George Lucas Educational Foundation
Edutopia

Student Engagement

What strategies really work to involve students in their own learning? Discover and share ideas.

  • Want Mastery? Let Students Find Their Own Way

    Prominent scholars say that to drive deeper learning, students need to become accustomed to confusion—and develop the persistence to find their own answers.
    Emily Kaplan

  • Easy Ways to Build Metacognitive Skills

    Learn strategies to increase student engagement and stop students from asking, "Why are we doing this?"
    Jordan Mattox

  • Using the Outdoors to Teach STEM

    An engaging activity encourages students to explore math in everyday spaces like parks and school campuses.
    Koshi Dhingra

  • Talk Less So Students Learn More

    Productive struggle is important for students to retain what they learn.
    Shannon McGrath

  • A Student-Centered Model of Blended Learning

    When educators at a Washington, DC, high school ditched their lectures and devised a self-paced blended learning model, their students thrived.

  • 8 Proactive Classroom Management Tips

    New teachers—and experienced ones too—can find ideas here on how to stop disruptive behavior before it begins.
    Youki Terada

  • 3 Ways to Ask Questions That Engage the Whole Class

    These techniques guide all students to process course content and then actively demonstrate their learning.
    Pérsida and Bill Himmele

  • A Student-Driven Approach to Experiential Learning

    See how a Reggio Emilia–inspired elementary school in Australia fosters student interests to spark curiosity and joy in learning.

  • How to Increase Participation by Asking Better Questions

    Framing questions the right way—and scaffolding the right kinds of responses—can help teachers avoid blank stares and awkward silences.
    Laura Lee

  • Students Think Lectures Are Best, But Research Suggests They’re Wrong

    A study reveals students prefer low-effort learning strategies—like listening to lectures—despite doing better with active learning.
    Youki Terada

  • 6 Strategies for Building Better Student Relationships

    A teacher shares her best practices for establishing strong relationships with her class at the start of the school year.
    Cicely Woodard

  • 30 Techniques to Quiet a Noisy Class

    Most teachers have a method of calling for quiet, and we’ve collected a variety of good ideas for elementary, middle, and high school.
    Todd Finley

  • How to Keep Your Elementary Students Focused

    5 research-backed tips to keep your elementary students on-task.

  • 3 Ways to Use Music in the Classroom

    A high school teacher shares how she uses music to foster a sense of community and make learning more engaging.
    Jori Krulder

  • Putting Students in Charge of Their Learning Journey

    By leaving space in their lessons for authentic curiosity to take hold, teachers can enable deeper learning.