How to keep your students engaged: Do this at the beginning of every live session

We all love hearing our own name.

Especially when it's followed by a compliment that we've done something well.

It makes us feel seen and validated. And it motivates us to continue to live up to this new, higher standard that's now been set.

Here's how you can use this in your cohort-based course to keep your students engaged.

Start each live session by giving shoutouts (kudos) to your students.

I found 4 things you can compliment your students on:

You acknowledge them for putting in the work and subtly remind students who haven't completed their assignment yet that there's something to do.

Your students learn as much from each other as from you, the instructor. And you want to encourage them to continue to give great feedback.

This validates students working ahead and can encourage others to put in the extra work without being too forward about it.

Celebrate wins together, big or small. That also gives others a sense of what's possible.

One more tip to keep in mind: When giving shoutouts, make sure to spread the praise and not mention the same people every time.