What You Will Know:
I can adapt my teaching to meet the diverse needs of students and encourage active participation at all levels.
I can develop activities that challenge students to think critically, solve problems, and make connections to real-world situations.
I can use active learning strategies to keep students engaged.
Getting Started: How Can I Adapt My Teaching to Meet the Diverse Needs of Students and Encourage Active Participation at All Levels?
Engagement is never a reflection of a student's ability or effort. However, we as teachers must create an environment that fosters curiosity, connection, and active participation. Students often feel disconnected from the content either because the lessons lack interest or due to other stressors. When this is the case, traditional teaching methods will not work! This is when as teachers we must think creatively, just like we tell our kids to do, and create engaging personalized content. One common way of doing this is through differentiated instruction catered to each student's interests. If Jimmy likes soccer, we shouldn't make him write a paper on football players! To make our lessons interesting we must incorporate projects, games, multimedia, and even sometimes it's as simple as a brain break. I know all of this sounds scary. Each child needs something different to learn but a simple tweak may be all it takes!
Let’s put engagement into action!
Instead of reading a dry paragraph, try this: sing the next section to the tune of Roar by Katy Perry!
(Verse 1) I used to teach with a scripted plan,
But now I know the best way’s in demand.
Critical thinking, gotta make it clear,
Analyze and synthesize, no fear!
Groccia (2018) says when students take the lead,
Engagement soars—it’s what they need!
(Pre-Chorus) Collaboration’s the key,
Working together, setting minds free!
Case studies, scenarios—that’s the plan,
Apply the knowledge, let’s take a stand!
(Chorus) I’m gonna teach it, make them think,
Critical skills—that’s the link!
They’ll analyze, evaluate, and explore,
Real-world problems, learning more!
(Verse 2) Project-based learning (PBL) builds real-world ties,
Students explore, their knowledge applies.
Autonomy sparks creativity (Marlett, n.d.),
Inquiry-based learning lets them see!
This fun approach highlights the importance of active participation. Students thrive when they solve problems, analyze real-world situations, and collaborate. Engaging activities like case studies, debates, and simulations make learning relevant and exciting (Groccia, 2018).
Me when I didn't know how to keep my students engaged versus me now that I use interactive learning.
What Is Active Learning and How Can I Use It to Keep Students Engaged?
Active learning is a student-centered approach where learners directly engage in the lesson. This strategy fosters creativity, critical thinking, and enjoyment of class content. Research supports various methods that enhance engagement, including group discussions, problem-solving activities, and hands-on projects.
Group discussions encourage students to articulate their ideas, debate perspectives, and sharpen critical thinking skills (Gokhale, 1995). Simple activities like Think-Pair-Share, story-building, and four corners keep students interacting. Problem-solving tasks—such as analyzing texts, engaging in “What Would You Do?” scenarios, and role-playing—encourage deeper learning (Prince, 2004). Hands-on projects further enhance engagement by allowing students to apply their knowledge in meaningful ways. When teachers integrate multiple instructional strategies, they cater to diverse learning styles, ensuring all students stay actively involved.
Interactive Lesson Activity: Group Drawing Challenge
Each person will create a digital drawing of their “ideal classroom” using Magma (linked below).
Consider: How should the classroom feel? What would be on the walls? How are students seated?
After uploading, comment on a classmate’s drawing. What do you like? Would you want to be a student there? Is it teacher- or student-centered?
Wrapping up: Creating an Engaging and Inclusive Learning Environment
Student engagement thrives when we personalize instruction, promote critical thinking, and use active learning strategies. Differentiated teaching helps meet diverse needs, while real-world problem-solving deepens understanding (Leigh et al., 2023). Hands-on learning turns passive students into active participants who collaborate, create, and explore (Prince, 2004). By combining these strategies, we foster dynamic, inclusive classrooms where every student feels valued and motivated to learn.
