In my previous blog, I argued that vaguely instructing teachers to ‘increase student engagement’ isn’t helpful feedback. This week, after a few classroom observations, I realized something else: sometimes what we call an engagement problem isn’t just about engagement.
Let’s look at an example in which I co-planned student engagement for a middle school ELA lesson. The goal was to get the students doing more of the work. We decided to have students work with partners and give them a task–Partner A would identify one character’s perspective and Partner B would identify a different character’s perspective using sticky notes. Then they would discuss their evidence with each other before completing a T-chart.
Here’s how that looked in two different classrooms where the teachers planned the exact same engagement strategy for the exact same lesson:
Teacher A | Teacher B |
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But wait…we added student engagement to our plans. Wasn’t that supposed to magically fix instruction? So why were the results between the two classrooms so different? Both teachers tried something new, and that’s exactly what revealed the deeper issue.
Student engagement has so many layers. It’s not just about being fun and entertaining, or just having students talk. It’s not only about motivating students and having them physically participating. True engagement is the product of teacher moves that keep learning flowing.
Neither teacher did anything wrong! In fact, their efforts revealed that “adding student engagement moves” is not a quick fix. There are other elements that critically factor into student learning. We realized the problem wasn’t engagement itself, but what surrounded it. By adjusting three key layers, everything changed.
True engagement is the product of teacher moves that keep learning flowing.
Lesson Pacing
We chunked the lesson into a little bit of teacher reading, partner reading, and independent reading. This kept the lesson pacing snappy and allowed students to engage with the text in different ways. At the end of each chunk, we gave students a quick minute to jot on their note and then turn and discuss with their partner.
Classroom Management
During partner reading and discussion, we designated which partner was to read and which partner would share first. This eliminated the awkward time lapses when students were trying to determine who was going to read and start talking first.
Clarifying Directions and Modeling
We changed the directions so that each student was collecting at least three lines of text that revealed their characters’ perspectives, and we provided a quick two-minute model. Students were way more engaged in actively writing on their sticky notes than in the first period classes.
The data changes in both classrooms during the second run were phenomenal. By making a few quick tweaks, we had built student confidence, set clear expectations, and managed the engagement so that learning could take place. The real payoff came when we had clear moments throughout the lesson where we could monitor if students were on track.
Takeaway for Teachers
Before planning for student engagement, pause and ask yourself:
- Lesson Pacing: Have I chunked the lesson so that there is a balance of teacher, partner/group, and individual work time? Where do I need to give students time to process and practice?
- Classroom Management: Do students know exactly what to do and how to engage? Are there any routines I need to shore up?
- Modeling: Are directions concise? Where will I need to model thinking expectations?
Takeaway for Leaders
Before giving feedback about student engagement, pause and ask yourself:
- Lesson Pacing: Was the pacing clear and varied?
- Classroom Management: Did students know exactly what to do and how to engage?
- Modeling: Were directions concise, and has the teacher modeled the expected thinking?
Often, what looks like an engagement problem is really a sign that one or more of these bulleted items needs tightening. In your next walkthrough or coaching conversation, don’t just look for engagement, look through it to see what is being reflected back in the lesson.
What ‘engagement issues’ have you seen lately that might actually reveal a different instructional need? Let us know in the comments!
