Every teacher knows that engaged students are learning students. But getting your students to stay engaged with the lesson plan is easier said than done. According to surveys, only 46% of students say they feel engaged in school. If you want to get those numbers up during your lessons, here are six ways to keep students engaged in the classroom.
Use printable worksheet templates
In the classroom, fun means engaging for students. The more fun you can inject into the lesson, the more engaged your students will be. And there’s arguably nothing more boring than simple text-only worksheets. If you want to increase engagement in the classroom, think about using printable worksheet templates.
As a teacher, you don’t have time to make creative handouts from scratch. Templates let you create engaging worksheets for your students without taking time out of your busy schedule — or requiring professional graphic design skills.
There are thousands of free printable worksheet templates available online. Simply choose the one that best fits your lesson and personal style, input your lesson information, and you’re ready to print. Your students will love learning from your creative and well-designed worksheets. You’ll be the cool teacher in no time!
Incorporate various media types into your lessons
There’s a reason lectures, chalkboards (or whiteboards), and taking notes have been around for so long. It’s a great way to learn. But it’s not the most engaging. Standing at the front of the class talking about lesson material is the equivalent of a plain text-only worksheet. Spice up your classroom with more engaging multimedia lessons.
It’s easy to disengage when everything is always the same, so try to mix it up! Every media change offers a chance to re-engage with your students. Consider using different media types throughout your lessons:
- Video
- Graphics
- Audio
- Digital resources
- Interactive media
Not only is changing up the media a great way to break the status quo, but it also offers a chance to make connections between the modern digital world and the lessons your students are learning.
Tell a few stories
How often do students ask, “When are we ever going to need this in the real world?” That kind of thinking is how students become disengaged, so be sure to show them how your lessons can be applied to the “real world” with plenty of stories.
Stories are engaging by themselves. They give the listener (students) something to pay attention to. For example, explaining the laws of motion in science class as they’re written might not be the most interesting thing in the world. But if you tell the story of Sir Isaac Newton getting hit in the head with an apple, it’s more engaging for the students. It helps them remember the lesson with a concrete, fun, and real-world example.
Research has shown that 55% of all students better understand concepts when teachers use real-life examples.
You can even throw in a few personal stories to make engaging points. Your students know you, and having a familiar subject in the story can help them remember and engage with the lesson. Just make sure the details of the story are appropriate for a teacher to tell…
Encourage student-led activities
Your students have heard you talk a lot over the years. Why not switch it up and let someone else do the talking? Specifically, let the students themselves lead a few activities.
By giving students the opportunity to lead their own activities, you let them be creative and take charge in the classroom. Plus, when working with others who are the same age and experience level, students are more likely to be interested in their classmates’ thoughts than the more advanced teacher just telling them what to think.
Engage with your students’ interests
What types of things are your students interested in outside of the classroom? Whether it’s video games, a TV show, or the latest social media trend, adding some of your students’ interests into the lesson plan is a great way to maintain engagement.
For example, rather than assigning a standard math problem about linear graphs, put it in terms of predicting the number of TikTok followers over a set period of time. When you know what excites your students, it’s easy to engage with them in the classroom.
As an added bonus, you’ll show off your knowledge of pop culture, which will build stronger relationships with your students — and your reputation around the school as the “cool” teacher.
Give your students a vote
Lack of engagement typically comes from a lack of interest in the topic being discussed. It’s only natural that students would tune out if they don’t really care about the lesson. So why not let your students tell you what they want to learn about?
When you give your students a say in the lesson, it lets them choose a topic or assignment that actually interests them. Here are just a few ways to give your students a say in the classroom without derailing the entire lesson:
- Provide a list of assignments they can choose from.
- Check in with students periodically to see how they feel about the pace of the lessons.
- Ask for design input when making assignments (group projects, written vs. visual assignments, etc.)
This keeps the teacher in charge of the overall lesson but still gives students the feeling like they have a say. When the students can choose what they want to work on, they can feel more engaged with the lesson.
Engaged students are happy students
There are better ways to keep your students awake during lessons than nudging them every now and then. Engaged students learn and retain information better. So if you want to boost student engagement in your classroom, think about making creative printable worksheets, use various media types, tell plenty of stories, encourage student-led activities, incorporate your students’ interests, and give your students a say in the lessons.
When your students are engaged, you’re not just providing a better teaching experience. You’re also building stronger relationships and cementing your reputation as the fun teacher. And with attention spans at an all-time low, it’s now more important than ever to build engagement in the classroom.
