Phone Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
1-800-933-ASCD (2723)
Address 1703 North Beauregard St. Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
Complete Customer Service Details
Respond & Reimagine: Putting Students' Needs First March 11, 2021 | Volume 16 | Issue 13 Table of Contents
Melissa Childs
The challenges teachers are facing this school year are incalculable. Constant schedule changes. Social distancing regulations. Another virtual platform to learn. It can all feel so overwhelming.
But one frustration sticks out the most, makes us question our belief in our teaching abilities, and makes us feel as if we no longer have an impact: Not knowing how to engage our students anymore.
In the shift to virtual learning, many of the strategies that we had previously used to draw our students' attention have fallen by the wayside.
I've found it helpful to take a step back and remember what we already know about engaging learners. There are three types of student engagement: emotional, behavioral, and cognitive (Fredericks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004). When students are engaged in all three components, they can learn at their highest capability. By examining each of these components in action within my virtual classroom, I developed the Virtual Engagement Framework.
Students are emotionally engaged in the learning process when they hold a set of attitudes that are beneficial to their growth and feel a sense of belonging among their peers and throughout the school. Teachers are able to bolster student emotional engagement in virtual classrooms through establishing strong learning communities where every student feels valued, developing individual relationships, and perpetuating a growth mindset.
Learning Community
Although building a strong learning community can seem significantly tougher when students are not physically in the classroom, there are some strategies that strengthen our students' sense of value and acceptance remotely.
Ideas to try:
Strong Relationships
We may not be able to interact with our students in the same ways as before, but there are many ways that we can virtually dive into our students' interests, strengths, struggles, and passions. Through digital discussions, shared documents, and online activities, we can continue to show our students that we truly believe in their capabilities and that they can always come to us for support.
Growth Mindset
The pressure of remote learning for students—from unfamiliar digital platforms to balancing their own schedules— may push them to the point of wanting to give up. By incorporating opportunities for students to develop a growth mindset, teachers can help students to embrace the challenges that are thrown their way and to persist in the face of setbacks.
Behavioral engagement refers to our students' participation and efforts in completing class tasks and assignments. To increase student involvement and attentiveness, try the following strategies.
Class Norms
As with any activity, it is important for us to teach our students what is appropriate and what is not acceptable. By implementing student-created norms, posting them in the virtual classroom, and consistently reviewing their importance, teachers create greater routine and consistency, leading to increased engagement.
Restorative Practices
Restorative practices, which shift away from using rewards and punishments to using an approach that gets to the root cause of the issue and builds on human connection, can play an integral role in promoting positive behavior in our virtual classrooms. When we take the time to strengthen our classroom culture through deep class discussions, our students can identify with other viewpoints and think critically about their own thoughts and actions.
Collaborate with Other Supporters
In the shift to virtual learning environments, many public schools reported that an average of 22 percent of students were missing class each day. It is imperative that we try to work with all of our students' supporters, including parents, to get them the help they need.
Helping students actively connect to the material they are learning requires three components: authentic learning experiences, higher-order questioning, and teachable learning strategies.
Authentic Experiences
Students have access to endless information at the touch of a button. By making purposeful decisions about how to use technology in our classrooms, students can make deeper connections with the content that they are learning.
Idea to try:
Higher-Order Questioning
In a virtual classroom, we need to continue to move students from a place of simply regurgitating key information to a level of higher-order thinking. Teachers can deliberately plan higher-order questions using question starters and incorporate project-based learning, passion projects, and collaborative documents.
Learning Strategies
Through a virtual learning model, many students are taking on a larger responsibility in their own learning. By showing students the neuroscience behind their learning and demonstrating the use of specific learning strategies, such as rehearsing, persistence, and connecting to prior knowledge, we give them a jumpstart in taking ownership.
Regardless of the challenges that we face, we can still focus on employing strategies that will allow us to engage our students on emotional, behavioral, and cognitive levels.
Anderson, L. W., and Krathwohl, D.R. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives. London, England: Longman.
Battelle for Kids. (2019). Framework for 21st century learning. Hilliard, Ohio: Author. Retrieved from http://static.battelleforkids.org/documents/p21/P21_Framework_Brief.pdf
Dweck, C. (2017). Mindset: Changing the way you think to fulfill your potential. London: Robinson.
Fredericks, J., Blumenfeld, P., & Paris, A. (2004, Spring). School Engagement: Potential of the Concept, State of the Evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74(1), 59–109. Retrieved from http://www.inquirylearningcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Fredricks2004-engagemt.pdf
Juliani, A. J. (n.d.). Genius hour blueprint. Retrieved from http://ajjuliani.com/genius-hour-blueprint-step-step-guide-running-project-class/
Maynard, N., & Weinstein, B. (2019). Hacking school discipline: 9 ways to create a culture of empathy & responsibility using restorative justice. Highland Heights, OH: Times 10 Publications.
Melissa Childs is an instructional coach and a special education teacher at Salmon River Middle School in Fort Covington, N.Y.
More on This Topic: Formative Assessment for Remote Teaching: Students Take the Lead
ASCD Express, Vol. 16, No. 13. Copyright 2021 by ASCD. All rights reserved. Visit www.ascd.org/ascdexpress.
Subscribe to ASCD Express, our free email newsletter, to have practical, actionable strategies and information delivered to your email inbox twice a month.
ASCD's 2021 General Membership Election is open April 1–May 15.
Vote now
Meet the candidates
ASCD respects intellectual property rights and adheres to the laws governing them. Learn more about our permissions policy and submit your request online.