classroom</a></li>
</ul>
 
<h3>References:</h3>
<ol style="margin-left:20px">
 <li>Harrington, K., Sinfield, S., &amp; Burns, T. (n.d.). Student Engagement. In Enhancing Teaching Practice in Higher Education (2nd ed., pp. 106–124). SAGE Publications Ltd.&nbsp;</li>
 <li>Skinner, C. H., Pappas, D. N., &amp; Davis, K. A. (2005). Enhancing academic engagement: Providing opportunities for responding and influencing students to choose to respond. Psychology in the Schools, 42(4), 389–403. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.20065&nbsp;</li>
 <li>Umali, E., &amp; Villaruz, Ki. (2024b). Optimizing quality classroom engagement and thinking and rethinking processes in social studies courses through a wait-time model (WTM). Pedagogy Review: An International Journal of Educational Theories, Approaches and Strategies, 2(1), 150–158. https://doi.org/10.62718/vmca.pr-ijetas.2.1.sc-0624-030&nbsp;</li>
 <li>Lander, N. J., Contardo Ayala, A. M., Mazzoli, E., Lai, S. K., Orr, J., &amp; Salmon, J. (2024). Beyond “brain breaks”: A new model for integrating classroom-based Active Breaks. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation &amp; Dance, 95(4), 22–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/07303084.2024.2308253&nbsp;</li>
</ol>

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