10 Ways to Keep Your Class Interesting

10 Teaching Strategies to Make Class More Fun

Have you ever been teaching a class and look over at your students to find them
staring into outer space? Just when you think you have created the perfect lesson
planor engaging activity you find that your students are still not interested. If
students are not paying attention, then how are they going to learn and absorb
information? It is essential that teachers find a way to keep their class interesting
enough that students take in the information that is being presented to them.

For decades educators have been trying new teaching strategies to keep their
students on their toes and get them excited about learning. While some strategies
fail, others are found to be quite effective. Here are 10 teacher-tested ways to
keep your class interesting so students will stay engaged at all times.

1. Incorporate Some Mystery Into Your Lessons

Learning is the most fun when you don't know what to expect. When was the last
time you were at a surprise party? How did it make you feel when you were being
surprised or when you saw your friend's expression as they entered the door to a
surprise? Learning can be interesting too when you make it a mystery. The next
time you plan your lesson try giving students a new clue each day up until the
very last day of the lesson. This is a fun way to make your lesson mysterious, and
you may just find that your students are actually looking forward to finding out
what they will be learning about.

2. Do Not Repeat Classroom Material

It's okay to review classroom material but you should not repeat it because this
can become quite boring for students. The next time you need to review material
try and play a review game and make sure to present the material in a new way,
not the same way that you did it the first time that you taught students. The 3-2-1
strategy is a fun way to review material and not repeat material. For this activity
students draw a pyramid in their notebooks and write down three things they
learned, two things they thought was interesting, and one question they still have.
It's a fun new way to go over old material without repeating it.

3. Create Classroom Games

Whether your five or twenty-five playing a game is fun. Games are a great way to
keep lessons interesting while having a little bit of fun. If students need to
practice their math facts then play "Around the World" if they need to remember
their spelling words then have a "Spelling Bee". Games make learning fun and
when there are games, there are happy children.

4. Give Students Choices

One strategy that teachers are now offering students is the ability to make their
own choices when it comes to learning. Choice can be a powerful motivator
because it helps to foster student interest. Research suggests that when teachers
craft effective choices for children it gives them a sense of control, purpose, and
competence.

In short, by giving students the opportunity to choose what or how they are going
to learn you are cultivating students interest which is a great motivator. Next
time you are planning an activity try making a choice board. Print out a "Tic Tac
Toe" board and write down nine different tasks for students to complete. The goal
is for students to choose three in a row.

5. Utilize Technology

Technology is a great way to keep your lessons interesting. Children love

electronics and any chance that they get to use it is a good thing. Instead of
standing in front of the room and lecturing try using a Smartboard. Instead of
having students do a cooperative learning activity with just the students in the
classroom, try connecting to another classroom via video-conference to do the
group work with. Utilize technology in any way that you can and you will see the
interest level go up tremendously in your classroom.

6. Don't Take Teaching so Seriously

Being an effective teacher is an important job but it doesn't mean that you have to
take it so seriously. Try and loosen up a bit and and acknowledge that your
students may have different interests or learning styles than you. It's okay to
laugh at yourself at times and it is also okay to have some fun. You may even find
that your students will be even more interested when you are a little bit more
relaxed.

7. Make Lessons Interactive

In a traditional classroom the teacher stands in front of the room and lectures to
the students as the students listen and take notes. We all know that this way of
teaching is boring and has been for decades. Make lessons interactive by
involving students in every aspect of the lesson, this means creating hands-on
lessons. Try using the Jigsaw cooperative learning activity where each student is
responsible for their own part of a whole group activity or try a hands-on science
experiment. By involving students and making your lesson interactive you are
keeping your class more interesting.

8. Relate Material to Students' Lives

Try and create a real-world connection to what students are learning, so that it
will give them a better understanding of why they need to learn what you are
teaching them. If your students are constantly asking you why they need to learn
something, and you always are answering with “because” you will soon lose your
credibility with your students. Instead, try giving them a real answer like "You are
learning about money because in the real world you need to know how to use it if
you want to survive. You need to know how to buy food and pay your bills." By
giving them a real answer you are helping them connect that they must learn
what they are learning for their future.
9. Flip Your Lessons

The Flipped classroom have been gaining some credibility since the term
"flipped" entered the education world in 2012. The idea that students can learn
new information at home and come to school and use class time for critical
thinking activities and to reinforce concepts was unheard of. However, today
many teachers are using this strategy and finding that the results are amazing.
Students are now able to work at their own pace (which is great for differentiated
learning) and engaging with their peers in a more interactive, meaningful way
when they are in the classroom. Try using the Flipped teaching strategy for your
next lesson and see how well your students are engaged. You never know, this
may be just the tool that you were looking for to help keep your students more
engaged.

10. Think Outside of the Box

Lesson plans don't have to be the same old boring worksheets or lectures where
students sit and take notes time and time again. Try thinking outside of the box
and do something that is completely out of the ordinary. Invite in a guest speaker,
go on afield trip or take learning outdoors. When you try something new and
different, there is a good chance that your students will respond with delight not
defeat. The next time you are planning your lesson try collaborating with another
teacher or take your students on a virtual field trip. Learning doesn't have to be
boring in order to be effective. Your students will find it more interesting to learn
when it is presented to them in a variety of different ways.