Search Results for: student engagement

I’ve been in enough high school classrooms, both as a teacher and as a coach observing other teachers “long distance”, to know that “how to engage high school students” is not a theoretical question. It’s the thing that keeps you up on a Sunday night, the thing that makes you rethink an entire lesson plan … Read more

We all have our favorite ways to engage students in the classroom, but there is always room to find more in classroom activities that will get your students excited about learning. Whether you are a new or experienced teacher, there is no replacement for finding activities that your students will actually want to participate in. … Read more

I’ll never forget January 2008. There I was, 23 years old, standing in front of 34 sophomores, convinced I was about to revolutionize their learning through a variety of meaningful classroom discussions. Within ten minutes, three students had their heads down, two were whispering about something entirely unrelated to the American Revolution, and one asked … Read more

I started standing in front of high school history classrooms in 2007. Back then, I thought I had it figured out. I was the expert. I had the knowledge. My job was to transfer that knowledge to the 150+ students who shuffled through my room each day. And for the most part, they sat quietly, … Read more

When many teachers hear the term “student-centered project-based learning,” you can see the color drain from their faces. It is a buzzword-laden phrase that sounds intimidating, yet it truly isn’t as daunting as it seems. At its core, this instructional approach builds upon the familiar practice of assigning projects. The key shift is that it … Read more

The 2020-2021 school year irrevocably altered the educational landscape. A primary casualty of this period was the term “blended learning,” which, for many, became synonymous with the stressful, chaotic remote learning plans of pandemic-era school buildings. In countless districts, it described a frantic hybrid environment…some students virtual, others in-person…that led to educator exhaustion and inconsistent … Read more

What school has looked like has changed substantially over the decades since public education began. What started as a way to mold citizens into good factory workers is now the gateway to the entrepreneurial systems we are living with today. As society changes, education needs to ebb and flow with the needs of our current … Read more

Let’s be honest, education can feel like an endless pendulum swing. But while philosophies come and go, one thing isn’t swinging back: our world’s deep dive into technology. It’s staggering to think that just ten years ago, the computer in your pocket was a futuristic dream. Now, it’s as commonplace as a pair of sneakers. … Read more

The first time I tried to run a Socratic seminar in my high school history classroom, I nearly abandoned student-centered teaching altogether, simple because I didn’t understand how much I didn’t grasp how student centered behavior management worked. It was 2008, my second year in the classroom, and I had thirty freshmen who had spent … Read more

Click above to listen to podcast episode 59: “Engaging Disengaged Students“ As classroom teachers, few scenarios are more disheartening than facing a classroom where student disengagement is palpable. This silent epidemic of student disengagement can feel like a personal affront, but it is crucial to understand that a difficult student’s behavior is rarely about you … Read more

In our classrooms, character development is just as crucial as academic growth. Traditionally, reward systems have a natural focus on students who excel academically. While it is important to recognize this hard work, countless young people often get left out because academics are not their strong suit. The reasons are diverse: perhaps it has been … Read more

In recent years, the issue of students not completing their work has emerged as a significant challenge in educational settings. I spent years watching bright kids stare at blank worksheets. Not because they couldn’t do the work, but because something had stopped them. Since 2018, I’ve trained teachers across multiple public school districts in student-centered … Read more