“Be that teacher that treats students like family, because I promise you they will love you back. And building relationships is something that I really cherish about my school.” – Sofia Barajas-Gutierrez, Wyoming High School
Sofia’s words captured exactly what 72 secondary educators from across Kent County and beyond would explore on June 12 at GVSU’s Loosemore Auditorium during the Secondary Student Engagement Symposium. Representatives from Grand Rapids, East Grand Rapids, Byron Center Charter, Rockford, Ottawa Area ISD, and many other districts came together for a day designed to move beyond surface-level strategies and toward a shared understanding of what authentic engagement looks like, feels like, and requires in today’s classrooms.
The message of the day was clear: student engagement isn’t a checklist item, it’s a climate, a mindset, and a shared commitment. And it’s work we must continue, together.
Grounded in Student Voice
The day began with the voices that mattered most: students themselves. A live panel of local high school students took the stage, immediately setting the tone for the symposium: honest, direct, and deeply human. Their stories brought life to the research and reminded everyone in the room that engagement is personal, not theoretical.
Students spoke candidly about what keeps them connected to learning and what makes them disconnect. They described how relevance and relationship are not bonuses, but necessities. “Names are really important. Calling me by my name is really important to me. It feels like you really know me and want to talk to me, and that makes me feel good,” shared Ellery Vogel from Lowell High School.
Sofia Barajas-Gutierrez from Wyoming High School emphasized practical ways to create that family-like connection: “Greeting students at the door is something that is really big, and it is something that makes students want to come to class early and build connections with their teachers.”
Students also emphasized classroom needs that directly impact engagement. Nashoba Bos from Forest Hills Northern High School spoke for many about the importance of movement – any chance to get up and move is welcomed. Uriel Diaz from Wyoming High School captured frustration about unclear feedback: “Some teachers just write ??? next to something I turn in, and I don’t know what to do to correct it.” He once wrote back asking, “What don’t you understand?” Other students agreed, emphasizing the need for specific, timely feedback.
The most powerful throughline in the panel was this: students are paying attention. They notice when the work feels meaningful. They notice when their ideas are brushed aside. They know when the adults around them are “performing” connection versus truly building it, and they need more of the latter.
Their insights were not only moving, they were galvanizing. The student panel framed the day’s discussions and reminded participants that any work around engagement must begin with those most impacted by it. This transformation was captured by one participant who noted, “[I used to think] students didn’t know what was best for them at times, but now I see how insightful their insights can be.”
Watch highlights from the student panel and see how educators responded to their powerful insights.
A Shift in Thinking
Educators arrived with complex and heartfelt questions:
“How do I help disengaged students reconnect?”
“What strategies work when kids just shut down?”
“How can we engage students without burning out teachers?”
But as the day unfolded through roundtable discussions, research vignettes, and collaborative planning, a shift began to happen. The focus shifted from trying to get students to engage to exploring how we can create conditions that encourage students to engage.
The transformation was evident in educators’ reflections. One participant transitioned from a compliance-focused mindset to authentic engagement: “I used to think engagement could be compliance, but now I think that engagement is a meaningful, purposeful engagement with the material.” The shift in collective thinking was also clear – while some educators arrived asking “When stressed, how can I find the time to stop and listen?” others left understanding that “Relationships are the gateway to engagement.”
By the end of the symposium, 100% of exit survey respondents had committed to taking specific action in their schools or classrooms. One teacher wrote, “I have renewed my commitment to incorporating student voice and to increasing movement opportunities. I liked most of the format, especially the choices. I may implement those.”
The Power of the Student Engagement Accelerators
The symposium also introduced Kent ISD’s Student Engagement Accelerators, a research-backed framework grounded in local student voice. Kent County students shared what truly drives their engagement through focus groups, and their insights aligned with findings from the Handbook of Research on Student Engagement and Michigan’s statewide Student Voice survey: authentic engagement requires addressing behavioral, emotional, and cognitive dimensions of learning.
These five interconnected accelerators form the foundation of meaningful engagement in education:
- Relationships: Trust, empathy, and consistent care, anchoring learning in genuine human connection.
- Student-Centered Learning: Elevating voice, choice, and ownership so students feel agency and relevance in their learning.
- Climate & Environment: Cultivating safe, joyful, and belonging-centered spaces where students can take academic and emotional risks.
- Instructional Moves: Using high-leverage, curiosity-sparking practices that support deep learning and flexible thinking.
- Asset-Driven Teaching: Recognizing and building on students’ identities, experiences, and strengths.
Ready to dive deeper into the accelerators? Download the complete framework guide.
Throughout the day, participants explored how these accelerators could be brought to life in their unique roles and settings, whether through adjusting daily routines in a classroom, facilitating decision-making processes that value all voices, or leading schoolwide efforts to prioritize relationships strategically. Educators reflected on how small shifts, such as opening lessons with student check-ins, embedding real-world connections into the curriculum, or rethinking behavior responses through an asset-based lens, can dramatically reshape how students experience school.
The accelerators provided a shared language for planning, reflection, and action. More than a checklist, the framework offered a mindset shift: from managing compliance to nurturing commitment; from asking “What’s wrong with this student?” to “What conditions are (or aren’t) helping this student thrive?”
Participants left the symposium not only with a deeper understanding of student engagement, but also with a renewed belief that meaningful change is possible-and already underway. One educator captured this sentiment perfectly, expressing hope about “the fact that increasing student engagement is obtainable.”
What’s Next: Let’s Keep the Momentum Going
The symposium wasn’t a conclusion-it was a beginning.
At Kent ISD, we’re committed to walking alongside local educators and districts as this critical work continues. Throughout the 2025-26 school year, we’ll offer professional learning experiences that dig deeper into areas identified during the symposium, including:
Upcoming Professional Learning Opportunities
- Teach for Authentic Engagement Book Study – Spark authentic engagement in your classroom as you explore strategies to help students connect with the content, the academic work, and one another while building a thriving classroom community.
- Fundamentals of Restorative Practices – Learn practical strategies to build strong, healthy relationships with students, families, and colleagues—directly supporting the relationship-centered approach highlighted by our student panel.
- MichME: Building Thinking Classrooms – Join us for a professional learning experience exploring Peter Liljedahl’s Building Thinking Classrooms—a powerful framework that transforms student engagement and fosters the deep thinking our research shows is essential for authentic learning.
Explore all Student Engagement professional learning opportunities
If you’ve been wondering how to make learning matter more or how to rebuild motivation and meaning in your secondary classrooms, this is your invitation to join a growing network of educators who are asking the same questions and creating real answers, together.
Join the Movement
Students have told us what they need: learning that’s relevant, relationships that are real, and classrooms where their voices matter. Now, it’s up to us, not to solve everything overnight, but to commit to the journey of making school a compelling place worth showing up for.
Already seeing engagement wins in your classroom? We’d love to hear your success stories! Reach out to Bridget Rieth or Sarah Wood – your story might inspire others in our FREE monthly “Engaged In…” Webinar Series.
This webinar series explores how the Essential Accelerators of Engagement apply across different roles and content areas, with flexible scheduling and SCECHs available.
Register for FREE “Engaged In…” Webinars
We hope you’ll be part of the work ahead. Let’s keep moving forward—together.
#StudentEngagement #StudentVoice #Secondary Education #EducatorPD #StudentCentered #WeLeadLearning #KentISDpd
This blog post was written by Bridget Rieth, Early Literacy Coach for Kent ISD and edited by Amanda Walma, Teaching and Learning Marketing and Communications Specialist.
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