The Ripple Effect

Student Engagement: Recognizing Excellence

Written by Method Instructional Coaches | Nov 30, 2023 5:29:03 PM

Engaging 5th-grade students in online science classes can be challenging, but with a little creativity and innovation, it's possible to transform the virtual classroom into an exciting learning environment. Week by week, I was finding it a struggle to get students to verbally engage outside of Pear Deck within the class and with each other during break-out rooms. I decided to try and implement a VIP of the week student as I did in my 6th-grade classroom when I was at a  brick-and-mortar school. Over the last few weeks, it has proven to be a powerful tool for increasing engagement and participation in 5th-grade science classes. 

Let's explore how this initiative is making a difference.

Recognizing Excellence

The VIP Student of the Week is a way to recognize and celebrate outstanding student contributions to the class. Each week, one student is selected as the VIP based on their participation, effort, and overall engagement in the class. The best part is, the students vote! The catch: They can’t vote for themselves. I have found this recognition is highly motivating and creates a sense of community and achievement within the classroom. 

How it works

Each week at the beginning of class, I remind the students that we are looking for the VIP of the week based on the following criteria:

  • Timeliness to class
  • Verbal participation
  • and Working together during breakout rooms.

These were the areas where I wanted to see more engagement, but you can alter these to fit your class needs.

 For their exit ticket, students fill out a Google Form to cast their vote. 

***The “assessment exit ticket” is a question before the VIP exit ticket.

After class, I tally up the votes and send an email to the winner and their Learning Coach congratulating them and presenting the student with a certificate (see below). In addition to students achieving this honor, the Learning Coaches get good news about their child.  And who doesn’t want to hear their child did a great job?!

Redeeming The Certificate

Students can turn in their certificate at any point throughout the year to get out of their class 10 minutes early. They just need to notify me in the chat before class. They also have the option of saving 3 certificates and turning them in for an extra 10 points towards their science grade.

The VIP student of the week is a fantastic way to increase engagement in class. After implementing this strategy for the last 3 weeks, I have seen an increase in verbal collaboration within breakout rooms, and an increase in participation on Pear Deck even from the few students who were MIA for most of it. I have found more students volunteering to read aloud, answer questions, and participate in meaningful discussions that incorporate different points of view. By recognizing excellence, fostering competition, encouraging active participation, and building a sense of community, this strategy helps transform the online classroom into an exciting and vibrant learning environment. Give it a try in your next class and watch the engagement levels soar!

Want to learn more about this engagement strategy?  Contact Instructional Coach Awara Van Sumer for more information! 

Think this is great for elementary students but your high school students would never go for it?  We challenge you to try it out!  You might be surprised.  Recognizing excellence is something that works with all ages!


Have you practiced some new strategies/skills with a student or in one of your live sessions?

We would love to see a recording to share with others!

Want to chat about how to incorporate new strategies/skills with your students?

We would love to meet with you!

Want an instructional coach to support you with teaching students some new strategies/skills?

We would love to model alongside you in a live session with your students.

Be part of the Method Ripple Effect!

And reach out to any instructional coach through Slack or Gmail.
 Your Instructional Coaching Team,

Awara VanSumer and Jen Johnson