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5 Sure Fire Ways to Boost Student Engagement

Want to keep your students focused and excited to learn? These easy, effective strategies will help you grab their attention—and keep it! Turn your classroom into a place with tons of energy and engagement, no matter the time of year.

class of students excited about learning and engaging with lessons

Picture this: You’re in the middle of a lesson, writing on the board, when suddenly, you hear a loud sigh. 

Glancing around the room, you see a few students gazing out the window, another one fiddling with her shoe, and several others digging through their pencil pouches. 

Uh-oh, you’re losing them.

Your brain flips into high gear: Why aren’t they paying attention? What can I do to keep them focused? 

You try speaking in a louder, more animated voice to reel them back in. 

But then, it happens: “This is boring!” 

And there it is.

One student took the leap and announced it. 

Outloud.

You feel frustration, self-doubt, irritation, and maybe even some anger. 

If you’ve been teaching for more than 15 minutes, you’ve probably experienced this rollercoaster of emotions. 

It’s like the harder you work to plan engaging lessons, the harder it becomes to hold their attention.

Now, let’s dive into some helpful tips and clever hacks to steer your class back on course!

1. Keep Students Engaged with Shorter Tasks

Long lessons can make attention wander fast. Breaking instruction into smaller, bite-sized chunks keeps students focused and involved.

A good rule of thumb? Their attention span is about as many minutes as their age. That means seven-year-olds stay locked in for around seven minutes before their minds start drifting.

Consider using crafts and reference aids for students’ notebooks.

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Keep things fresh by mixing it up. Add crafts and interactive notebook activities to your lessons.

Try this flow:

  • Start with a 5 to 10-minute mini-lesson
  • Move into a short writing or cutting activity
  • Bring the class back together for another quick instructional moment
  • Wrap up with coloring, problem-solving, or gluing

Keep cutting and assembling activities quick and purposeful—enough to engage students without dragging out the lesson. The goal is to keep learning active while avoiding downtime.

Movement, partner discussions, quick writing prompts, hands-on activities, and manipulatives work great too!

Make Learning Stick with the Turn and Talk Method

Want an easy way to keep students engaged and help them actually remember what they’re learning? Try Turn and Talk.

It’s as simple as it sounds—after introducing a concept, have students turn to a partner and chat about it. Let them explain it in their own words, ask questions, or make connections.

Why does it work? Because saying something out loud helps it stick. And let’s be honest—sometimes kids understand each other better than they understand us!

Aside from helping students understand concepts more deeply, Turn and Talk builds confidence, encourages teamwork, and creates a more friendly classroom. It’s quick, effective, and can be a game-changer for some students.

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Check out the Animal Report and Informational Writing resource on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Get Students Learning by Doing 

Hands-on learning works – and it makes a real difference. When kids can touch, build, and experiment, they stay engaged and actually remember what they’re learning.

Research backs this up: students retain more when they’re actively involved instead of just listening or memorizing. Whether it’s using manipulatives, creating projects, or running experiments, hands-on activities make learning stick.

The best part? Kids get so caught up in the process, they don’t even realize how much they’re learning!

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2. Keep ‘Em Guessing

Want to keep students on their toes? Try the popsicle stick trick.

Write each student’s name on a popsicle stick (or index card) and keep them in a mug on your desk. During discussions or activities, pull a stick at random—whoever’s name is on it gets to answer or participate first.

It’s simple, fair, and takes the guesswork out of calling on students. No more accidentally picking the same kids over and over or trying to remember who’s had a turn.

The best part? It keeps students engaged because they never know when their name will come up! It also adds a little suspense to class discussions—who doesn’t love a good surprise?

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3. Make It Matter: Connect Lessons to Real Life

Let’s be honest—when someone presents new information, we all do a quick mental check: Is this important? Do I care?

Kids are no different. If they don’t see how something applies to their world, their minds drift elsewhere (like basketball stats or the latest Minecraft update).

Imagine trying to convince Malik that learning stem and leaf plots is worth his time. 

easy ways to boost student engagement stem and leaf photo

He’s thinking about his friends and a ball game, not math class.

That’s where you come in.

Find ways to make lessons feel relevant. Show them how fractions relate to baking, how graphs can track their favorite player’s stats, or how persuasive writing helps them convince their parents to get a puppy.

It takes a little extra effort, but when kids see why something matters now—not just in some distant future—they’re way more likely to pay attention.

4. Turn it into a Game

Let’s talk about spicing up skill practice!

Sure, worksheets have their place, but nothing grabs students’ attention like a good game.

When learning feels fun, kids stay engaged, remember more, and actually want to participate. And isn’t that the goal?

One of my go-to strategies? Task cards.

