What is Classroom Engagement?
Classroom engagement is another way to describe the first “E” in the 5 E’s cycle of learning: Engage. In this facet of education, you need to capture the minds of your students in order to prepare them for information on a given topic. In the video below, John Spencer provides a synopsis of Phillip Schlechty’s 5 Levels of Engagement. The highest level — engagement itself — is rife with intrinsic motivation among the students. As I’ve stated in a previous blog post, fostering intrinsic motivation is one of the best ways to improve a student’s learning experience. There are countless ways to keep your students engaged in your classroom and, further along, I’ll share some that don’t break the bank.
Why is Classroom Engagement Important?
As previously stated, classroom engagement essentially is the “warming up” of students to a topic you are about to teach. Educational researcher Phillip Schlechty said it best, “Engagement is active. It requires the students to be attentive as well as in attendance; it requires the students to be committed to the task and find some inherent value in what he or she is being asked to do. The engaged student not only does the task assigned but also does the task with enthusiasm and diligence.” Furthermore, if you are practicing classroom engagement, you’ll often times have a better understanding of the level of previous knowledge your students are bringing to a lesson.
Pay Nothing
Give Students A Voice
It is no surprise that students are more engaged if they have a voice in the educational process. By giving students a voice, you can allow them to have a guiding hand in the lesson. You’ll be surprised at some of the wonderful ideas students have, and with a platform to stand on, you’ll see their curiosities flourish.
Brain Busters
Brain Busters, Brain Teasers, Ice Breakers — whatever you wish to call them, they’re great tools for classroom engagement! This short structured time at the beginning of a class can serve as a kickstart for the minds of students. These can also serve as great practice for communication and cooperation among students. It may seem counterintuitive to give up some of your “teaching time” but you will undoubtedly thank yourself after you see how much more engaged your students are after they have a chance to warm up.
Connect Learning To The Real World
Similar to providing students with a voice, connecting learning to the real world can allow students to view the concept through their own lens. This makes content feel more personal, leading students to lean into the learning process. This strategy can even be combined with giving students a voice leading to a deeper connection between student and concept. Furthermore, connecting science topics to the real world is not only easy and valuable, but also dispels the dreaded question: “When are we gonna use this in real life?”
Pay a Little
Bargain Hunt!
You can often find countless educational tools just by keeping your eye out and slowly building a collection. Garage sales, Goodwill, and other second hand purchasing options can harbor some of the most unique items — perfect for keeping your class engaged. The process of bargain hunting can even be connected to the real world through the ever present topics of environmental sustainability and polution.
TLDR
Classroom engagement is one of the most important characteristics of a good classroom. Students will be more invested and show higher levels of comprehension if they are engaged with your lesson. In the end, it doesn’t take stacks of cash to keep your students engaged. You can often times further classroom engagement by making learning personal and infusing a bit of fun into your day. Be on the lookout for brain busters and bargain bins.
Michael Mischler
Miami University || Class of 2023
College of Education Health and Society || Integrated Science Education Major
Secretary || NSTA, Miami University Chapter
Hi McKenna!
Thanks for the comment! I can already tell that having a costco/sam’s club card will be really helpful when buying in bulk. Additionally, try looking at other wholesale stores, flea markets, or even contacting manufacturers directly.
Hi Nathan!
Thank you so much for the comment. I think that one of the most important things with bargain hunting is having an open mind. If you go out searching for specific things, you’ll find disappointment most often. Instead, if you think creatively, you can apply many different things to your classroom.
Hi Luke!
I really appreciate your kind comment. I feel like I’ll definitely be looking for science literature while I’m bargain hunting thanks to EDT 446. Additionally, I’ve seen tons of unique items while garage sale-ing, and I’m confident that with a little creativity they can be adapted to an earth science classroom.
Hi Michael!
I also really enjoyed reading your post. I think that it was very colorful, and the resources you included are great for any teacher working with any budget. I know that this might not be exactly a budget friendly situation, but I was wondering, where should a teacher go if they might need something in bulk? Most middle and high school teachers have hundreds of students, do you have any other tips for providing supplies for several groups of students?
Hey Michael!
I loved reading your post, you had many good ideas for engaging students on a budget. I liked how you explained what engagement is and why it is important. Also, breaking your strategies into two categories of free and almost free made the post more organized. I liked you strategy of bargain hunting, but one question I have is what kind of bargains or materials are we to be looking for?
Hi Michael!
I really enjoyed reading your post. I especially like how you tied in intrinsic motivation in your introduction. I think that the engage tools are really useful for fostering intrinsicly motivated students n the classroom. I also really appreciated your first point about giving students a voice. I think that it is something so simple but oftentimes overlooked, that can be used regardless of the content. Based on your content area, what are some things you might be looking for at a garage sale or Goodwill that you could tie into your earth science lessons?