Teaching and Learning: Engagement Strategies

Engagement strategies are the key to building a positive teaching and learning environment. Teaching and learning go hand in hand; however, one does not guarantee the other. Educators, teachers, facilitators, instructors… whatever your choice the point here is that learning is not guaranteed simply because an amazing lesson is provided.

Understand the Learner

Nevertheless, there is always going to be those little sponges that soak it all up and look for more. They will learn in the most chaotic classroom or from the most apathetic teacher. For others, learning will be a struggle.

Me? I love learning; I always have. I haven’t always loved school. Much like Einstein, I felt let down by school. Some teachers, teach the creativity and joy right out of learning. A perfect example is my earliest memory of swim lessons.

I love the water and when my parents signed me up for polliwogs, swim lessons for preschoolers, I was excited. At first, but in the end, I was disappointed and so was the teacher. She asked my parents not to enrol me in further lessons because I was inattentive and not following the rules, generally being a pain. 

Know Your Audience

I have no doubt that I was a royal pain; however, they missed the big picture. They did not engage me as a learner. If the teacher had asked me, and they should have, I would have told them that blowing bubbles and singing ‘Motorboat Motorboat’ is not swimming. They were teaching water confidence. That I had, I wanted to learn to swim. At the age of four I already had ideas about teaching and learning. 

Relationship Between Teaching and Learning

Formal education is not a guarantee for learning. Simply enrolling in a course doesn’t translate to knowledge. Learning happens when we are engaged, curious, and asking questions to find out more. Equally important is the passion for teaching and to understand the needs of the learner. There is a relationship between teaching and learning. Having a desire to increase one’s knowledge is one requirement for learning. However, the requirement for good, no, great teaching, is understanding the learner, and finding a way to spark and ignite that desire. 

Regardless of the state of the education system, broken or not broken, children will be impacted for life by the experience they have with school and their education. For learning to take place, they need to be engaged. Teachers need to find that spark and every child needs a different fuel source for it to ignite. 

Engagement

Edutopia is a great place to start your search for learning more about building classroom engagement and they have excellent content that covers a multitude of topics. Alternatively, a google scholar search with provide several articles as well. They will cover many topics such as creating engaging lessons and how to engage reluctant learners. Before you put all your energy into creating one amazing lesson, consider some of the strategies below.

Build a Foundation for Engagement

• Create a safe environment (physical and emotional).
• Develop a positive relationship with all learners.
• Make a connection with each learner.
• Support new learning risks without judgement.
• Encourage and congratulate progress and success.
• Be inclusive and equitable (equal doesn’t always work).
• Demonstrate patience.
• Strive to be the spark for a learner’s desire to learn.

Learning is a Journey

The strategies are not specific to education in the formal sense. We are all learners, it’s a life-long journey.

Seniors may need to learn digital skills to remain an active part of society. Newcomers may need to learn a new language, new social customs or how to navigate local services. Anyone starting a new job will need to learn new skills. Children need to learn to read so they can read to learn. Showing someone how to use technology? Maybe you’re teaching your child how to tie their shoes? Teaching and learning happen throughout our life.

Enjoy the journey. Be a spark and ignite someone else’s learning.

Another way to build engagement in a classroom is with high quality picturebooks. Not just for the young ones, picturebooks are a great way to engage older students as well. Still not sure about the importance of picturebooks? Click and find out.