The final High-Leverage Practice (HLP) that will be reviewed this school year is HLP #18: Use Strategies to Promote Active Student Engagement. As a reminder, HLPs were developed by the CEC (Council for Exceptional Children) and are considered critical practices that teachers should master to improve student outcomes. To learn more about HLPs, click here.
It is well-established within educational research that there is a positive correlation between active student engagement and academic achievement. In addition, active student engagement reduces off-task and disruptive student behavior. So how do teachers promote active student engagement? Teachers can facilitate engagement by creating a learning environment that maximizes active student participation and allows students to feel safe and supported. To assist you with creating this type of learning environment, consider your answers to the following questions:
-
During group instruction, do I implement practices that promote a high rate of active student responses (i.e., choral responding, use of response cards)?
-
Do I incorporate collaborative learning opportunities within my classroom?
-
Does my room arrangement allow for active student participation with the teacher and with each other?
-
Am I building positive personal relationships with each student?
-
Do I provide feedback to students on a frequent basis?
-
Do I incorporate student interests into my lesson plans?
-
Do my students understand why they are learning the information presented? Do they feel it is worthwhile to learn?
-
Are instructional and learning activities appropriately paced and varied to maintain student attention?
-
Do my students have a sense of self-efficacy (do they feel they have the skills to complete the task and persevere through challenges)?
-
Am I implementing appropriate scaffolds to ensure that each student can complete the activity successfully?
For additional information pertaining to HLP #18, please watch this 17-minute video on Using Strategies to Promote Active Student Engagement
Kennedy, M. J., Peeples, K. N., Romig, J. E., Mathews, H. M., Rodgers, W. J. (2018). High-leverage practice #18: Use strategies to promote active student engagement. https://highleveragepractices.org/hlp-18-use-strategies-promote-active-…