How to engage children and make a boring lesson exciting
It is very important that children while at school are able to study in a creative and stimulating environment. If a student is not interested in a topic and nothing is done to try and make the topic interesting, then little or no learning will take place.
One of the major factors in providing a stimulating environment and engaging with children of all ages is the attitude of the teacher. If children are interested in the lesson then the teacher will in turn be stimulated. Below are some suggestions that may assist with keeping students attentive and excited about a lesson.
Surprise and Mystery
Learning can be fun. It will be more so if it is fun and and full of surprises. A teacher who just imparts knowledge without any extra information on the subject will not help their students to remember and understand what they are being taught. Start the lesson with an interesting and unusual detail about the subject to be taught. Get the students attention. Highlight any weird or strange facts.
Be involved in class projects
When a a teacher sets a project to work on in class, a good idea is to bring some materials that you as the teacher can also work with. With smaller children in elementary school, the teacher often has to walk around helping children. Make it fun for the students with praise and positive comments. With middle and high school students, teachers can work on a project themselves and show that they too are invested in learning the topic.
Start with a warm up
This tactic works for all grades. If you begin the class with a fun warm up whether it is physical (particularly with lower grades ) or a mental challenge it will get the students in the correct mindset and shape for the lesson.
Allow Students a Choice
At the beginning of the lesson and also at then end, allow students the choice of how they would like to have the lecture structured. For example
- Presenting the subject in a talk to other students
- Making a newspaper article about the subject
- Acting out a small play.
This works because students becomes an active part in planning the lesson. It also supports and encourages children to present a topic that may take into account their strengths and interests.
Link to current events or examples
If you can, try to link the lesson / subject to a current event in the student’s lives. At elementary school this could be as simple as tying it into a favorite break-time game. Even a Maths example can be made relevant and interesting if a teacher links children’s names and the activity together. At Middle and High School, current world events can be used as an example. Introduce bizarre facts and stories which will help the student remember this lesson and keep it fun for them.
Include any WOW factor
Make the lessons fun and interesting by using Apps that you can find on the internet.
- Show a specific part of the country on Google Earth .
- Bring unusual pictures to school from a personal collection that help illustrate your lesson.
- Play music that may be relevant to the topic
- Play short video clips from YouTube or any video sharing platform.
Remember if it’s not fun for the teacher its not fun for the students ! If you have any brilliant ideas on how to engage children and make a boring lesson much fun and exciting, feel free to contact us.