Engaging Students in the K12 Classroom

Student engagement is the most important task a teacher must undertake.  If learners are not engaged in meaningful ways in the K-12 classroom, there is no point for teachers to continue. Without student engagement, learning is not possible.  

TESOL Trainers offers face-to-face and remote teacher training seminars on how to engage students in meaningful ways from the beginning to the end of every lesson.  We can show K12 educators how to successfully engage their students 90-100% of the time no matter what subject they teach.

Remote learning have brought on new challenges to engaging students, but TESOL Trainers provides K12 teachers with practical, research-based strategies that can transform how teaching and learning occur.

TESOL Trainers Has Remote PD on Student Engagement

If your teaching staff wants to take teaching and learning to a whole other level, register for one of our professional development workshops on engaging students in the K12 classroom.  

These experiential workshops are engaging from the beginning to the end as we show teachers strategies and techniques any K12 educator can employ to make student engagement sustainable and systemic.  We don't lecture teachers on student engagement; we show them practical ways they can get students to consciously engage themselves in their own learning processes. ​

​TESOL Trainers can help every educator transform how teaching and learning occur by show teachers the importance of student engagement, challenges to sustaining it, and strategies they can use to overcome them.

The Importance of Student Engagement

Student engagement is vital.  Every K-12 teacher knows this.  If students aren't engaged, a lot of reteaching must occur.  Instructions must be given again; explanations have to be repeated; time slows to a halt. Teachers (and learners) lose patience.  People begin to get frustrated. Learning (and teaching) becomes a chore.  When the lesson ends teachers and their students feel dissatisfied about the lesson. 

Fortunately, teaching and learning do not have to be like that.  With some understanding of student engagement, a few well-honed strategies, and some self-awareness, teachers can easily connect students meaningfully to the lesson.  Under these conditions, learning becomes more enjoyable, time passes quickly, and everyone looks forward to the next session.

What is Meaningful Student Engagement?

There is a huge difference between meaningful student engagement and meaningless student engagement.  Students may become engaged when the teacher wears a funny costume, sings out instructions, or tap dances on the desks; however, these may not meaningful and may not lead students toward the lesson's objective.  Meaningful student engagement leads students towards achieving the objectives.

Student Engagement Strategies

Challenge #1: Instructions

Students don't listen to instructions. Sometimes students act like they don't care or sometimes, they stop paying attention until the activity begins.  Then, they complain that they don't know what they are supposed to do.

Strategy #1: Make 'em interactive

If the teachers are the ones who are doing all of the explaining and modeling while giving instructions, students tend to disengage.  TESOL Trainers can show teachers how to make giving instructions digestible and engaging.

Challenge #2: Teaching content 

While the teacher is delivering the lesson, students tune out.  While tuning out and tuning in is natural, students who stayed tuned out lose the opportunity to learn what the instructor is attempting to teach.

Challenge #3: Group work

During cooperative learning time, some students disengage.  Even though being with peers is more appealing (to many students) than being with the teacher, many students do not engage themselves in group work activities.

Strategy #2: Make 'em active

Students to be drawn into a lesson; they need to have more of a task than "just listen".  Students need a purpose to pay attention, and they need a way to demonstrate to the teacher and themselves that they are engaged.

Strategy #3: Make 'em accountable

Students need meaningful accountability that is more than threats or failing grades.  Students who are held accountable for their participation stay engaged longer and find the experience more enjoyable.

The Benefits of Student Engagement

Student engagement is paramount to every aspect of learning. There are many benefits to focusing our attention on meaningful student engagement:
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  • The propensity to learn increases
  • The learning community deepens & develops
  • Enjoyment from learning and teaching blossoms 
  • Students learn more about themselves as learners
  • Students build engagement tools to help them stay connected
  • Students are more likely to develop greater responsibility and accountability

Student Engagement and Metacognition

Many have never been taught how to measure they own engagement levels.  Many students may not be aware of why they engage/disengage during class. Many students may not even know that they have the power to stay engaged.  TESOL Trainers empowers teachers with real lessons, practical strategies, and easy-to-implement techniques.  

Contact John Kongsvik, the director of TESOL Trainers, to learn more about how our professional development workshops on student engagement will set your teachers and students up for success.