Engaging the Disengaged - Using Student Voice to Promote Engagement in the Classroom

Neil Beech • Cahn Fellow 2023

As the Covid pandemic progressed, students began to learn remotely, using digital tools in a one-to-one environment. Time passed and the opportunity for students to engage in classroom-based dialogue with their peers, to support learning, and to develop a sense of belonging in a classroom community appeared to have diminished.

Gainesville High School is a new school, opening its doors in August, 2021 at the height of the pandemic, and subsequently growing in enrollment. Early in our journey, it became clear that a focus on instructional strategies that supported a shift from individual, computer-centric learning would benefit students while we worked to build a positive climate and culture for our community. Collaborative literacy, academic discourse, and teacher clarity strategies have, to date, yielded measurable results and gained traction among faculty members who regard the content CLT as their primary planning and accountability resource.

Engaging the Disengaged - Using Student Voice to Promote Engagement in the Classroom chronicles our shift to increase student engagement, belonging, and achievement by addressing school culture and increasing student voice in all classrooms.