Engagement Lessons to Promote Participation Beat Boredom and Deepen Learning in the Ela Classroom

Classroom-tested lessons to help you strive for 100% engagement in your ELA classroom

For educators, it can be a constant challenge to keep students engaged and motivated in the classroom. With the rise of technology and shortened attention spans, we have to go beyond traditional teaching methods, especially in the English Language Arts (ELA) classroom where students may perceive reading and writing as tedious tasks.

100% Engagement: 33 Lessons to Promote Participation, Beat Boredom, and Deepen Learning in the ELA Classroom offers captivating and interactive lessons that will help students thrive in their ELA studies. Authors Brian Sztabnik and Susan Barber provide practical guidance and inspiration to make ELA learning more meaningful and enjoyable for students in Grades 6-12. The book’s 33 lessons are organized by genres including Poetry, Short Fiction, Novels & Dramas, and Writing and are adaptable to support different learning styles, ensuring that all students feel valued and engaged in the classroom. The lessons get students out of their seats, participating in discussion, collaborating, and working across mediums to build their literacy skills.

Providing tips and tricks to achieve 100% engagement, this book:

• Fosters a classroom where student motivation is high, and interactions are based on mutual respect and appreciation
• Challenges learners to think critically and creatively by incorporating collaborative, cross-genre activities
• Offers adaptations to help teachers tailor the lessons based on their individual classroom needs, making it easier for all students to participate fully
• Offers downloadable templates and handouts for easy implementation

100% Engagement is the ultimate toolkit for teachers looking to foster motivation, creativity, and active participation that deepens learning for every student in their ELA classroom.

Brian Sztabnik is just a man trying to do good in and out of the classroom. He teaches AP English Literature and Composition, English 11, College Reading & Writing, and The Poetry of Rock and Roll at Miller Place High School, where he has worked since 2008. He also coaches the boys’ basketball team for the Panthers. Over the past decade he has worked as an AP Reader and served on the Test Development Committee. In 2018, he was a finalist for the New York State Teacher of the Year. Brian also created and hosted the Talks with Teachers podcast, which was a No. 1 K-12 show on iTunes. When he’s not teaching, coaching, or writing, Brian is an avid explorer of New York City’s museums, restaurants, and coffee shops.  

Susan Barber teaches AP English Literature and Dramatic Writing for TV, Film, and Theatre at Midtown High School in Atlanta, Georgia and serves as the co-chair of the Test Development Committee for AP Literature. She has offered training at NCTE, GCTE, and the Folger Shakespeare Library and frequently leads ELA workshops across the country. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, Edutopia, and she is the co-author of The Norton Guide to AP Literature. Susan, however, is most proud of the work she does on a daily basis in E216 and never tires of the beauty and chaos of the classroom. You can find her along with Brian Sztabnik sharing their thoughts on their site MuchAdoAboutTeaching.com.