01
Disconnected students
Engagement builds motivation and participation, so students who had checked out come back.
Program two
What could you accomplish if every student found a way into the lesson?
A full day of practical, research-based engagement strategies for classrooms that compete with every screen in students' lives.
+22%
Higher math achievement for engaged students
Gallup, 2019
2.5×
More likely to earn excellent grades
Gallup, 2018
74% → 33%
Engagement decline, 5th grade to high school
Gallup, 2018
+20%
Achievement gain from this category of strategies
Marzano, 2003
Why this training
What engagement fixes
02
Short attention
Randomization, storytelling, and attention-grabbers keep students in the lesson.
03
Forgotten lessons
Content tied to students' lives stays with them longer.
04
Test anxiety
Students who practice under pressure through dynamic tension strategies become more resilient.
Research
"Focusing on students' social-emotional development had the largest contribution to the effectiveness of classroom management strategies."
Korpershoek et al. (2016). Review of Educational Research, Vol. 86, No. 3.
The five pillars
How the engagement system works
The training moves through five pillars, modeling each one and giving teachers time to practice.
1. Positive Feelings
2. Attention & Interest
3. Connectedness
4. Self-Efficacy
5. Sharing Best Practices
Pillar One
Promoting positive feelings
Climate comes before content. When the room feels safe and the teacher feels real, learning becomes possible, and this pillar shows teachers how to get there.
Pillar Two
Promoting attention and interest
When any student might be called on, every student pays attention. Teachers learn randomization techniques along with questioning and storytelling.
Pillar Three
Promoting connectedness and relevance
Retention goes up when lessons feel relevant. Teachers practice guiding personal connections and using brainstorming to bring out every voice in the room.
Pillar Four
Promoting self-efficacy
Can students learn to handle pressure? Yes, with practice. Teachers use dynamic tension strategies so students build confidence instead of anxiety.
Pillar Five
Sharing best practices
Teachers work alone too often. The matrix method gives them a simple way to record their most engaging lessons, share them with colleagues, and find where the team has gaps.
Agenda
Sample engagement schedule
Shown here as a full day. A half-day version runs on dates you choose.
The morning block (8:30 AM to 12:00 PM) covers why engagement drives motivation, the pillars of engagement-first instruction, a positive classroom climate, movement, and attention through randomization and storytelling.
After lunch from 12:00 to 1:00 PM, the afternoon runs until 3:30 PM. Teachers design relevant lessons, guide personal connections, try new uses of visual images, and help students build confidence and perform under pressure.
One day for every teacher
Ask Tarence Smith for a quote and choose a date.