I currently teach fifth grade at Pelican Rapids Elementary School. I am one of three fifth grade teachers at my school. This year I am teaching reading, language arts, and math in my classroom. Science, Social Sciences and Writing are taught in 35 minute blocks for each section, I teach the writing portion. This is my third year teaching fifth grade. Before that I was a long term substitute for a year in 5th and also 3rd grade, plus I worked as a Title 1 teacher for 10 years. Our school has a total of 477 students, from primary to 6th grade. Of our 477 students, the percentage of them receive “free and reduced lunches”. The student population is broken down as follows: 30.1% Hispanic, 2.9% Asian/Pacific Islander, 1% American Indian/Alaska Native, 57.5% White, Non-Hispanic, and 8.4 % black, not of Hispanic origin. This year we have 70 students in fifth grade. In my literature review I will examine articles on student engagement, which include information on different types of engagement, the impact of teachers on engagement, and what students find most engaging. I chose this topic because I always try to propose new ideas and strategies that engage my students and improve their academic results. Most educators believe that engaging disengaged students is one of the biggest challenges educators face. Between 25% and over 65% of students are considered disengaged (Taylor & Parsons, 2011). Because effort is a predictor of academic performance, it is critical that teachers be alert to early identifiers that cause graduation failure. Another impact on student engagement is the teacher/student connection. Teachers must provide not only a high-quality workspace for student engagement, focusing on disengaged students, who are not learning, on engaged students, who are learning. Current work is focusing on overhauling schools to meet student needs, rather than attempting to reshape disengaged students back into the learning fold (Taylor & Parsons, 2011). Balfanz, Herzog, and Mac Iver (2007) point to two clear reasons for disengagement in school. The first is based on behavioral reactions to the school environment, such as misbehavior in school or a demonstrated aversion to attending school, and the second, academic difficulties and failures. The main risk factor depends on when it occurs in their life, for example: "failure in any year but especially in middle school, suspension due to a single behavioral episode, a poor final grade, the fact of being a student of special education and a knowledge of the English language". student