7 Ways to Go from On-Task to Engaged
Byan Harris (author of Battling Boredom: 99 Ways to Spark Student
Engagement) shares a few ideas on how to move from on task to engaged:
1. Ask questions that don’t have right or wrong answers. Seek student
opinions, allow argumentation, encourage persuasion, and teach
students how to disagree and debate in a positive way.
2. Strike a balance between praise and feedback. Grant Wiggins, coauthor of Understanding by Design points out that praise, “Keeps me
in the game, but doesn’t help me get any better.” While praise may
encourage effort, specific feedback is necessary in order to truly learn
and grow.
3. Encourage self-reflection and the creation of personalized goals. Teach
students to track and evaluate their own learning. Some of the most
valuable and long-lasting learning comes from the personal insights
and “ah-hahs” we discover when learning about ourselves.
4. Increase physical movement. Movement has a positive effect on
learning and student achievement. Physical movement wakes up the
brain by increasing blood flow, increasing certain neurotransmitters
that have an impact on memory, and generally helps students be more
alert.
5. Increase the use of celebrations. Bobbi DePorter and her co-authors of
Quantum Teaching point out that, “If it’s worth learning, it’s worth
celebrating.” Classrooms should be places where there is joy,
celebration, and happiness because learning is fun.
6. Stress process over product. Some of our most disengaged and bored
students care little about grades, points, or other “motivators” we tend
to use in school. Instead of focusing on the outcome of the work
(which is typically a grade), focus on the process of learning, the
experiences students will have, and the personal connections they can
make to ideas and content.
7. Take a risk. Every day, we ask students to stretch themselves to be
better, smarter, or more insightful. In essence, we ask them to take a
risk and try things that may not be comfortable. Likewise, as
educators, we should also be taking risks, trying out new approaches,
and stretching ourselves beyond our comfort zone. When students see
us modeling those same behaviors and attitudes, it can have a
tremendous impact.