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turn skill practice into an interactive challenge instead of just another assignment. Whether it’s a scavenger hunt, a relay race, or a partner activity, a little competition (or collaboration) can make all the difference.

You can use task cards in all kinds of games—classic board games, Task Card Tic-Tac-Toe, or even interactive whiteboard activities. They’re easy to set up, super engaging, and way more fun than another worksheet.

The best part?

They mix things up with different question types and scenarios, helping students practice skills in a variety of ways. Whether you’re reviewing concepts, introducing new material, or just squeezing in some extra practice, task cards keep learning fresh and exciting!

Use task cards along with traditional games to work on so many valuable skills at once!

There are so many fun ways to switch things up!

Some days, I’d scatter task cards all over the room—one on the heater, another on the bean bag chair, maybe even one hanging from the doorway. Students would go on a “Treasure Hunt” to find and solve each one.

To keep things interesting, I’d switch up how they worked through the cards. Maybe one group tackled odd-numbered cards while the other took on evens. Or I’d divide them up in a totally random way—like by shirt color! (Students wearing blue tackle the first ten, while the rest take the next set.)

And let’s talk about differentiation.

I always had different sets of task cards ready, making sure every student had just the right level of challenge. Struggling learners got the support they needed, while others tackled more advanced questions.

It’s all about keeping kids engaged, motivated, and excited to learn. So why stick to the same old routine when you can turn learning into an adventure?

Want to learn more about Task Cards?  Click to read “How to Energize Your Teaching with Task Cards” 

Hot Seat

Ever play Hot Seat with your students? It’s a blast! 

Instead of retyping the rules, I’ll save you some time—here’s a link where you can find a great explanation of how to play: HOT SEAT.

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Tic-Tac-Toe with Task Cards

Tic-tac-toe isn’t just a fun game—it’s also an easy way to reinforce skills in small groups. All you need are task cards and some paper or whiteboards!

Here’s how I like to play:

  1. Place a stack of task cards face down between two students.
  2. Student A flips a card, and both students solve the problem.
  3. If Student A gets it right, they place an X or O on the tic-tac-toe board.
  4. If their answers don’t match, they erase and solve it again until they agree.

It’s simple, engaging, and keeps kids focused while they practice!

5. Bring the Energy: Teacher Enthusiasm Matters

Let’s be real—enthusiasm is a game-changer in the classroom.

Think back to that teacher who droned on in a monotone voice, making every lesson feel like a never-ending lecture. Not exactly inspiring, right?

Don’t be that teacher! 

Now, think of the teacher who was genuinely excited about what they were teaching. Their energy was contagious, and suddenly, even the most boring topics felt interesting. That’s the magic of enthusiasm!

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Kids are used to fast-paced entertainment.

Ever noticed how children’s TV shows switch scenes every few seconds? No surprise—kids expect school to be just as engaging.

While we can’t compete with cartoons, we can bring the energy, vary our delivery, and make learning something they actually look forward to.

Extra Credit: Simple Ways to Bring the Fun Back

Need a little boost in your classroom (or just for yourself)? Try these quick and easy ways to add excitement to your day!f mini ideas to bring some excitement back to your classroom (and your teaching spirit):

Chat It Up!


Take a few extra minutes to connect with your students. A simple “How was your weekend?” or chatting while they pack up makes a big difference. Those little conversations build trust and rapport.

Lunch With the Crew

Put down the grading pen and step away from your desk. At least once in a while, take a break and have lunch with your fellow teachers. Laugh, vent, swap stories—whatever you need to recharge.

Plan for Fun

Sneak in something unexpected:

  • A quick game like Kahoot or Gimkit
  • A task card scavenger hunt
  • A mini room transformation (a few decorations and a theme can go a long way!).

Small surprises = big smiles (for them and you).

Flip the Script

Shake things up with a simple change:

🎤 Let students teach a concept for a day
🎶 Play music during work time
🔄 Try Backwards Day—switch up the schedule and keep them on their toe

Keep in Mind . . .

But let’s be real — some days, finding that enthusiasm can feel like a challenge. 

We all have those days where we have to put on our game face and give ourselves a pep talk. Teaching is a performance, and some days, the energy just isn’t there.

I know you get it. 

But here’s the thing: when you muster up that positive energy and bring excitement and enthusiasm into your classroom, magic happens. 

Your students will love you for it. 

And guess what? You’ll love yourself for it too!

So, what’s in your bag of tricks for keeping students engaged? I’d love to hear your ideas – share them with me!

Be sure to read How to Energize Your Teaching With Task Cards.



Written by Jules Rhee, MEd. and 30 year teaching veteran; published 12/10/2015; Most recent update: 2/16/25.