This research has helped me become a more effective teacher by helping me adapt my curriculum to better meet my students' needs. It has also taught me just to have fun! It is so important to remember that our students are just children! By adding in students' slang, their favorite sports, favorite TV shows, and even just using online sources like videos and interactive games, we can change education for the better.
Pop Quiz:
Why is student engagement important, and how can teachers foster it in the classroom?
a) Student engagement primarily benefits academically gifted students, while others require direct instruction and repetition to succeed.
b) Engagement enhances intrinsic motivation and deep learning; teachers can support it by tailoring instruction to diverse learning needs, integrating student interests, and promoting active participation.
c) Most students are naturally curious and will engage on their own, so structured efforts to foster engagement are unnecessary.
d) The most effective way to ensure student engagement is through strict classroom management and teacher-centered instruction.
How can critical thinking be encouraged in the classroom through real-world connections?
a) By focusing on recall-based activities that reinforce factual knowledge without requiring deeper analysis or application.
b) By providing structured worksheets that help students review information through repetition rather than exploration.
c) By integrating real-world problem-solving through project-based learning (PBL), case studies, debates, and authentic scenarios that require students to analyze, evaluate, and create solutions.
d) By minimizing open-ended discussions to ensure students stay focused on predetermined answers and avoid misconceptions.
What is active learning, and what are some effective methods to implement it?
a) Active learning is a teaching method where students primarily absorb information through lectures and note-taking, with minimal interaction.
b) Active learning is a student-centered approach that promotes engagement through discussions, collaborative problem-solving, hands-on projects, and experiential activities that deepen understanding. Teachers can implement it through techniques like think-pair-share, inquiry-based learning, role-playing, and interactive simulations.
c) Active learning occurs when teachers provide all the information through direct instruction, and students demonstrate understanding by taking detailed notes.
d) Active learning is only suitable for older students, as younger learners benefit more from structured lessons with limited independent exploration.
Answers:
1.) B
2) C
3) B
References
Blum, G. (2023, November 27). Inside out 2 director confirms what we all suspected about sequel’s puberty plot. The Direct. https://thedirect.com/article/inside-out-2-sequel-puberty-plot
Chiangpradit, L. (2024, January 12). 5+ surprising stats about student engagement. STEM Sports. https://stemsports.com/5-surprising-stats-about-student-engagement/#:~:text=Based%20on%20a%20Gallup%20Poll,and%20positive%20about%20their%20futures.
Gallup. (2025, January 29). K-12 schools struggle to engage Gen Z students. Gallup. https://news.gallup.com/poll/648896/schools-struggle-engage-gen-students.aspx
Gokhale, A. A. (1995). Collaborative learning enhances critical thinking. Journal of Technology Education, 7(1), 22–30. https://doi.org/10.21061/jte.v7i1.a.2
Groccia, J. E. (2018). What is student engagement? New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2018(154), 11-20. https://doi.org/10.1002/tl.20287
Leigh, M., Kristen, G., & Jason, C. (2023). Associations between elementary teachers’ mental health and students’ engagement across content areas. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 75, 102231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2023.102231
Marlett, D. (n.d.). Increasing critical thinking in education: A pathway to preparing students for the future. Learning Focused. Retrieved February 6, 2025, from https://learningfocused.com/increasing-critical-thinking-in-education-a-pathway-to-preparing-students-for-the-future/
Prince, M. (2004). Does active learning work? A review of the research. Journal of Engineering Education, 93(3), 223–231. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2168-9830.2004.tb00809.x
How I Used AI
I used ChatGPT to help transform my critical thinking activities into a song based on Roar by Katy Perry by pasting my listed facts into the search engine. I also used AI assistance to refine paragraph headings based on my learning targets. I used Grammarly's AI to help me tweak my sentences grammatically. Finally, I used Chat GPT to create three multiple-choice questions based on my lesson and give me my strengths and weaknesses overall.
AI was super helpful in taking my content to the next level, whether it was fixing my wording, helping me create a song, or even just telling me the strengths and weaknesses of my lesson. I do not feel as though I ever would have been able to create a content-based song if it weren't for AI!
