Seven Ways to Bring Fun Back Into Your Classroom

From Dull To Delightful:

7 Ways To Bring Fun Back Into Your Classroom

January 9, 2022

Neurologists have proven that everyone learns and retains more when they are having fun. One of the most difficult tasks teachers face is how to keep students engaged in learning throughout the day. Here are a few ideas to keep learning fun and exciting.

Healthy Debate

Encourage students to discuss issues they are passionate about. An easy way to do this is to switch up a daily lecture with a more conversational format. Or you could go even further and set up informal debate teams. Teach them how to voice their opinion and back it up with statements of fact. Show them how to speak and listen respectfully. Explain how everyone has a voice and deserves to be heard and listened to. Learning about other viewpoints and that there are no easy answers helps students grow.

Give Students Choices

If there is room in the lesson plan for some leeway between topics, let students choose the next activity. Giving them a small amount of control in subject matter helps encourage attention and interaction in the classroom.

Let the Student Be the Teacher

Students may be more interested in learning when they know they will get a turn to be the teacher. Make sure they take it seriously by helping them devise their own lesson plan. Give them a short amount of time to teach about a subject they are interested in.

Seek Out the Mysterious

Students find learning more fun when they are discovering along the way. Ask questions that even you might not know the answer to. Think of ways to investigate a mystery that will pull the students in as they learn along the way.

Directly Correlate Lessons With Life

Find out what your students are thinking about in their out-of-school hours. Incorporate their concerns into your lesson plans. If they are interested in earning money, change your math lesson to include ideas about work ethic and tips for saving.

Take It Outside

Go on small field trips. Just a walk in the field behind the school might bring plenty of scientific discoveries. From testing water and soil quality to identifying birds and insects, a trip outside is always a learning experience.

Use Technology

It’s no secret, it’s a technological world. Being able to use computers is part of the current education experience. Using Google Slides or Boom Cards will enhance computer literacy as well as the learning experience in your classroom. With topics ranging from recipes to “this day in history” slides, to math, reading comprehension and science, no subject is left out. Colorful slides and fun features like fill-in-the-blank and drag-and-drop keep students engaged. 

To find out more, check out the following suggestions:

Google Classroom Suggestions:

 

Avoiding Holiday Burnout in the Classroom

Avoiding Burnout: During the Holidays (And Every Day)

The holidays. People wishing others joy, peace, and love. Sometimes the wish seems far-fetched. Stress and chaos abound during the holiday season. Between last-minute shopping, bickering relatives, cooking, cleaning, parties you are too tired for, and endless to-do lists, it can be easy to lose perspective. Don’t let that stress weasel its way into your life and your classroom.

Nurture Yourself

Research finds that between one-third to one-half of teachers quit within their first five years. During the holidays we are taught to put others first. Teachers might feel compelled to always do so. This is a recipe for disaster. To serve others, you must first serve yourself. The oft-told advice of fresh air, exercise, down-time, meditation and bubble baths may be trite, but they hold true. Treat yourself. Whatever that means to you. Pretend like it’s your birthday and do what you want more than once a year. You deserve it.

Say “No”

If you are a people-pleaser this is going to be difficult for you. But dip your toe in and just try it. If someone asks you to go somewhere or do something and you don’t feel up to it, just say, “no”. You don’t have to give a reason or excuse. It is better to say “no” to a few things so you can do just one or two things well, rather than spreading yourself too thin. When you do too much, you become drained. When you become drained, you become resentful. Don’t fall into the trap!

Resentment Kills Passion

Teachers start with passion in their hearts to change the lives of students. They are thwarted by long hours, hard-to-please parents, students that need lessons in behavior, and exhaustion. It can be a slippery slope from passion to apathy. When you start to feel like a hamster on a wheel, gather your strength, hop off, and look for solutions. Ask for help. Your students and your community want you to be healthy and succeed.

Practice Positivity

Remind yourself why you do what you do. Try not to let the negative get under your skin. This, of course, is easier said than done. But meditation isn’t only about calm breathing and clearing your mind. Practice meditating on the positive within each moment. Really listen when a student laughs with delight. Thrill in the moment a student has that “lightbulb” moment and they fully grasp a difficult concept. Celebrate the positive that is all around you every day.

You ARE Making a Difference

If you change the life of just ONE child for the better, you have made a difference. That child doesn’t have to become the next Bill Gates or Oprah Winfrey, although they are just two of the many who credit their success to their teachers. If one child you help just helps one other person, there will be a snowball effect. And that effect will bring more joy, peace, and love to the world. Which makes you a hero. Inspire your students by sharing the stories of other people who have shaped the world through their passion. 

For more ideas in finding inspiration and avoiding burnout, check out our Outstanding Americans book and have a Happy Holidays!

Students' enthusiasm will skyrocket with this series of articles about outstanding Americans and their accomplishments. This high-interest/low-readability book is a terrific way to build basic skills while enhancing students' appreciation of cultural diversity. Outstanding Americans at remedia.com.

Or get this book from our Digital website RemediaDigital.com

Outstanding Americans.