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Welcome back to Teaching with Valor, the podcast where we explore the art of teaching, focusing on how you can improve your practice from lesson to lesson, day by day, to become the best educator possible. I’m your host, Don Fessenden, and today we’re diving into a question that every teacher has asked at some point: How can I make my lessons more engaging?

Let’s be honest—creating engaging lessons is no small task. You might have a classroom full of students who are easily distracted, who come in with varying levels of interest, or who just aren’t connecting with the material. Whether you're teaching energetic elementary students, curious middle schoolers, or independent high schoolers, one thing remains consistent: engagement is key to learning.

But what exactly makes a lesson "engaging"? Is it about making the lesson fun? Is it about connecting the content to real life? And how do you balance engagement with rigor? That’s exactly what we’re going to explore in today’s episode. We’ll break down strategies for making lessons more engaging at all three levels—elementary, middle, and high school. We’ll also discuss how to use curiosity, real-world connections, and student choice to create lessons that are not only engaging but also meaningful and effective.
Show Notes
For more information on this topic checkout the following resources:

• Edutopia – Engagement Strategies: www.edutopia.org - Resources on student engagement across grade levels.
• Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov: Techniques for maintaining engagement and classroom management.
• Project-Based Learning: www.pblworks.org - Ideas for integrating project-based learning in the classroom.
• Inquiry-Based Learning Resources: www.edutopia.org - Methods for promoting inquiry-based lessons.
• Visible Learning by John Hattie: Research on effective strategies for student engagement and achievement.

Stay tuned for more episodes, and remember, every student is unique, and every classroom can be a place where all students succeed. Keep teaching with valor!