I love end-of-the-year lists! I enjoy seeing the most read, viewed and played lists to make sure I didn’t miss anything important before I launch into the next year. In that spirit, I have a list of 3 instructional strategies I discovered, borrowed, or saw in classrooms in 2024 that you MUST try in your classroom. Each of these strategies are student and teacher tested and proven to work.

#1 Collaborative Student Engagement Through Vertical Spaces

I realize the last 3 years we have been inundated with the Building Thinking Classrooms research by Peter Liljedahl related to visible random groups of 2-to 3 students working in a vertical space. However, across multiple grade levels, in a variety of classroom environments, I decided to put this research to the test. As part of an informal data gathering exercise, I invited 10 teachers in various grade level classrooms to ask students to collaborate in a random group of 2 students (grades K-2) or 3 students (grades 3-12) at a horizontal space (a desk, table, or floor) then asked the teachers to engage the same students (same groups) at a vertical space. In each instance, students were asked to work on a problem-solving, thinking task. Other teachers in the room collected data on how students engaged in problem-solving and how they engaged with each other. The results were astounding! When students are standing up and working in a vertical space there is far more student engagement than when they are sitting down working at a horizontal space. The grade level, groups of students, school demographics, or teachers did not make a difference. 

Strategy: Get students out of their seats working in a small group to enhance student engagement.

#2 Student Voice

In an equitable classroom, all students have not only an opportunity but a responsibility to share their thoughts, perspectives, and opinions. It is our responsibility as educators to intentionally and strategically support students in finding their voice. Use some of the following strategies to support student voice:

• Be curious! Always ask a follow-up question when a student answers a question. Such as: How did you get that answer? How confident are you in your thinking? What is another way you could approach that task? Why did you take that approach?
• Praise the student’s creative thinking rather than being answer-focused. Such as: What a creative response, what more can you say about that? I love your thinking, can you say more? Fantastic thinking, can you support your approach?

I realize not all students want to share their voices, however, if we give them a safe place to try out their voices and intentionally encourage them to share their voices, they will become more confident and louder. We must help students in finding their writing voice, reading voice, math voice, creative voice, etc. We must build a generation of thinkers, problem solvers, and advocates for themselves and others.

Strategy: Ask open questions coupled with praise to support students in finding their voice.

#3 Tell a Story

Storytelling is one of the most impactful strategies to enhance student engagement, interest, and collaboration. Create a story and context around your instructional content that is realistic, relevant, and relational to your students.

• Make you or one of your students the main character in your story. Students love to learn more about you and your world so let them see your personality shine through in the stories you tell them. 
• Embellish the facts! I once told some second graders about a trip to the zoo I took with my 2 grandchildren (true). I invented a zoo keeper who fed ‘tiger treats’ to the tigers (embellished). They were thrilled to find out more about how many treats the tigers ate.
• Ask your students to create/tell a story that models the content you are teaching in your classroom. You will be amazed at what they create!

Strategy: Create a classroom culture of storytelling.

Start 2025 with one of these strategies to discover a new level of engagement and excitement in your students.