George Lucas Educational Foundation
Edutopia

Student Engagement

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

  • 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.

  • Bolstering Academic Rigor With Character Development

    A schoolwide focus on cultivating traits like self-discipline, courage, and perseverance helps students meet high expectations.

  • Dragons and Fairy Tales in Science Class

    Using stories as a hook to grab students’ attention leads them to deep engagement with scientific concepts.
    Amy Schwartzbach-Kang, Edward Kang

  • 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

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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

  • How to Keep Your Elementary Students Focused

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

  • 5 Science Experiments Inspired by Harry Potter

    Teachers can use elements of the Harry Potter books and movies to inspire students of all ages to engage with scientific concepts.
    Youki Terada

  • 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

  • Using Learning Stations to Kick Off the Year

    An engaging way for students to get to know each other, review the syllabus, and decide on classroom agreements.
    Angelina Murphy

  • The Benefits of Sharing Our Planning With Students

    Explaining the intentions behind a lesson plan can boost engagement and help students get back on track when something isn’t working.
    Mark Gardner

  • Teaching Students How to Ask Productive Questions

    Improve engagement, comprehension, and critical thinking by teaching students the process of asking insightful questions.
    Laura Lee

  • 19 Big and Small Classroom Management Strategies

    Successful classroom management relies on a handful of fundamental strategies and a larger number of quick interventions.
    Todd Finley

  • Setting Up an Ecological Exchange

    Students can learn a lot about ecosystems by gathering objects from their area and swapping with a distant class.
    John Dorroh