This professional development module was created as part of a partnership between Students at the Center, a Jobs for the Future initiative, and the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents. Six Connecticut high school teachers worked closely with researcher and lead author of “Prioritizing Motivation and Engagement” in Anytime, Anywhere: Student-Centered Learning for Schools and Teachers, Dr. Eric Toshalis, and Jobs for the Future staff to engage in a learner-centered development process resulting in a PD curriculum designed to be delivered in a learner-centered manner. The completed PD series consists of four modules of 3-4 lesson hours each, totaling around two full days of PD.
Jobs for the Future is currently working to test the Motivation, Engagement, and Student Voice Professional Development Series with educators across the country. We will continue to iterate the modules throughout this process. We welcome all comments and feedback as you explore and implement the lessons in this series.
In the Engagement module, participants will explore definitions and personal experiences with student engagement, review and apply research-supported strategies to increase engagement, learn to identify and evaluate engagement, and make adjustments to lesson plans and classroom practice to increase student engagement.
Lesson 1: What Role does Engagement Play in the Classroom?
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this unit, participants will be able to
- Identify and reflect on personal, engaging learning experiences
- Explore and discuss definitions of student engagement
- Determine the significance of engagement in the classroom
Essential Questions
- What role does engagement play in the learning process?
- Why should we prioritize engagement ahead of many competing priorities?
Total time
60-75 minutes
Lesson 2: What the Research Says About Engagement
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this unit, participants will be able to
- Apply research-supported strategies that will increase student engagement
Essential Questions
Engagement is an essential aspect of classroom learning, but:
- What does it mean to say a student is engaged?
- What does it take for a student to become engaged?
Total time
70 minutes
Lesson 3: Evaluating a Learner’s Engagement
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this unit, participants will be able to
- Identify and evaluate engagement within a classroom
Essential Questions
- How can you tell when a learner is engaged?
- How can you tell when a learner is disengaged?
Total time
Approximately 1 hour
Lesson 4: Creating Engaging Lessons
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this unit, participants will be able to
- Revise a current lesson, protocol, or practice to increase student engagement
- Collaborate with peers to increase student engagement in a lesson, protocol, or practice
Essential Questions
- How can I increase engagement in my lessons?
- What from this professional development can I implement immediately in my work?
Total time
70-85 minutes
Download the Full Engagement Professional Development Module
The full professional development series also includes:
Motivation Module
In this module, participants will explore how teacher behaviors can affect student motivation. The module includes an exploration of the malleability of student motivation, explores teacher best practices for motivating students, and compares reward/punishment or praise motivation to intrinsic motivation.
Self-Regulation Module
In this module, participants will learn to identify and support students who struggle with self-regulation. Participants will leave these sessions with a teacher-generated document to bring back to the classroom and use with their students in support of self-regulation.
Student Voice Module
In this module, participants will assess how much student voice is cultivated in their school or district, identify ways to support and encourage student voice within the class and school, and define potential barriers to student voice.