How can I engage the learners in my classroom?
Part 2 — three strategies, their impact, and the evidence

Mangakōtukutuku College is a co-educational Kirikiriroa school serving a high-Māori, low-decile community. Working as a Limited Authority to Teach (LAT) practitioner across 2024–2025 in Year 8 homerooms and Year 9 Social Studies, my practice shifted from classroom control toward relationship-first, culturally grounded pedagogies. This inquiry evaluates three concrete strategies supporting motivation and engagement, analyzing their theoretical basis and classroom impact through student voice, mentor observations, and student work.

To establish a positive classroom environment, my first strategy was to implement consistent relational practices (whanaungatanga) focused on daily name greetings and reciprocal learning (ako). I selected this relational strategy to reject the deficit positioning that often pathologises students in low-decile, high-Māori cohorts (Bishop & Berryman, 2009), choosing instead to establish a classroom climate of unconditional care and relational safety. In practice, this involved greeting students individually at the door, ensuring correct pronunciation of te reo names, and using shared, non-academic interests to lower behavioral friction. This strategy is grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), which posits that relatedness is essential for moving students toward intrinsic motivation (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Relational safety is also the foundational premise of Te Kotahitanga, where establishing a caring, non-deficit classroom environment is the prerequisite for Māori student achievement (Bishop & Berryman, 2009).

This approach had a direct impact on classroom trust and student-teacher rapport. In daily lessons, I positioned myself as a co-learner (ako) by planning lessons with the assumption that a fluent te reo speaker was present, actively inviting students to correct my reo pronunciation. This vulnerability broke down traditional teacher-student hierarchies and built a safe environment for academic risk-taking. The impact was demonstrated by the rapid development of positive working relationships across my classes. My mentor commended my "calm, reassuring presence" and ability to "establish high-trust rapport." The long-term impact was evidenced by students greeting me as "Matua McRae" across campus and their active participation in class activities. Satisfying relatedness needs directly fostered the emotional and behavioral engagement described by Fredricks et al. (2004).

"He reflects on observations of other classes... applying new understandings directly to improve active participation and maintain momentum."

— Observing mentor, professional development record, Term 4 2024

My second strategy was to tailor curriculum delivery through deliberate lesson design choices, specifically worked examples and metacognitive scaffolding. To ensure all students could access high-level content without experiencing cognitive overload or shame, I authored a phoneme-grapheme spelling workbooklet using mature visual themes (such as portraiture by Kehinde Wiley) to scaffold decoding, alongside structured PEEL paragraph templates and semiotics guides. This is supported by Cognitive Load Theory (Sweller, 1988), which posits that worked examples reduce extraneous cognitive load, freeing working memory for schema acquisition. It also aligns with the PEEL Metacognitive Framework (Baird & Mitchell, 1986), encouraging students to monitor and direct their cognitive processes by breaking down task expectations.

This deliberate design directly impacted student self-efficacy and task completion. Rather than facing a 'blank page' block, students used the spelling workbooklet and PEEL scaffolding to independently construct and segment texts. My mentor observed in Term 2 2025 that the 'structure of the lesson' and 'literacy strategies throughout' enabled students to meet high expectations. The impact was recorded in detailed analysis posters using the semiotics guides. Affirming capability through structured safety satisfied competence needs, driving cognitive and behavioral engagement (Fredricks et al., 2004). Students took ownership, evidenced by Mereana writing 'HWP' (Homework Please) on her worksheet, and Mikaere requesting extension tasks upon completion.

"The structure of the lesson… literacy strategies throughout… the content and the high expectations that you have for the students — believing in them will make them rise to your expectations."

— Observing mentor, classroom observation of this lesson, Term 2 2025

My third strategy was a collaborative, project-based inquiry unit titled "Design Your Own Society," which I adapted to the local Aotearoa context. I selected this to move beyond compliance-driven worksheets and position students as agentic builders of knowledge, aligning with the "north-east" stance of high expectations (Bishop, 2011). In groups, students designed a nation as a system, choosing governance models ranging from democracies to tino rangatiratanga-based communitarian structures. To prevent cognitive overload, I scaffolded the inquiry with progress checkpoints and public defense rubrics. This strategy is supported by SDT's focus on autonomy and competence (Ryan & Deci, 2000) and drives cognitive engagement by requiring systems thinking over rote reproduction (Fredricks et al., 2004).

This strategy unlocked significant academic focus and high-order reasoning. Student samples (such as the 'Zazatown' slides) demonstrated advanced understanding, with Year 9 groups distinguishing direct from representative democracy and grounding societies in kaitiakitanga (environmental sustainability). My supervisor's notes praised the 'highly structured checkpoints' and 'academic safety' allowing students to defend ideas. By scaffolding autonomy, this project converted behavioral friction into peer-directed cognitive inquiry.

These three strategies demonstrate that student engagement is not a fixed trait but a relation co-created in the classroom. Whanaungatanga builds the trust necessary to enter the learning space, deliberate lesson design supports competence and ownership, and scaffolded inquiry provides autonomy to direct learning. Moving forward, I will continue refining this balance of relational warmth, structured competence, and scaffolded autonomy to cultivate environments where all ākonga thrive.