What is it? Why is it important? For students to be reaching their full potential inside and outside of the classroom, they must be engaged in the lesson. This does not simply mean that the students are paying attention and behaving appropriately, but instead they are actively applying their minds to the lesson. In a classroom where students are engaged, they have a desire to learn, and they are genuinely interested in the topic being studied. For teachers, it is essential that they create lessons that will fully engage the students, providing them with opportunities to share their thoughts, ask questions, and explore the material for themselves. To do this, teachers must form lessons that exercise the students' minds from beginning to end, as well as provide reasoning for why the material that they are learning is important. What are the key elements involved? Activities and assignments: What students are physically doing throughout the course of lesson is important, as this will largely determine their level of engagement. To ensure that students are involved both mentally and physically, teachers must be sure that all activities and assignments match the lesson and cause students to think deeply about what is being learned. Grouping of students: During many lessons, teachers often group students together. In doing so, teachers need to have strategies that will help encourage student engagement. For example, teachers could form groups based on common interests, similar skill level or allow students to choose their own groups. Instructional materials and resources: In teaching their lessons, teachers must remember to implement tools that will help engage the students. Many humans learn best through actively participating in hands-on activities, and teachers need to ensure that they are using a variety of resources that will give students the opportunity to do just that. Structure and pacing: Teachers may at times feel rushed to get everything into a lesson that they wish, but it is important to keep students' understanding as the first priority, remembering that the pace of the teaching may need to be altered to meet students' needs and ensure that they are learning. In addition, teachers are wise if they allow time in their lessons for students to think about and reflect on what they have just learned. How will I implement this component into my classroom?
I will work to engage students by the way I carry myself, speaking with energy and encouraging them frequently
Before planning lessons, I will examine the resources available to me and incorporate ones that give students the chance to stretch their minds and experiment with the material for themselves
I will provide for 3-5 minutes at the end of each lesson or unit for students to look back on what they have learned