Three Classroom Engagement Strategies That Work

Adapting Whole Classroom Response to Higher Level Thinking

(For a companion video to this article, click here.)



The Importance of Universal Instruction

Last month I wrote what I intended to be the introduction of a series of articles on the MTSS process (multi-tiered system of supports). As a recap, this is a systematic framework that educators use to identify the different levels of instruction that students receive and is used primarily to guide interventions for students who might be struggling academically. Furthermore, this system is used as a kind of pre-referral to special education to ensure that students are not being identified as having special needs before every option has been exhausted in the general education setting.

One thing that is often overlooked is that strictly speaking, every student is a part of the MTSS system. This is because it treats learning as a continuum and breaks it into specific levels. At the base of this system is Tier 1 (universal) instruction. This is the instruction that all students receive in a general education setting by a classroom teacher. Regardless of a student’s needs, they should receive Tier 1 instruction in one way or another.

For most teachers, students, and parents, this concept of Tier 1 instruction is neither novel nor surprising. After all, this level of instruction is as old as education itself. What is surprising about this level of instruction, however, is not its concept or existence, but rather how overlooked it is by educators. Indeed, one of the more disturbing realizations in education has been that:

Many students who are referred for special education services are 'instructional casualties'—students who have not received adequate, evidence-based instruction in the general education classroom. When universal instruction is weak, the number of students struggling increases, leading to an over-reliance on special education as the only mechanism for support. (Gresham, 2002, as cited in Fuchs & Vaughn, 2012) 

Essentially, educators have fallen into the trap of moving students through the steps of receiving targeted intervention and even special education services without first stopping to examine whether the issue is not stemming from gaps in foundational skills or a learning disability but rather universal instruction that is not serving the needs of students. This becomes even more frightening when taking into account that these are not solely academic referrals either; educators also refer many students to special education for behavioral disorders without first exploring whether the classroom environment is meeting the students’ needs.

Of course, the importance of high quality universal instruction is not meant to be a condemnation of teachers, who are consistently going above and beyond to support their students’ needs (often while also facing nearly impossible odds in terms of time and resources). In fact, the importance of high quality general education instruction should serve as a reminder of the importance of the classroom teacher’s role. John Hattie, perhaps the most celebrated educational theorist and teacher advocate of his era, writes that teachers continue to be the “hinge point” for effecting student growth, essentially being the most impactful resource that students have (Hattie, 2023, p. 18). Ironically, despite studies showing the importance of strong teachers giving high quality instruction, there continues to be a push to “teacher proof” curriculum under the belief that with the right curriculum anyone can teach.

No research, however, validates the idea that curriculum is the primary driver of student growth. In fact, the curriculum is not even the teacher’s most effective resource. Active engagement through asking high level questions is an often overlooked tool that has the potential to meaningfully develop students’ high level thinking skills. In discussing questioning, John Hattie (2012) notes:

Questions that teachers ask can be powerful, but it is not just the asking that matters; it is the intent of the question. Questioning is most effective when it is used to help students surface their current ideas, challenge their misconceptions, and move toward deeper conceptual understanding. (p. 94)

Essentially, there are different levels of questioning that appeal to different thinking skills, ranging from basic recall to evaluating ideas or using learned content for creation. By consistently utilizing questioning, teachers can create first instruction that is both engaging and cognitively rigorous. 

One important thing that educators should note is that there is currently a high reliance on using questions that require one student to answer. While doing this at random (cold calling) can serve as a quick temperature check, calling on only one student at a time means that every other student is at best listening passively and at worst disengaging. By utilizing the following three whole class response strategies discussed in this article, educators can ensure a high level of engagement and rigor for all students, while also gaining whole class data to determine student understanding. 

Strategy 1: Call and Response

Perhaps the simplest form of whole-class response is call and response (also known as choral response). This is when the teacher asks a question (ideally one that can be answered in a few words) and has the class answer together. This is most effective when students are recalling simple information by answering a question where there is only one right answer (i.e. “yes,” “75,” or “George Washington”).

The value of this strategy is that it provides the teacher with quick surface level information about the class’s understanding while also ensuring that every student is participating (or at least that the teacher has a clear idea of which students are opting out).  In addition to this, call and response has a positive impact on classroom culture as “"Using call and response in your classroom not only effectively grabs your student's attention in a fun and simple way, it also establishes a sense of community... benefits include facilitating easier transitions and reducing student anxiety by providing predictable patterns" (ClickView, 2024). The one caveat, however, is that the teacher must establish a response signal to allow for all students to answer at the same time; without this, the responses can become chaotic and provide an unfair advantage for the students who answer early.

