by Kristen McGregor, Ed.D.
Adjunct Professor – USC Rossier School of Education
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Let’s start the year off right with a few suggestions for student engagement. We all want our students to learn and actively participate in the lessons, in order to do so we need to give them the opportunity and guidance in how to be engaged. Remember, they don’t automatically know how to ask questions, take notes, or which information is important.
So, let’s start off with the introduction of the lesson. Ask students what they know about the topic and its relevance to everyday life. The more involved they are with the direction of the lesson, the more likely they will participate in the discussions. Have them look up and/or bring in items, articles, and regalia that connect with the theme, lesson, or unit.
Have students partner with others to come up with quiz or discussion questions during the lessons. They should be short answer or even multiple-choice. Having them create questions helps them solidify the information, as they have to re-read the information to ensure accuracy. This can be modeled by you during the lesson.
During the lesson there should be a constant checking for understanding. This can be as simple as asking for a thumbs up for “I got it” to a halfway thumb for “I am starting to get it” to a thumbs down for “I need more explanation”. This can give you a quick overview of how you are doing on explaining so re-teaching can happen before too much time has gone by. At the end of the lesson, ask for a quick exit ticket to show who can repeat, clarify, or explain what you just taught.
The use of Cornell Notes or something similar can be a good way to explain how to take notes and how to ask pertinent questions. At the beginning of the year, demonstrate how to take notes, how to hear the important pieces of information, and how to write the information necessary for reviewing and tests.
At each break point in the lesson and again at the end, ask the students “WHAT questions do you have?” The assumption is that they should have questions about the topic, lesson, or assignment. If you ask “Do you have questions?” which is a yes/no question, chances are they will answer no and a learning opportunity will be lost.
With a little guidance and much explanation, the students should learn some valuable strategies for successful engagement in your classroom. It does take patience and time, but is well worth the effort. Good luck.
