Engaging students in the learning process helps them focus, promotes critical thinking, and makes it more likely that they will meet your learning objectives. Use the links below to connect to strategies and practices designed to enhance student engagement.
Active and engaged teaching (UW core element)
Active and engaged teaching creates opportunities for students to critically engage ideas and each other. This engagement helps students successfully apply new concepts to their prior knowledge and experiences.
Learn more about active and engaged teaching
Growth-oriented teaching (UW core element)
Using a growth-oriented teaching approach can help students adopt a growth mindset in your course. Students with a growth mindset recognize that their abilities are not predetermined or fixed, but can be developed over time.
Learn more about growth-oriented teaching
Relevant teaching (UW core element)
When faculty effectively demonstrate relevance as a core element of their teaching, students become more motivated and invested, leading to deeper comprehension and better retention of knowledge.
Learn more about relevant teaching
Teaching the first day of class
A successful first day can set you down the path toward a successful quarter. Rather than just a time to review your syllabus, the first day is an opportunity to get to know your students, set the tone for the course, and establish expectations.
Learn more about teaching the first day of class
Promoting attendance and participation
Many instructors struggle to get students to come to class and participate once they’re there. On this page you’ll find strategies for promoting in-class engagement and participation, as well as some FAQs aimed at clarifying UW’s attendance and participation policies.
Learn more about promoting attendance and participation
Making office hours / student hours more effective
Office hours give students the opportunity to ask in-depth questions and to explore points of confusion or interest that cannot be fully addressed in class. We provide basic guidelines for planning, scheduling and holding office hours in-person and online.
Learn more about holding office hours
AI+Teaching
The strategies on this page can help instructors think about how to communicate with students, set expectations, and develop assignments that increase students’ motivation to develop their own skills and ideas.
Learn more about AI+Teaching
Teaching students to recognize misinformation
Explore strategies to address misinformation and help students improve their information literacy.
Learn more about teaching students to recognize misinformation
Responding to classroom disruptions
Passionate disagreement can become disrespectful. That’s when discussion sheds more heat than light, impairing the ability to make arguments based on fact or to listen past preconceptions.
Learn more about responding to disruptions
Addressing distressing current events
Learn communication and course design strategies for preparing and responding to distressing current events.
Learn more about addressing distressing current events
Leading quiz sections
Quiz sections provide students with an opportunity to dive deeper into their learning. Before TAs start to prepare to teach a quiz section, they should clarify what their role will be and the overall goals for the section.
Learn more about leading quiz sections.
Teaching in labs
Labs provide students first-hand experience with course concepts and the opportunity to explore methods used by scientists in their discipline. TAs and instructors leading labs will need to know and review their department and/or supervising faculty member’s expectations for the experiment; plan clear explanations; and ask questions to stimulate student thinking.
Learn more about teaching in labs.