TL;DR: Engage with others better by being intentional about how you are acknowledging them. Create a sense of belonging by offering a personal greeting or a compliment. Don’t let anyone feel invisible as you walk by them in the hallway. The cafeteria is a great place to interact with students outside of the classroom. I love a good challenge! Last … Read More
Engage Students with Magic Glasses & Table Dancing
TL;DR: Reimagine your lessons to make them more engaging for students. Some ways to engage students with your lessons include magic glasses and table dancing. Other ways to increase engagement in your lessons include finding ways to infuse movement, friendly competition, student conversations, and sometimes a little whimsy. Bueller? Bueller? Bueller…anyone? Anyone? Are you teaching to an ‘empty’ room? If … Read More
Preheat Your Grill
TL;DR: Grab students’ attention, interest, and curiosity to increase engagement. As you start planning your next lesson, think of ways to preheat your grill and hook students into your lessons. Give students a reason to look forward to coming back to class the next day. ‘Preheat your grill’ by using different virtual backgrounds, implementing scavenger hunts, and getting students moving. … Read More
What IS Engagement?
TL;DR: When we engage students in the curriculum, we need to consider whether we are creating excitement, curiosity, and interest to want to learn more. Behavioral, physical, social, emotional, and cognitive are all types of engagement to consider in an educational setting. Engagement is another word that became overused in 2020. As schools transitioned to remote learning this spring, districts … Read More