How To Engage Students At Every Step
One of the key strategies to engage students in the classroom is to find ways to make them learn in a relevant, valuable and authentic way. Get your students to engage and connect actively to learning by trying these tips. You can also try these collaborative tips.
1. Reality:
Your best channel, during lessons, is to use everyday activities as an example. Get your students to apply what they have learnt to real-life scenarios. Apply mathematics as a tool to help manage finance, as a tool to help plan their schedule and nutrition too
Ensure that their surroundings are bursting with reminders and tips that would help them learn, always, from the doors to the walls.
Explain why it is essential to wash your hands after going to the bathroom when a pupil returns from the restroom; water conservation too, the benefits of table manners during lunch, Sharing during games and much more.
2. Choice:
When you give your students the power to choose, you also teach them responsibility. Set groups and assignment for each group such that anyone can be a part of the group they are most comfortable with, this would bring forth their potential.
Give them tiered problems in math, English or any other subject of your choice, allow them to set their pace, choose their starting point and you can guide them as they advance in the set problem.
3. Feelings:
They are not robots; often, students are regarded as such; we all want them to stand straight, work smart, be obedient at all times all without a word. But that’s never the case.
Spend time in trying to understand your student’s emotions or create a safe space where they can express themselves without prejudice. Many students have family problems and have no one to talk to, and this might be the reason why they might misbehave.
Discuss topics like bullying, drug abuse, cancer, and so on in your safe space. Not that you have to be patient with them and also be willing to share.
4. Breaks:
I guess you think they already have too many breaks. Sitting for hours on end listening to different teachers talk about different things, half of which you’re lost or don’t have a clue and the other half is no fun isn’t going to cut.
Introduce breaks within lessons; it could be a short story, jumping jacks(which I must say is good for their health), 5 minutes dance, full-body stretch, and so on.
They not only look forward to your class, but they also feel rejuvenated and can easily connect the dots in your lesson.
5. Perception:
Lessons learnt can be interpreted uniquely by each of the students involved. Tap into technology and allow students to demonstrate what they have learnt through the use of videos, pictures, audio, and so on.
You not only achieve engagement but also bring out their creative side. You can also try introducing STEM into your curriculum and reap awesome benefits.
6. Interest:
Another way to keep your students engaged at every step is to take advantage of their interests and fascinations. Create a survey and group them based on what they are passionate about doing or what they are interested in.
For each group, they can submit a project based on their interest. Those who love literacy can do a book review or a short drama. Each group would be given the opportunity of planning and executing what they love and, in the end, you have happier and motivated students.
You can keep your students and learners actively engaged using the full-body and inculcating it into your classroom activities. Then you can sit back and watch how the levels of engagements climb to its peak.
