Teachers, you know those wonderful, but seemingly rare moments when all your students are suddenly on fire with their learning? 

If you want to create true engagement – that on fire type of learning – more of an intentional, regular occurrence in your classroom, you should check out Engaging Children:  Igniting a Drive for Deeper Learning K-8 by Ellin Oliver Keene.  The focus of this book is exploring how we can promote authentic, student-driven engagement.

Keene makes it clear in her book that students must choose to focus their attention on their learning. Only they can decide to engage at levels beyond compliance and participation. What teachers can do, as Keene lays out in Chapter 3, is create the conditions necessary for students to engage. These include both visible and audible conditions as well as invisible and inaudible conditions. 

Keene’s research into student engagement has revealed that “true engagement flourishes in certain classroom environments” p. 39. Think of those times when your students were completely absorbed in their learning. What were the physical, emotional, and intellectual conditions that led to and supported that level of engagement? What was your role as their teacher when they were deeply engaged? 

In explaining the conditions needed for authentic engagement to occur in our classrooms, Keene delineates between the physical classroom environment and the unseen conditions (related to classroom climate and teacher practice) that are conducive to engagement. She provides us with a road map in the form of a chart to encourage us to assess where we are and what we will still need to work on in terms of creating those conditions for our students,

Why this book?  

Keene’s in-depth research on student engagement helps us not only see that engagement goes well beyond compliance and participation, but that we can and must teach students what it means to be engaged and how they can take charge of their own engagement. Engaging Children:  Igniting a Drive for Deeper Learning K-8 by Ellin Oliver Keene is both our teacher and our guide when it comes to understanding and implementing the practices that will open the door to our students routinely being on fire in their learning. 

Don’t take my word for it. Hear the thoughts of Kent County teachers who have been working with Ellin Oliver Keene after reading her book.

“Ellin has completed hours of research studying student engagement. She shares her findings in a way that is inspiring and practical and helps to bring back the joy in teaching and learning.”

“Watching Ellin teach reminds us all why this is the best profession to work in. Her love for learning shines when she is in action! Ellin will inspire you to teach in new ways and promote engagement on many levels.”

Want to Create True Engagement in Your Classroom?

There are three different opportunities to learn more about and engage in this work this school year.

1. Attend the full day workshop hosted by Kent ISD with Ellin Oliver Keene on Nov 6 at Thousand Oaks Golf Club (register here). This event is open to all teachers, coaches, administrators, and anyone else with a vested interest in elevating student engagement.
2. Join the Literacy Leaders and Coaches Network (register here) where there will be an intentional year-long book study complete with testimonials and networking from teachers right in Kent County who are working with Ellin Keene and changing their practices! 
3. Bring a team from your school to one of two Essentials in Action days next spring focused on Motivation and Engagement. Watch for more information on this opportunity next winter. 

You won’t want to miss these opportunities to learn more about this innovative approach to student engagement!

For questions contact Diane Titche, Early Literacy Coach, Kent ISD dianetitche@kentisd.org

#IgniteEngagement19 #StudentEngagement #Literacy #WeLeadLearning #KentISDpd

This blog post was written by Diane Titche, Early Literacy Coach for Kent ISD and edited by Amanda Walma, Professional Development Coordinator for Kent ISD.