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4 Ways to Increase Student Engagement

March 1, 2017 By Rachel

Trying to keep a classroom full of 25+ students fully engaged in your lessons can be challenging!  I’m also pretty certain that attention spans are getting shorter and shorter each year! Over the years, I’ve learned a few student engagement tips and tricks to use in your classroom!
4 Ways to increase student engagement for elementary classroom
Can I be honest?  None of these student engagement ideas are full proof.  There will come a time when students will get “used to it.”  So you’ll just need to switch it up.  The idea will still be there…you’ll just change the game, words, or activity.

4 Ways to Increase Student Engagement

1. Call and Response

This has to be the easiest one to implement right away!  Simply put, call and responses are when the teacher “calls” and the students “respond”.  Students’ attention can begin to fade at any time during a lesson, so to get their attention back simply through in a call and response.
These are also a great way to get the class’s attention when they are working in groups!  Here are just a few of my favorites:
  • Alright, Stop…Collaborate and Listen
  • Hocus Pocus…Everybody Focus
  • Mac & Cheese…Everybody Freeze
  • Ready to Rock?…Ready to Roll
  • All Set…You Bet

2.  Games

Games are a great way to up the student engagement factor!  I love using the typical childhood game and turning them into academic games!  Here’s a post I wrote about three multiplication games that my students absolutely love! Even simple relay racing games can add an element of fun!
4 Ways to increase student engagement for elementary classroom
Here I just had my students do one step of a long division problem!  And of course, review games before a test are ALWAYS a hit!

3.  Songs

Singing in the classroom has to be my favorite way to engage students!  And let’s just be clear…I am not a good singer!  But I like singing and so do kids!  I usually try to find songs that go with our curriculum, especially science and social studies!
4 Ways to increase student engagement for elementary classroom

 

Of course, since multiplication is huge in 3rd grade we skip counting all of our factors!
Click here to see them in my TPT Store

 

4. Break the Rules

Every student in your class will be highly interested in you allowing them to break the rules!  Simple things like standing in chairs and writing on the desks can take a typical lesson and turn it into the “best thing ever”! (actual kid quote)
4 Ways to increase student engagement for elementary classroom
What will you try in your classroom?

 

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    msrachelvincent

    Rachel | 4th Grade Teacher
    How long is your students’ attention spans? I o How long is your students’ attention spans?
I only have about 10 minutes before I lose them! 🤪
And I don’t know about you but my lessons are typically longer…so I try to mix it up every 10 minutes with a Think-Pair-Share or some kind of movement
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#teachersofig #iteachtoo #iteach4th #iteach456 #teachersofinstagram #teachingelementary #attentionspan #minilessons #thinkpairshare
    6 ways to get your students participating in your 6 ways to get your students participating in your lessons!
1️⃣ Think Time - giving your students time to think about the answer keeps your over achievers from answering all the questions 
2️⃣ Movement - Stand/Sit if this is your answer
3️⃣ Turn & Talk - Everyone shares their answer with a partner
4️⃣ Hand Signals - Perfect for multiple choice questions
5️⃣ Think-Pair-Share - Combines the think time with turn & talk 
6️⃣ Repetition - repeat important information to help it stick
🗣🗣Which number are you trying this week?!
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#teachersfollowteachers #igteachers #iteach #teachergram #iteachfourth #iteach345 #teachingstrategies #studentparticipation
    Do you have these 4 teacher goals?! 1️⃣ Instr Do you have these 4 teacher goals?!
1️⃣ Instructional Goal - How are you improving your instruction?
2️⃣ Relationship Goal - How are you building relationships with students or coworkers?
3️⃣ Balance Goal - How are you trying to have a better work-life balance?
4️⃣ Non Instructional Goal - What other area are you trying to improve?
Here’s my 4 goals!
1. Vocabulary Instruction 
2. 2 Positive Notes a Week
3. Leave by 3:00 3 out 5 days
4. Clean off back counter once a week
What are your goals?
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#teachersfollowteachers #igteachers #iteach #teachergram #iteachfourth #iteach345 #teachergoals #teachergoals🍎
    Coming back from break is a lot easier than the fi Coming back from break is a lot easier than the first day of school!
Less teacher talk 🗣
More student talk 👥
1️⃣ Give your students time to catch up with each other. Even adults like to chit chat about what we did during break!
2️⃣ Review procedures by playing a fun game. Charades is a great way to act out procedures to see if other students can guess what they’re doing!
3️⃣ The halfway point of the school year is a great time for students to set goals!
What’s your favorite thing to do after a break?!
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#teachersfollowteachers #igteachers #iteach #teachergram #iteachfourth #iteach345 #studentgoals #classroomprocedures #classroomideas
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