If we’ve learned anything since spring 2020, it’s that not only can life change on a dime, but as teachers, we will need to be able to adapt quickly. In that adaptation came virtual learning (or what I like to call “crisis learning” because what we were all expected to execute is not true distance … Read more
If developing a student engagement strategy seems more daunting than helpful, then you’re in the right place. As teachers, we aren’t necessarily taught how to create a student engagement formula that works for us; rather, we are taught that if x, y, or z is “good enough”, engagement will happen on its own. While that … Read more
Click above to listen to this podcast episode. Below is the transcript for Student-Centered World Podcast Episode 53: “How to Measure Student Engagement in the Classroom“ As a teacher, it is in our DNA to try to come up with lessons that not only get our students excited to learn but also get us excited to … Read more
As a teacher, you know how magical it is when all of a sudden you realize that every student in your classroom is actively participating in the lesson you have crafted. You know that on that day, you won the battle, and the information is sticking as you watch the class engagement all around you. … Read more
Click above to listen to Podcast Episode 56: “How to Spot Behavioral Engagement in the Classroom“ Student engagement stands as one of the most critical, yet complex, constructs in the field of education today. It is a multidimensional construct widely recognized as the cornerstone of effective learning and a primary driver of academic success. For … Read more
We all know the bread and butter of a well-oiled classroom isn’t the content material or the depth of a lesson plan. Heck, it can be argued that it’s not even the dynamic of the students or the strength of the teacher (stick with me here). Yes, all of this is important, but without classroom … Read more
In month 3 of my first job, teaching World History for three months by then, I still had a student who hadn’t muttered a word. Not once. She turned in maybe a third of the assignments. I remember standing there, thinking, “I have no idea what to do with this kid.” That moment stuck with me … Read more
Student-Centered World | Jenn Breisacher Student-Centered World Struggling withstudent apathy?You’re in the right place. I’m Jenn, a high school teacher turned teacher teacher. I help educators break through the post-2020 engagement crisis and build classrooms that actually work. Learn my story → One email a week with tips, tricks, and strategies for today’s classroom. Join … Read more
I remember the exact moment a teacher I was coaching realized she had completely lost one of her students. She had been struggling to reach this particular kid for weeks. No eye contact. No participation. Assignments were turned in blank or not at all. She told me about it during one of our coaching calls, … Read more
I remember the exact moment I realized that “just try harder” wasn’t going to cut it anymore. It was the second semester with a group of high school juniors in a World History class. I had spent the previous evening meticulously crafting what I thought was a genuinely interesting lesson on the Silk Road, complete … Read more
I still remember the exact moment I realized how badly I had misread a student’s disengagement. It was my third year in the classroom, and a 10th grader sat in the back row of my World History class, hoodie up, head down, contributing absolutely nothing. I assumed he didn’t care about the material, that he … Read more
After 17 years in the classroom, I learned that the most dangerous thing in a room isn’t a disruptive student…it’s a silent one. The first time I realized student apathy has nothing to do with laziness, I was staring at a former student who’d failed my history class but could recite the damage-per-second stats of … Read more