4 Tips to Boost Student Engagement When Teaching Math
If you’re frustrated because your students just aren’t engaged in your math lessons, you’re not alone. I’ve been there too, and the good news is that it’s easy to fix! In this post, I share four free, easy-to-implement strategies that help you quickly boost engagement in your math classroom.
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1. Tic-Tac-Toe: Show What You Know
This activity is a fun, interactive way to bring out students’ background knowledge or reinforce concepts you're working on. It's easy to set up and works great as a partner or small group activity.
Here’s how it works:
Draw a large tic-tac-toe board on each student’s desk using dry-erase markers (test a small area first!) or use a piece of paper.
Pair students together—either one-on-one or two-on-two—and give each team a set of sticky notes in different colors.
Give students a math concept or idea, and have the first team write down something they know about that topic on their sticky note and place it on the board.
Their opponent checks the statement for accuracy. If it's correct, the opponent takes their turn. If it’s not correct, they discuss and debate why it's incorrect.
The goal is to get three in a row, but the real win is in the math discussions and critical thinking that happen along the way! You can adapt this activity by using vocabulary words, math problems, or even concept reviews to keep things fresh and engaging.
2. Stir Up a Math Debate
A little friendly debate can go a long way in boosting engagement! Give your students a chance to respectfully argue about math concepts by setting up situations where they have to defend their answers.
Here are two ways to start a math debate:
Present a scenario where two fictional students are disagreeing about a math concept. Ask your class to debate which student is correct and why. For an extra challenge, have them explain why the “incorrect” student might think they’re right.
Post a statement like “One-third is bigger than one-half.” Have students decide if the statement is sometimes true, always true, or never true and defend their answer. (Spoiler alert: the answer is sometimes true! Think about a third of a large pizza vs. half of a small pizza.)
Debates like these get students thinking critically and engaging with math concepts on a deeper level—way more fun than simply comparing ideas on a worksheet!
3. Add an Element of Mystery
Want to get your students instantly curious and involved? Add a little mystery to your lesson! All you need are some brown paper bags or envelopes.
One idea is to hide answers to problems or manipulatives in envelopes and challenge your students to “unlock” the envelope by solving the problem correctly. Another idea is to use bags to hide manipulatives, like pattern blocks or base ten blocks, and have students guess what’s inside based on clues or by feeling the shapes.
Adding an element of mystery can turn an ordinary math activity into an exciting challenge, getting students engaged and excited about the math.
4. Turn It Into a Game
Games are a fantastic way to boost engagement, and there are so many ways to gamify your math lessons! Here are three quick ideas to turn everyday math activities into fun competitions:
Use online platforms like Quizizz or Quizlet to host live, interactive, competitive games. My favorite online games are not time-based so students can focus on accuracy rather than speed.
Add a game board to any math activity. Students can solve problems to earn turns or compete against each other to move forward on the board.
Group students into teams and have them earn chances to shoot a basket or bowl in your classroom “alley” (Plastic cups and a small ball work perfectly!). Even these small rewards add a fun element of competition that can keep students excited and motivated.
The best part about these ideas? They require minimal prep, and you probably already have all the materials you need in your classroom. Do you have your own engagement ideas that are successful in your classroom? Share them in the comments below—I’d love to hear them and share them with the Mix and Math community!
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If you’re frustrated because your students just aren’t engaged in your math lessons, you’re not alone. I’ve been there too, and the good news is that it’s easy to fix! In this post, I share four free, easy-to-implement strategies that help you quickly boost engagement in your math classroom.