Classroom Engagement Strategies to Engage Your Students

For elementary teachers, classroom engagement strategies are meant to keep classrooms running smoothly. This is done by executing classroom managmeent strategies while executing your classroom management plan.  When executed properly, you will create an environment for student engagement to happen naturally. Classroom engagement techniques may vary from teacher to teacher. However, we believe it’s important to build strong classroom community where students feel safe. 

Top 4 Go To Classroom Engagement Strategies

Below we’ve listed 4 super simple, yet effective classroom engagement strategies to help build an environment where students feel a sense of community and improve student engagement levels.

1. Greet students at the door

Take time to stand at the classroom door and greet students formally as they enter. This simple change will make a world of difference in immediately impacting your classroom culture!

You can even post morning greeting signs outside your classroom door and have students choose the way they’d like to be greeted. Get our colorful posters by clicking here.

2. Hold morning meetings regularly

• Build a climate of trust
• Help students feel significant
• Encourage collaboration
• Create empathy
• Support social and emotional learning

Visit this blog post to learn more about The 5 Components of Morning Meetings for primary grades.

3. SCHEDULE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN CLASSMATES

Find natural places in your instruction to include daily opportunities for students to communicate authentically.  Predetermine set times throughout your lesson plans for students to share and reflect on their thoughts, ideas, and opinions. Also consider creating regular moments when the class can work together to solve current classroom issues or discuss ways to improve their personal character development.

Tip: Carve out time to allow for student-led morning meetings. Find a great student led morning meeting resource.

4. Take Time to Have fun!

Once in a while, focus on fun activities that encourage a sense of teamwork and camaraderie. Provide activities that allow students to succeed and fail together in order to collaborate, solve problems, or practice sportsmanship. Teaching students lessons of trust and collaboration through fun and games will be sure to boost your classroom climate. We strongly recommend you join in the fun right along with your kids.

Visit here to get 36 of the team-building activities we use.

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT SERIES 

• Part 1: Classroom Management Tips
• Part 2: Classroom Engagement Strategies
• Part 3: Mindfulenss Activities for the Classroom