Essentially, this technique not only increases engagement but makes the classroom procedures and routines explicit for students. It also creates an environment where every student is not only invited but expected to respond, meaning that everyone has a voice and role in their learning. Adding to the benefits is that it allows the teacher to facilitate a faster pace by asking the question and having a clear, brisk expectation for when students are to respond. 

Strategy 2: Turn and Talks

The second strategy of whole class response is the standard turn and talk (also commonly known as think-pair-share). This strategy is best used for questions that require a deeper response and may not have a clear right or wrong answer. In math this might involve students solving an equation or word problem together, while in ELA this might be students explaining to each other why Holden Caulfield feels so disconnected from his peers in The Catcher in the Rye. While students discuss their answer, the teacher is able to circulate through the classroom, tracking student understanding by the quality of their conversations and providing targeted intervention or support to students who might be struggling.

The benefits of using a turn and talk are multifold and not just limited to classroom engagement and high quality answers. As Wayground (2024) notes, "A simple turn and talk gives every student a voice while keeping your lesson on track... [it is] an effective way to increase participation, hone communication skills, and deepen understanding.” Thus, not only are students able to remain engaged and provide high quality answers, they are also able to develop stronger communication skills, which are then able to be transferred to all subjects and areas of life. 

Because communication is a central component of turn and talks, teachers must explicitly train students in how to effectively participate in them. In fact, one of the more common reasons that teachers do not use them is because they worry that it leads to misbehavior, and that it is hard to get students “back on track” afterwards. An effective work around is to "Explain that in each partner group, there will be a listener and a speaker... This requires all students to practice listening and speaking and creates a protocol that encourages all voices to be heard" (Edutopia, 2025). By establishing conversation norms the teacher not only is able to use an effective engagement tool but also to hit at the root problem for why it might not work for students, a lack of understanding of what it means to be an active contributor in a conversation.

Strategy 3: Written Response

Whole-class written response is perhaps the most robust strategy as it allows for students to create answers that are in-depth and require sustained concentration. This strategy is best reserved for answers that require extended thinking as teachers will need to allot an appropriate amount of time for students to formulate a response. While students do this, the teacher is able to circulate, once again tracking student understanding and providing intervention and support to students.

One common question that educators ask is, “How do I use writing for a whole-class response? It will take me way too long to read every student’s answer.” Fortunately, educators have developed a few quick and effective ways for doing this; the advent of technology has provided even more resources. Perhaps the most low-tech yet practical solution has been to provide every student with an individual whiteboard (also known as a student response board) that they can use to answer questions that involve higher level thinking. After a set period of time, the teacher then has the entire class raise their whiteboards in unison. This is effective as: 

When every student holds up a whiteboard, the teacher receives immediate, high-resolution data on the entire class’s thinking. This visibility reduces the 'participation gap' and ensures that quiet students are as present in the lesson as their more vocal peers. (William & Leahy, 2015, as cited in Evidence Based Education, 2025)

With the proliferation of Chromebooks in the classroom, an additional and more high-tech solution has been to have students answer over online discussion boards or learning modules (often through a Google classroom or embedded into an online curriculum). Whether teachers use this synchronously or asynchronously, this format provides for ample wait time that is often overlooked in a general education classroom and allows students to compose, edit, and reflect on their peers’ writing (Beach et al., 2016). Essentially, such a platform creates an ongoing, high level dialogue that provides for equity of voice and a high level of engagement. 

Conclusion

Although universal instruction has always been an essential component of education, the rise of MTSS has helped highlight its foundational nature in education. By utilizing high engagement, high rigor strategies targeted for whole-class response, educators can ensure that students are receiving high quality first instruction that meets their students’ diverse learning needs. 

References

Beach, R., Campano, G., Edmiston, B., & Borgmann, M. (2016). Literacy tools in the classroom: Teaching through critical inquiry, grades 5-12 (2nd ed.). Teachers College Press.

ClickView. (2024, February 15). 100 powerful call and response classroom ideas. ClickView Education Blog. https://www.clickvieweducation.com/blog/classroom-management/call-and-response

Edutopia. (2025, September 24). Maximizing the turn and talk strategy. https://www.edutopia.org/article/maximizing-turn-and-talk-strategy/

Evidence Based Education. (2025). The power of individual response boards in formative assessment. https://evidencebased.education/formative-assessment-whiteboards

Fuchs, L. S., & Vaughn, S. (2012). Responsiveness-to-intervention: A blueprint for maximizing learning for all students. Exceptional Children, 78(3), 263-279. https://doi.org/10.1177/001440291207800301

Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing impact on learning. Routledge.

Hattie, J. (2023). Visible learning: The sequel: A synthesis of over 2,100 meta-analyses relating to achievement. Routledge.