In books, movies, and real life, kids drag their feet as their parents walk them to the school bus or drop them off, but why does school get such a bad rap? Standardized lesson plans turn school into a boring place where students pray for the final bell and a long nap. We think it’s time for teachers across the globe to add some fun to the lesson of the day. Here are some fun ways to make learning fun again:
Hands-on learning
Nothing says it better than this old Chinese proverb: “Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I will remember. Involve me and I will understand. Step back and I will act.” There’s no better way to learn something than by getting involved, yet most teachers are forced into a “show and tell” mentality rather than getting students involved. So instead of telling students about the basics of subjects, try personally involving them. For example, don’t just talk about static electricity; let kids create it by rubbing a balloon on a piece of wool.
Play learning games
Nothing says fun like a game. A lesson can become immediately engaging if turned in to a game. If your students are engaged, they are more likely to participate and remember the material. A game of jeopardy can turn a normal, boring rev-eww session into an awesome rev-wooh! session.
Teamwork is dreamwork
When students only listen and communicate with you, they don’t get the chance to talk with their peers. Making friends can be a lot of fun, and is essential to developing interpersonal communication skills. Give your students a chance to socialize and learn at the same time by coming up with team projects and activities that reinforce your lessons.
Don’t always rely on the textbook
If you’ve ever read a dry book, you know it isn’t fun to keep plowing through the material. The same goes for your students. Reading straight from the text can be boring, so try to find some other sources to spice up the lesson. Movies, songs, or even other books and articles can add some much needed variety.
Provide some extra incentive
Everyone loves free stuff, right? Sometimes all children need to participate and enjoy school is a freebie every once in a while. Reward good grades, good behavior, and participation with cool prizes. Keep students focused on learning by giving things like notebooks, pens and pencils, and make sure you offer a wide variety of patterns and styles so that students can pick something that they actually like. For example, Cadoozles Mechanical Pencils come in a variety of patterns that will make it hard for students to pick just one.
By adding fun into lesson plans, teachers can make school more engaging. Students in classrooms everywhere will rejoice when they begin to enjoy learning!