Igniting Student Engagement at the Beginning of Each Class

We live in a TikTok, Facebook Reels, and Snapchat world where students must digest information in bite-size segments. The use of short, high-definition videos can immediately capture the attention of the viewer. When you consider your courses, how do you open the first few minutes of your classes? Lang (2021) observes that curiosity can capture the attention of students. As you prepare for your next class, consider the following tips to engage the learners in a transformative educational experience.

Go Viral
Incorporating videos is an appealing way to engage students. To foster an inclusive learning environment, the videos should be closed-captioned. The videos should be short and provide a bridge to initiate a discussion. For instance, share an applicable video and then provide time for students to share their responses verbally or in writing. The visual stimulation from the video coupled with critical reflection can encourage robust discussions consistent with higher levels of cognitive thinking.

Cite It
Research is extant with quotations by scholars in your field. To introduce students to popular voices in your field, share a quote from a textbook, article, or tweet from a prominent scholar. At the beginning of class, allow students to share if they agree or disagree with the quotation and why. Give students adequate time to reflect on the quotation before requesting a response. This can foster critical reflection while incorporating diverse voices into the curriculum.

Tell Your Story
According to Lang (2021), stories foster community and demonstrate transparency. By sharing an applicable personal or professional story, learners can make connections with the course content. Stories provide an opportunity for students to share predictions on how the story ends. This is a great way to segue into the course content for the day. Additionally, sharing stories requires vulnerability which invites students to do the same.

What’s the Buzz?
There is a curricular currency in observing local, national, and global events. Current events are accessible in the form of news articles, videos, and social media posts. By bringing current events into the course, students foster critical consciousness (Ladson-Billings, 1995). Global awareness provides a basis for critical thinking and substantive discussion. Students are often aware of what is happening around them and this is an opportunity to make connections between the course content, the community, and the world.

The Power of Texture
For visual and kinesthetic (tactile) learners, using a demonstration or artifact can be a great way to begin a class. As students analyze what they are seeing or feeling, pose the question, how do you think this object relates to our class topic for the day? As students process their thoughts, this engagement trigger ignites curiosity and creativity. From this place, segue by reviewing previous course material and making connections to what comes next in the class.

I Can Only Imagine
Identifying images related to a class topic or unit can invoke curiosity. Lang (2021) posits that opening a class with wonder is an effective teaching technique. As students view the image, they are to reflect and then respond to two questions – what do you notice? What do you wonder? Royalty-free images are accessible at Unsplash, Shutterstock, Pixabay, or Pexels. The use of images can help students retrieve what they already know about a topic and reveal unclear course concepts.

The beginning of class should immediately capture the attention of students. Despite the strategy selected, an opening activity is a great way to assess student understanding and clarify misconceptions. As you prepare to start your next class, consider how you can ignite student engagement to pique curiosity and enthusiasm for the course content. After capturing students' attention, enjoy the teaching and learning experience.

References
Ladson‐Billings, G. (1995). But that's just good teaching! The case for culturally relevant pedagogy. Theory into practice, 34(3), 159-165.

Lang, J. M. (2021). Small teaching: Everyday lessons from the science of learning. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.