Student Engagement Strategies to Motivate Learning

With growing class sizes and limited resources, it can be challenging for educators to keep students engaged in the classroom. And things can become even more difficult during certain periods of the school calendar, such as after standardized testing weeks or toward the end of the year when students may have “checked out.”

Student disengagement can be stressful and demotivating, especially for new teachers. Luckily, there are ways to get out of the funk, so we’re sharing some re-engagement strategies for students who have started to lose focus. 

Nine Ways to Re-engage and Motivate Students 

Classrooms can become disengaged or demotivated for many reasons. However, we think the nine strategies below provide a wide range of solutions to suit a variety of situations. 

1. Keep Sessions Exciting 

Excitement leads to engagement. While keeping a class exciting is easier said than done, a good strategy is to begin a lesson with the most attention-grabbing information, including facts or challenges that stimulate thought. If needed, keep some exciting topics saved for later in the term when attentions might start to wane. 

2. Use the 10-2-2 Strategy 

Students can become less engaged if they are forced to listen passively for long periods. The 10-2-2 strategy is a way to disrupt long periods of passivity to maximize engagement. 10 minutes are allocated for the teacher to explain a topic, followed by two minutes of student discussion, followed by two minutes of individual reflection.

3. Show, Don’t Tell 

Telling students that information is important is no guarantee they’ll show an interest in it. Instead, show them how things work and how concepts apply to their everyday lives. You can do this using videos, interactive games, virtual labs, STEAM activities, and more. For example, building circuits and seeing what works and what fails in real time can be more memorable than simply reading about circuitry.  

4. Talk About the Problem 

Talking directly with students about the classroom atmosphere can sometimes help bring about a shift. Ask them directly why they feel disengaged. If you can get a more detailed response than “Because it’s boring,” you can potentially use their feedback to help you structure course materials in the future. It may help to gather responses individually to prevent the spread of negative perceptions. 

5. Make a Plan 

Use that feedback to make a plan for the rest of the term, giving students decision-making powers in order to maintain engagement. This could involve letting students choose between an essay or presentation, for example. Remain open to further changes in approach as students’ attitudes change. 

6. Do the Unexpected 

Your students expect you, the teacher, to explain concepts and assign work. They probably don’t expect you to crack jokes, talk about fun trivia, or come up with hands-on activities. Adding surprise elements into your lesson keeps students alert and engaged while creating a positive atmosphere. 

7. Gamify Learning 

Imagine it’s the last day of the week after a barrage of standardized testing, and students are simply burned out. One way to breathe life back into the classroom is to deliver learning objectives through gamification. Rewards and leaderboards can serve as added motivation, and games can be structured in many ways to suit different learning styles. 

8. Enhance Student Engagement with Collaboration 

Sometimes students need to work with their peers to fully “switch on.” Collaborative learning is beneficial to students because it develops higher-level thinking, leadership, oral communication, and self-management skills. It can also improve a student’s sense of responsibility and self-esteem. 

9. Get to Know Your Students 

Taking a personal interest in disengaged students creates a welcoming learning environment and helps you understand why some individuals feel disconnected from the curriculum. Veteran educators know it’s important to offer one-on-one check ins, ask open ended questions, and connect learning with students’ individual interests. Many students who struggle to stay engaged also benefit from a community approach, involving school counselors, parents, and specialists to create a team approach to learning challenges.  

Using Sphero Tools to Re-engage Students 

Student engagement strategies can be implemented when you have the right tools at your disposal. Educational tools like Sphero robots and littleBits — accompanied by our wide range of activities and lesson plans — are excellent tools for introducing students to STEM and for motivating students who are losing interest or energy. 

Schedule a virtual demo to see exactly how Sphero robots can keep students engaged while staying aligned to national, international, and state standards. 

About the Author

The Sphero Team

The Sphero Team is comprised of current and former educators, education content and curriculum writers, product designers, engineers, executive leadership, and other experts in their fields. Learn more about who we are and what we do at sphero.com/about.