Many teachers will agree that most students zone out immediately when the teacher starts the lecture. It can be quite frustrating for a teacher who pours their heart and soul into preparing a lesson for their students. Well, it happens because when kids are growing up, they find it very hard to focus on a specific thing for too long and get bored very easily.
If you are a teacher and face the same problem with your students, you have come to the right place. Here are some of the best ways to make your classroom a little less boring:
Don’t Make Teaching Material Repetitive
As important as reviewing is for students, you need to ask them to do that in their own time. It is because if you keep repeating the same thing in class multiple times, it will no longer be interesting for the students.
If you really need to review the same content, you should make sure that you take a unique approach each time. Try to present the same information in a different way to make it less boring for the students.
Use Classroom Games
No matter how old your students are, playing a game is always fun. For example, if you are an English teacher you can try different games like vocabulary race, taboo, timed talking, and grammar auction. Some of these games can be extremely fun for the students while teaching them something new every time.
If you are teaching a younger class and you want them to remember spelling words, you can conduct an in-class spelling bee contest. You can ask the class to prepare a day in advance so that no one is taken by surprise.
It can be a fun and entertaining game as it brings out the competitive side of the students and helps them remember their spelling words more easily. In case you have some downtime by the end of the class, you can also play musical chairs using your best classroom chairs to pass the time and take a small break from books.
Ask the Students What They Want
Sometimes all your students need is a bit of control. Growing up, students don’t really get to make their own choices that often. They need to listen to their parents at home and teachers at school. Asking the students how they want their teacher to teach can be a fun exercise.
It will also give the teacher an idea of what the students don’t understand and what needs to be reviewed. All and all, allowing the students to take control of the classroom for a few moments might just be what they needed.
Use Hands-On Learning
Sometimes taking a hands-on approach can be a great way to get more engagement from your students. You can ask them to work on an action-oriented assignment, such as doing a presentation, running a survey, etc. No matter what the level of the students is, taking a hands-on approach will make them more creative and expressive of their inner talents.
Use Technology
The modern generation loves technology. Thus, make sure that you incorporate modern technology into your conventional teaching methods to make them more effective. You can start by using a smartboard rather than using the conventional whiteboard.
A smartboard will give you a lot more options with its interactive display. You can also connect your class to students from a different city or country to encourage cooperative learning. You can use technology in tons of different ways to bring in more engagement and interest from your students.
Try to be a Creative Thinker
If you are a creative thinker, you can make anything fun. You need to start by developing good deduction skills because most teachers can’t tell when their students have stopped paying attention.
When you are getting reduced engagement and attention from your students, you need to think on your feet and come up with a new and creative idea that will lift everyone’s mood. It can be a joke, a small activity, an interesting fact, or anything else that lifts the mood.
Conclusion:
School isn’t too much fun for most students. It is mostly because kids are going through a tough growing phase and they have a hard time focusing on things. That is why they need teachers who understand them.
Students don’t expect their classrooms to be filled with fun and entertainment, all they need is a teacher that doesn’t bore them. Try your best to make your classroom exciting by incorporating some of the above-mentioned ways and you will be good to go. All the best, my pals!