Instructional Playbook

Critical Actions for Educators Student Engagement

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When students are focused on exciting and relevant academic tasks, greater learning occurs, and opportunities for inappropriate behaviors decrease. Therefore, maximizing student engagement is both an instructional and behavioral strategy. To increase student engagement, teachers can: foster positive teacher-student interactions create opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning deliver authentic feedback provide opportunities for physical movement focus on proper pacing to maintain student attention balance students’ active and passive learning give adequate time to students for formulating answers and asking questions use engaging transitions consider the ratio of active versus passive engagement Enhanced student engagement also: provides a safe environment for responding whether it is the “correct response” or not allows for increased opportunities to process and apply what is being learned supports reluctant students (e.g., who may be

ACTIVE SUPERVISION

Move about all areas in the classroom to come in contact with as many students as possible Scan the classroom looking for cues in students’ behavior and opportunities to positively reinforce students

Interact positively and encouraging with ALL students

OPPORTUNITIES TO RESPOND Provide high rates of opportunities for students to engage Provide multiple methods for student responses

uncomfortable with individual attention, distrustful of adults and peers) with varying opportunities to respond fosters self-esteem provides increased opportunities for positive interactions strengthens positive and supportive adult student relationships supports positive student-student relationships