Increasing+Student+Engagement


 * Student Engagement Characteristics **

**When administrators are observing a class, they are looking for the following indicators of student engagement: ** **Positive body language **• Students exhibit body postures that indicate listening and attention to the teacher and/or other students. Eye contact, head position, leaning forward or backward, and positions of arms all indicate a student’s level of interest and attention. **Consistent focus **• Students are focused on the learning activity with minimum disruptions. Students’ attention does not waiver because of lack of interest, lack of knowledge of how to proceed, frustration, or some outside distraction. **Verbal participation **• Students express thoughtful ideas and answers. They ask questions that are relevant or appropriate to learning. Student participation is not passive; it involves sharing opinions and reflecting on complex problems. **Student confidence **• Students exhibit confidence to initiate and complete a task with limited coaching or approval-seeking and can actively participate in team-based work. **Fun and excitement **• <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Students exhibit interest and enthusiasm and use positive humor. **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Observers also hold conversations with students to gather details about the degree to which they are engaged in a learning experience. These are further indications of student engagement that can be gleaned from conversations with students. ** **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Individual attention **<span class="A7" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">• <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Students feel comfortable in seeking help and asking questions. **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Clarity of learning **<span class="A7" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">• <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Students can describe the purpose of the lesson or unit. This is more comprehensive than describing the activity based on the lesson of the day. **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Meaningfulness of work **<span class="A7" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">• <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Students find the work interesting, challenging, and connected to learning. **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Rigorous thinking **<span class="A7" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">• <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Students work on complex problems, create original solutions, and reflect on the quality of their work. **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Performance orientation **<span class="A7" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">• <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Students understand what quality work is and how it will be assessed. They also can describe the criteria by which their work will be evaluated.

=   Here are links to documents and resources that can help you increase student engagement in your classroom. =