Creating an Actively Engaged Classroom

14 Strategies for Student Success
Todd Whitney - University of Louisville, College of Education and Human Development
Justin T. Cooper - University of Louisville, USA
Terrance M. Scott - SRI Education, Center for Learning and Development
Creating an Actively Engaged Classroom
June 2021 | 160 pages | Corwin
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eBook
ISBN: 9781071823569
Available from January 0001
Paperback
ISBN: 9781071823583
Available from January 0001

Description

Make your lessons interesting, interactive, and engaging

Successful lessons are explicit, yet also inspire active learning and opportunities to respond. As the one shaping lessons, can you do better? Probably, and you’re not alone. Research shows teachers consistently offer students far fewer than the recommended opportunities to respond, leaving all students—including those with special needs and behavior challenges—less than engaged and falling short of their best chance for success.

With this book, you’ll discover 14 strategies you can translate directly to your classroom, complete with descriptions, advantages and disadvantages of each, and how and when best to use them. Divided into three parts, you will be guided through

  • Verbal engagement strategies, such as whip around, choral responding, quick polls, and individual questioning
  • Non-verbal engagement strategies, such as stop and jot, guided notes, response cards, and hand signals
  • Partner and teaming strategies, such as turn & talk, cued retell, four corners, and classroom mingle

Dive into these strategies and transform your classroom into a rich and interactive environment—no matter the subject, context, or age of your students.

Contents

Introduction: Student Engagement and Teacher Responsibility

Introduction: Student Engagement and Teacher Responsibility

Section I: Verbal Engagement Strategies

  • Whip Around
  • Quick Poll
  • Choral Responding
  • Individual Questioning Strategies for Student Response

Section II: Nonverbal Engagement Strategies

  • Stop and Jot
  • Guided Notes
  • Response Cards
  • Colored Choice
  • Multiple Choice
  • True/False
  • Response Slates and Whiteboards
  • Hand Signals
  • Fist to Five
  • Fingers for Numbers
  • Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down

Section III: Partner and Team Engagement Strategies

  • Turn and Talk
  • Cued Retell
  • Numbered Heads Together
  • Four Corners
  • Snowball
  • Classroom Mingle

Conclusion: Putting It All Together

Conclusion: Putting It All Together

Appendix

  • A. Stop-and-Jot Template—Elementary
  • B. Stop-and-Jot Template—Secondary
  • C. Response Card Templates
  • D. Fist-to-Five Visual
  • E. Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down Visual
  • F. Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down/Thumbs Sideways Visual
  • G. Cued-Retell Sheet
  • H. OTR Data Collection Form—Overall OTR Only
  • I. OTR Data Collection Form—Individual/Group OTR–Specific Strategies Used

References

References

Description

Make your lessons interesting, interactive, and engaging

Successful lessons are explicit, yet also inspire active learning and opportunities to respond. As the one shaping lessons, can you do better? Probably, and you’re not alone. Research shows teachers consistently offer students far fewer than the recommended opportunities to respond, leaving all students—including those with special needs and behavior challenges—less than engaged and falling short of their best chance for success.

With this book, you’ll discover 14 strategies you can translate directly to your classroom, complete with descriptions, advantages and disadvantages of each, and how and when best to use them. Divided into three parts, you will be guided through

  • Verbal engagement strategies, such as whip around, choral responding, quick polls, and individual questioning
  • Non-verbal engagement strategies, such as stop and jot, guided notes, response cards, and hand signals
  • Partner and teaming strategies, such as turn & talk, cued retell, four corners, and classroom mingle

Dive into these strategies and transform your classroom into a rich and interactive environment—no matter the subject, context, or age of your students.

Contents

Introduction: Student Engagement and Teacher Responsibility

Introduction: Student Engagement and Teacher Responsibility

Section I: Verbal Engagement Strategies

  • Whip Around
  • Quick Poll
  • Choral Responding
  • Individual Questioning Strategies for Student Response

Section II: Nonverbal Engagement Strategies

  • Stop and Jot
  • Guided Notes
  • Response Cards
  • Colored Choice
  • Multiple Choice
  • True/False
  • Response Slates and Whiteboards
  • Hand Signals
  • Fist to Five
  • Fingers for Numbers
  • Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down

Section III: Partner and Team Engagement Strategies

  • Turn and Talk
  • Cued Retell
  • Numbered Heads Together
  • Four Corners
  • Snowball
  • Classroom Mingle

Conclusion: Putting It All Together

Conclusion: Putting It All Together

Appendix

  • A. Stop-and-Jot Template—Elementary
  • B. Stop-and-Jot Template—Secondary
  • C. Response Card Templates
  • D. Fist-to-Five Visual
  • E. Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down Visual
  • F. Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down/Thumbs Sideways Visual
  • G. Cued-Retell Sheet
  • H. OTR Data Collection Form—Overall OTR Only
  • I. OTR Data Collection Form—Individual/Group OTR–Specific Strategies Used

References

References

SAGE Publishing Logo

Creating an Actively Engaged Classroom

14 Strategies for Student Success


June 2021 | 160 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Paperback 01/02/2026 9781071823583 $37.95
Lifetime 01/02/2026 9781071823569 $35.00

Make your lessons interesting, interactive, and engaging

Successful lessons are explicit, yet also inspire active learning and opportunities to respond. As the one shaping lessons, can you do better? Probably, and you’re not alone. Research shows teachers consistently offer students far fewer than the recommended opportunities to respond, leaving all students—including those with special needs and behavior challenges—less than engaged and falling short of their best chance for success.

With this book, you’ll discover 14 strategies you can translate directly to your classroom, complete with descriptions, advantages and disadvantages of each, and how and when best to use them. Divided into three parts, you will be guided through

  • Verbal engagement strategies, such as whip around, choral responding, quick polls, and individual questioning
  • Non-verbal engagement strategies, such as stop and jot, guided notes, response cards, and hand signals
  • Partner and teaming strategies, such as turn & talk, cued retell, four corners, and classroom mingle

Dive into these strategies and transform your classroom into a rich and interactive environment—no matter the subject, context, or age of your students.


Table Of Contents:

  • Introduction: Student Engagement and Teacher Responsibility
  • Section I: Verbal Engagement Strategies
  • Whip Around
  • Quick Poll
  • Choral Responding
  • Individual Questioning Strategies for Student Response
  • Section II: Nonverbal Engagement Strategies
  • Stop and Jot
  • Guided Notes
  • Response Cards
  • Colored Choice
  • Multiple Choice
  • True/False
  • Response Slates and Whiteboards
  • Hand Signals
  • Fist to Five
  • Fingers for Numbers
  • Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down
  • Section III: Partner and Team Engagement Strategies
  • Turn and Talk
  • Cued Retell
  • Numbered Heads Together
  • Four Corners
  • Snowball
  • Classroom Mingle
  • Conclusion: Putting It All Together
  • Appendix
  • A. Stop-and-Jot Template—Elementary
  • B. Stop-and-Jot Template—Secondary
  • C. Response Card Templates
  • D. Fist-to-Five Visual
  • E. Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down Visual
  • F. Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down/Thumbs Sideways Visual
  • G. Cued-Retell Sheet
  • H. OTR Data Collection Form—Overall OTR Only
  • I. OTR Data Collection Form—Individual/Group OTR–Specific Strategies Used
  • References

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