How to Engage and Motivate Students in the Classroom

After reaching out to almost 1,000 teachers from various grade levels and content areas, the number one teacher challenge they have: How to get students engaged or motivated in the classroom?

I’m going into my 10^th year teaching middle school. Before that I usually taught at alternative schools, where “at-risk” at-hope students would attend. Often when I tell people this, it’s like they get a sense of relief. Almost as if they are saying, “Better you than me!” I do get a lot of “God bless you! Or “That’s a tough group.” Some of these comments are even from teachers!

I never take anything to heart. Remember, I’m a middle school teacher…you can’t be too serious or take anything too seriously. But if I were an outsider looking in, I would completely understand their comments. I know many are thinking, how do I manage these middle schoolers. Especially since the majority of my students tower over my small 5-foot frame. And even thought I wasn’t the best middle school student back in my day, I just needed a little engagement.

When I was in 7^th grade, my math teacher was teaching us a lesson in which part of the lesson was showing us a how he practiced spinning his pencil around his thumb. Now, for this ELA teacher, math isn’t my strongest subject. But I connected to that lesson and still can’t forget how one of my good friends kept practicing spinning his pencil around his thumb until he was able to do master it.

My 7^th grade math teacher did what all teachers must do: keep students interested.

Motivate the Unmotivated

The truth is, I’ve been applying this same method for all my classes since I started substitute teaching back in 2006. It has worked for all grade levels, all content areas, and even with young adults when I taught GED classes. It’s not about doing tricks, although I’ve known some teachers who do, and it works for them but it involves creating your own way to motivate and engage students that is comfortable for you too.

To give you some strategies, these are four tips I’m sharing so you can keep your students interested, engaged, and motivated to learn.

Student Engagement Strategies

Tip #1 -Tell stories that relate the lesson to real life. I didn’t tell the same story to my 7th graders as I did my GED student with two kids. Relate the lesson to things your age group might experience.

Tip #2 -Give work in smaller amounts. Giving a packet of work is different than giving a worksheet every day. I packet of work my look like a very daunting task for a 4th grader to complete. Try giving one-sided worksheets, that can be completed in-class, one at a time.

Tip #3 -Sequence work and new information with the easiest answers first. If you start a worksheet or an assessment with the hardest question and answers, students will give up altogether and lose interest. They want to feel successful even if they get stuck on a few hard questions, they can see they have achieved the majority of work.

Tip #4 -Let students turn in uncompleted work. It’s better to know what they are getting, instead of nothing at all. You might have student that has 14/20 questions complete but did not turn it in because they didn’t complete all of it. Then it’s just sitting in their desk, backpack, or binder. A student will lose interest because they feel overwhelmed because they are behind and still have a worksheet they didn’t complete and turn in. Essentially, always grade what students have, completed or not.

If you can apply these tips to even just a few students it will truly to set the classroom dynamic and build your classroom culture.

If you are interested in learning more engagement, motivation, and inspiration tips, please check out:

Reach More, Teach Mo re, an eBook that will seriously help you teach smarter, not harder. You will find your students are learning, doing, and engaging all the while motivated.

Here is what some teachers have to say about Reach More, Teach More!

“A lot of teaching tips, not just for students but for teachers as well, great value.” -Darla H., Pennsylvania, 2nd grade teacher

“I loved the personal perspectives! It applied a greater knowledge from someone that didn’t have the same school upbringing as I did, and how it shapes teaching styles.” -Ashlee T., California, 5th grade teacher

Reach More, Teach More is perfect for teachers looking to engage, motivate, and teach instead of putting out classroom disruption fires all day long. You will find:

Actionable strategies, tips, ideas, and interventions to apply to everyday lesson plans to get over classroom management and engagement hurdles.
Designed for all content areas and grade levels
Proven, practical, and personal advice from a current teacher that has worked with various student backgrounds and grade levels.
Reach More, Teach Mor e contains even more valuable information about keeping your students’ interest levels high. You’ll be seeing more students engaged and motivated to try more of what you are teaching in no time!