Engaging the Disengaged Student: Breaking Barriers to Learning
Student engagement is crucial to academic success. Engaged students are more likely to actively participate in class, retain information, and take ownership of their learning. They also develop the ability to critically think, problem solve, and collaborate with others. These skills not only serve students well in their academics but also in their professional lives after graduation.
Recognizing and understanding disengagement
Disengaged students are often the hardest to reach. They show little interest in the topics being covered in class and can even become resistant to learning. They lack motivation, and they struggle to see how classroom material is relevant to their lives. This disengagement can stem from a variety of reasons, such as boredom, personal difficulties, feeling inadequate, or a curriculum that’s too challenging or isn’t challenging enough.
Depending on the student, disengagement can look differently. In some cases, teachers will notice disengagement in academic performance, specifically a decline in the quality of work, an increase in missed assignments, or an overall lack of effort on tasks. Disengaged students may arrive late, leave early, or miss class entirely. If they are in class, they might withdraw, appear bored, or act out in class, which disrupts the entire class.
Engaging (or re-engaging) the disengaged student
Thankfully, there are many strategies educators can use to engage or reengage students who aren’t actively participating in their learning.
- Build strong relationships
One of the most effective ways to engage students is to show a genuine interest in their lives. When you know what their interests and activities are outside of the classroom, you can ask them questions to show you truly care about them as a person. This builds trust and makes students feel valued, which often translates to them wanting to do well in your class. Just the other day, my son said he worked harder for the teachers he liked. A simple statement, but one that highlights how important student-teacher relationships are.
In an article on reconnecting with disengaged students, authors Porter and Shebby share that, “Research shows a strong connection between educators’ empathy and warmth and improved student behavior, motivation, and achievement.” When you know your students, you are also more likely to understand and be able to address their social and emotional needs. This is another way teachers can mitigate issues that could affect learning.
- Provide relevant and active learning opportunities
There are many ways teachers can make learning a more meaningful and engaging experience. Link lessons to students’ potential future careers and their lives outside of school. Students will see that what they’re learning has tangible value, which increases motivation and engagement. Similarly, when you provide students with active, participatory learning experiences, they engage through discussions, problem solving, and hands-on activities. Active learning gives the students more control, which, in turn, gives them agency in their learning.
- Offer choice and autonomy
When students are given choice in paper and project topics or how they share their understanding of a topic, they experience more ownership in their learning. This can foster deeper engagement.
- Involve families in student learning
Parents want to be partners in their students’ learning, so find ways to involve them in your classroom. When I was an English teacher, I would invite parents to read the books we were reading in class, and then, I would invite them to a larger book club-style discussion with their students. It was a fun way to share their child’s learning with them.
- Utilize technology
Technology is more than a word processor and search engine. Find creative ways for students to use technology to learn. Let them watch videos that provide new insight on a topic being covered in class or let them create a video on the same topic.
- Provide clear expectations and feedback
Organize student learning activities around clear expectations and provide constructive feedback that helps them grow as learners. It’s hard (and frustrating) to know what to do on an assignment when the instructions aren’t clear, and it’s even harder to improve when you don’t understand the provided feedback. Be clear in expectations and feedback.
- Encourage and support students
It’s important to always encourage students who are struggling and to support all students in their learning. When students feel valued and supported in their learning, they will be more likely to take risks.
Using Xello to engage students
Xello’s unique features provide many ways to engage and support students. From easy-to-use reporting features to an interactive dashboard for students, there are many ways educators can personalize student learning and create rich learning experiences for students.
The Dashboard Feed provides students with personalized college, career, and lifestyle resources that pique their curiosity and get them excited about their future. The Dashboard Feed is designed in a way to meet students where they’re at. It resembles the internet feeds they’re used to, so that students feel comfortable using it.
When the Dashboard Feed was piloted in Kansas in 2023, student engagement significantly increased. Students who interacted with the dashboard showed much higher engagement, with those scrolling through it logging in 30% more and those clicking on the feed logging in twice as often as others, highlighting its role in promoting consistent usage of career exploration and skill-building resources.
It is a great tool to facilitate learning, increase engagement, and get students excited about their futures.
The Matchmaker assessment asks students 39 questions on a Likert scale. The answers are weighed against aspects of potential careers to generate matches, and students can also find out why they matched with certain careers over others. Matchmaker builds engagement by helping students gain self-awareness and interest in their future.
Xello’s WBL module empowers students to take an active role in shaping their own careers. With Xello, students have the tools to explore opportunities that align with their interests, participate in real-world work environments, and reflect on their experiences. This autonomy builds the confidence they need to take charge of their future. See how one region has created a powerful WBL network here.
Xello provides support and collaboration tools for schools, educators, families, and students all on one platform. There are self-paced courses to help new users navigate the features of Xello, recorded training to give you tips on how to re-engage students, Q&A sections, and videos.
Educators will find everything they need to monitor and support their students in Xello’s reporting tools. The reporting tools will monitor student, school, and district progress. Not only will you be able to better understand your student’s motivations, but you’ll be able to identify student engagement drop off and challenges. The two-way messaging will allow you to easily communicate with your students, so you can ensure everyone stays on-track.
Re-engaging disengaged students can be challenging, but it also offers educators a chance to make a meaningful impact. By building strong relationships, creating lessons that connect to real-life experiences, and using tools like Xello, teachers can reignite students’ curiosity and motivation. These strategies not only boost classroom participation but also help students develop the confidence and skills they need to succeed in school and beyond.
