The beginning of the school year is when you set the stage for a year of learning and growth. Everyone wants to start off strong, but recent data shows that up to 54% of students aren’t experiencing the key elements of an engaging classroom. So how do you keep your classroom environment primed for student engagement all year long?
By using new strategies and creating an exciting classroom environment, you can help students rediscover their love of learning and reach their full potential. This post offers practical, teacher-tested tips to transform your classroom into a place where students are actively learning and excited to participate. Ready to transform your classroom and inspire your students? Let’s discover how!
Connection is key
Students thrive in environments where they feel known, valued, and supported. When you connect with your students on a personal level, you create a space where they feel comfortable taking risks, asking questions, and contributing their unique perspectives.
Actionable steps:
- Get to know them: Use student interest surveys to discover student passions
- Incorporate their interests: This helps them connect with the material on a personal level and makes learning more relevant.
- Check-in regularly: Take a few minutes each week to ask about their progress, any challenges they’re facing, and their overall well-being.
Vivi tip: Encourage school leadership to showcase your students’ work and celebrate their achievements around your school building. Digital signage makes this easy, but old-fashioned bulletin boards or display cases also work. It makes students feel recognized!
Make learning an adventure
Remember the thrill of discovering something new? It’s a powerful feeling that leads to a desire to learn even more.
Get creative with:
- Project-based learning:: Students tackle real-world challenges and develop solutions, fostering deeper understanding and engagement.
- Inquiry-based activities: Empower students to ask questions, drive their learning, and explore topics that pique their interest.
- Real-world case studies: Connect classroom concepts to real-life scenarios, making learning more relevant and engaging.
Vivi tip: Student collaboration benefits from tools like Vivi, which lets up to four students share their work simultaneously in a small group or to the whole class.
Empower student ownership
Give your students choice, voice, and opportunities for self-direction and you’ll unlock a whole new level of engagement and motivation.
Encourage student ownership with:
- Student-led discussions: Let students set the agenda and explore topics of interest, leading discussions and fostering critical thinking.
- Choice boards: A menu of activities tailored to different learning styles allows students to personalize their learning.
- Personalized learning: Students learn at their own pace and focus on areas where they need additional support.
Vivi tip: Use Vivi’s wireless screen mirroring to let a student become the teacher. They’ll take the stage charge, while you remain in control.
Nurture lifelong learners
Learning doesn’t stop when the school day ends! By inspiring a passion for knowledge that extends beyond the classroom walls, you’ll fuel the fire of lifelong learning.
Here are ways you can do it:
- Real-world applications: Show students how classroom knowledge applies to real-life problems.
- Provide pathways for independent learning: Offer resources like books and online courses for self-directed exploration.
- Encourage engagement outside beyond the classroom: Share information about extracurricular opportunities and encourage them to participate.
Ready to put these student engagement strategies into action? Download our free eBook, Moving Away from the “Front of the Class”, and discover how teacher mobility and wireless screen sharing can transform your classroom.
