Developing Student Engagement

This module is part of the Teaching & Learning Skils Development course. Each module comprises a short introduction to key skills.  Teachers are challenged to implement these skils over the duration of a month and reflect on their progress toward outstanding provision. 

30 Day Challenge

To implement your new learning and support your journey toward becoming a master teacher the following skills, which demonstrate this module’s outcomes, should be practiced over the next 30 days

Where possible, find a colleague who you know is highly skilled in this area.

Shadow them and learn from them. Ask them to support you by observing you put these new skills into action.

Review  / Set your class rules

Before every lesson make sure your students are ready for learning with clear desks, sitting upright and engaged.

Collaborate with your students in a democratic process to review and establish mutually agreed class rules and expectations through discussion and debate. Come to an agreement together as to what will make your class a safe and powerful space. Decide what your particular class priorities are and ask students to define these expectations through expected behaviours. 

Let Students Lead

Ask a student or group of students to lead and teach a whole or part of a class.

Ice Breaker

Instead of a typical lesson intro try an ice breaker where students get moving around, interacting with each other in fun and engaging ways to create energy and create a foundation for engagement..

Office Hours

Office hours are a way for a teacher to connect with their students outside of the classroom. Set a specified time each week where students can find you away from the classroom (Online, Library, canteen, staff room etc.).

Embed Social and Emotional Learning 

Demonstrate opportunities for SEL in all lessons, this can be achieved through dialogue, tasks, activities etc. 

Engage Students in co-creating their objectives

Ask students to support you in the co-creation of the week or month’s learning objectives.