Have you ever been a part of a classroom that was just plain boring? One where the teacher would drone on and on, reading from the textbook and assigning pointless worksheets? It’s enough to make anyone fall asleep.
Sure, there will be times when you will teach a boring economics textbook or do a worksheet on the different parts of the cell.
But there are ways to balance out with more stimulating activities. For example, one day, you can have students do a simulation where they buy and sell different goods in the classroom.
Another day you might show a movie related to the topic you’re discussing.
There’s something special about a classroom that is engaging and interesting. It can be the teacher, the students, or the subject matter.
Whatever it is, when a classroom is in full swing, it’s a magical place. You can feel the energy and enthusiasm bouncing off the walls. It’s a stimulating environment where anything feels possible. Whether you’re a student or teacher, if you’re lucky enough to find yourself in an engaging and exciting classroom, soak it up!
Teaching Strategies Make Learning Fun
We all know that students need to learn the material, but making it fun is a bonus. When students enjoy and feel engrossed in the material, they retain the information.
Try out some of these teaching strategies if you’re stuck on how to make your classroom more engaging:
Interactive Strategies – The Socratic Method, Jigsaw Activities, Case Studies
No one likes students dozing off into space or fidgeting in their seats. You can combat this by using interactive strategies in your classroom.
1. The Socratic Method:
Questions, questions, and more questions. The Socratic Method is a way of teaching that encourages students to ask their questions and figure out the answers themselves through discussion.
You could start a discussion on a controversial topic and let the students debate it out.
2. Jigsaw Activities:
It is a cooperative learning strategy where students work in groups to piece together a puzzle. Each student is given a different part of the puzzle, and they have to put it all together at the end.
This activity requires communication and teamwork. Both these skills are essential in the real world.
3. Case Studies:
A case study is a real-life problem that students have to solve. It could be something like, “What would you do if you were its CEO and had to make a tough decision?”
Students will have to use their critical thinking skills to develop a solution. It is an excellent activity for stimulating discussion and debate in the classroom.
Visual Strategies – Graphic Organizers, Posters, PowerPoint Presentations
Senses are essential when trying to engage students in the material. If they can see it, they are more likely to be interested in it.
4. Graphic Organizers:
Brainstorming and organizing ideas are important skills for students to learn. Graphic organizers are a visual way for students to see how their ideas connect.
There are many different types of graphic organizers, so find one that works for the material you’re teaching.
For instance, if you are teaching marketing, a Venn diagram could be used to show the similarities and differences between two products.
5. Posters:
Who doesn’t love a good poster? Posters are a great way to add color to your classroom and make it more visually appealing.
You can use them for anything, from displaying the day’s schedule to showing the different parts of a plant cell. There’s no limit. What matters is that the students will be able to see it and be intrigued by it.
6. PowerPoint Presentations:
It is a classic strategy, but it can only be effective if used correctly. Make sure your PowerPoint slides are clear and concise.
Don’t cram too much information on one slide. Use pictures and diagrams to help explain the material. And most importantly, don’t read off the slides! That’s just boring.
Real-Life Application Strategies – Service Learning, Problem-Based Learning, Project-Based Learning
It’s one thing to learn the material, but it’s another thing to be able to apply it to real life. That’s where these strategies come in.
7. Service Learning:
Service-learning is experiential learning where students apply what they’ve learned to a real-world situation.
For example, a group of students might volunteer at a soup kitchen to learn about poverty and homelessness, or they could take up a project about supply and demand by starting a small business.
8. Problem-Based Learning:
Brains + Problems = Learning. That’s the basic idea behind problem-based learning. Students are given a real-world problem to solve, and they have to figure it out using the knowledge they’ve acquired.
For instance, break your classroom into teams that will study a network of computers. One team will be the hackers, and they will have to figure out how to break into the system.
The other team will be the security team, and they will have to figure out how to protect the system.
9. Project-Based Learning:
It is similar to problem-based learning, but the students work on a project instead of solving a problem.
The project can be anything from designing a new product to creating a promotional video for a local business. The important thing is that the students can apply what they’ve learned to the project.
Ending Note:
The classroom’s physical environment can also make a big difference in engagement. The furniture, the color of the walls, and even the lighting can all affect how students feel in the classroom.
Make sure your classroom is set up in a conducive way to learning.
