Traditional, one-size-fits-all instruction often leaves students disengaged, disconnected, and uninspired. But when students take ownership of their learning—when they have choices, set goals, and engage in meaningful, hands-on activities—education becomes more powerful and personal. The key? Student-driven instructional practices that make learning interactive, relevant, and self-directed.

In this post, we’ll explore 20 specific, easy-to-implement strategies that empower students to make decisions about their learning, build autonomy, and stay engaged.

1. “Would You Rather?” Learning Choices

Give students two or more options for completing a task (e.g., “Would you rather write a persuasive essay or record a persuasive speech?”). This keeps students engaged while ensuring they meet the same learning objective.

2. Exit Tickets with Student-Generated Questions

Instead of just asking students what they learned, have them write one question they still have or would ask on a test. This encourages critical thinking and informs future instruction.

3. Personal Learning Playlists

Provide a list of resources (videos, readings, activities) and let students choose which ones to explore based on their learning preferences. They move through the content at their own pace, similar to how they’d use a music playlist.

4. Peer Feedback Stations

Set up stations where students review each other’s work using simple checklists or sentence stems like: “One strength of your work is…” and “One way to improve is….” This builds self-awareness and collaborative learning.

5. Choice-Driven Warm-Ups

Start class with 2–3 different warm-up options, such as:

A reflective journal prompt
A hands-on challenge (e.g., build a model or sketch a concept)
A video or infographic to analyze

This provides multiple entry points into the lesson.

6. Speed Debates

Let students engage in quick, informal debates on low-stakes topics before tackling more complex discussions. They choose their stance and argue their point in one minute or less, building confidence in speaking.

7. “Ask Me Anything” Teacher Conferences

Offer students 5-minute one-on-one check-ins to discuss their progress, goals, or concerns. Let them drive the conversation with pre-written questions to encourage ownership of their learning.

8. “You Be the Teacher” Mini-Lessons

Have students prepare and teach a 5-minute lesson on a concept to their peers using any method they choose (a skit, a demonstration, a slideshow, etc.). This solidifies their understanding and makes learning interactive.

9. 3-2-1 Self-Assessment

At the end of a lesson, ask students to complete this:

3 things I learned
2 things I found interesting
1 question I still have
This encourages self-reflection in a structured way.

10. “Level Up” Learning Progressions

Gamify assignments by giving students “levels” to complete (e.g., Level 1 = Basic, Level 2 = Advanced, Level 3 = Expert). They decide how far they want to push themselves and work toward different mastery levels.

11. Learning Menus for Assessments

Instead of a traditional test, give students multiple ways to demonstrate learning, such as:

Writing a traditional essay
Creating a podcast episode
Designing an infographic
Performing a dramatic interpretation

Students pick an option that suits their strengths while proving mastery.

12. Red-Yellow-Green Goal Setting

Students categorize their goals into:

Red (Stop doing) – “What habits are holding me back?”
Yellow (Continue doing) – “What am I doing well?”
Green (Start doing) – “What new strategies should I try?”
This method helps students track habits and make small, meaningful changes.

13. Digital Discussion Boards

Use tools like Padlet, Curateit, or Kialo for students to post thoughts, ask questions, and engage in discussions outside of class. This gives quieter students a voice in a way that feels less intimidating.

14. “What’s the Best Example?” Challenge

After learning a concept, challenge students to find the best real-world example of it in action. They must defend their choice to the class, making learning more relevant.

15. Classroom Constitution

At the start of the year, have students collaboratively draft classroom rules and values. When students take part in rule-making, they feel more accountable for maintaining a positive classroom environment.

16. Fast and Fun Formative Assessments

Use quick, low-pressure checks for understanding, like:

One-word summaries (“Describe today’s lesson in one word.”)
Emoji exit tickets (Draw an emoji to represent your understanding.)
Four corners (Students move to different parts of the room based on their answer to a question.)

17. “Reverse” Multiple Choice Questions

Instead of giving students a question and answer choices, provide the answers and let them come up with the best possible question that would match them. This deepens understanding and creativity.

19. Classroom “Hackathons”

Give students a real-world problem and a set amount of time to brainstorm and present solutions. Example: “How can we reduce waste in our school?” This encourages critical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving.

20. Student-Selected “Brain Breaks”

Let students vote on short, engaging breaks during class, like:

Stretching or movement games
Drawing for 5 minutes
Listening to music
Watching a short fun video
This helps maintain focus and energy.

21. “Choose Your Own Adventure” Assignments

Instead of a one-size-fits-all assignment, provide students with different paths to explore a topic. Example: In a history lesson, students could choose to write a diary entry from a historical figure’s perspective, create a timeline, or produce a short video documentary.

22. Podcast-Style Discussions

Instead of traditional class discussions, allow students to record and edit podcast-style conversations where they discuss a topic, interview an expert (even a peer), or debate different viewpoints.

23. Sketchnote summaries

Students summarize a concept visually on a single page using drawings, key quotes, main ideas, and connections to real life. This works well in ELA, history, and science as an alternative to essays.

Why These Work:

✅ Easy to implement tomorrow – No fancy materials needed
✅ Increases student ownership – Students make decisions about how they learn
✅ Encourages deeper thinking – Moves beyond memorization to real-world application

Would you like even more, or a customized list for specific subjects or grade levels? 😊

These actionable ideas are part of a larger volume under contract with @kendallhuntpublishing. Stay tuned for publication details.

20+ actionable ways to cultivate student engagement and trust