5 strategies to make students engage in the classroom

1. Emotional Inteligence

Lack of empathy in teachers towards students is often regarded as a poor teaching strategy. Sucessful learning experiences stem from the teachers' ability to relate to their counterparts. Whereas considerable research has been devoted to the importance of emphaty in professions such as nursing and doctors, teaching and sensity connection with the students has often been disregarded in academia. Let's put it this way, you can't convey your message without emotional contact with your pupils. It's a genuine human interaction that makes us click when it comes to learning. 


2. Always give positive attitude

Giving positive input, even in the worst case scenarios, can transform the attitute of your students towards your subject. Yes, we know it,  no matter how hard you try  and your message gets stuck on a thick concrete wall . Persevere and give your students the choice of discovering new roads of knowledge. Negativity only  leads to demotivation. Let the doors open for new fresh air.


3. Exaggerate the trainning stimuli

Comics, films, colorful charts with poweful fonts boost the learning experience of your students. Concepts are better understood through images.  First impressions through the use of imagery matter. Do think of good visual stimuli in your lessons. It' s always a good start.


4. Provide instant gratification

With bite-sized activities, students can have a clear view of the objectives of the lesson. Teachers have to encourage their pupils to finish their tasks during the lesson and  instant gratify them to keep them engaged and boost their learning progress. Instant gratification can come with a good grade or even with a nice gesture or a smile from the teacher. Positive feedback always amplifies the actions of the task, making it attainable.


5. Set clear goals

Short-term goals  help students have a clear view of the learning objectives for each lesson. A 30-minute project with an easy task to solve is better than a never ending piece of work with two or three different topics. Set specific goals that can easily be accomplished by students to prioritize creativity. Learning will be then challenging, leading to the next topic, in a guided teaching environment.



Victor Gonzalez

Subject leader in IT Competencies in Translation, Interpretation & Applied Languages | IB /IGCSE Language Teacher