How to engage students in a new lesson requires skillful motivation from the teacher. In today’s classroom, student engagement is a constant problem. And for me, igniting enthusiasm and excitement among students is one of the great challenges teachers hurdle every day.
Hello and welcome to the exciting world of education, where learning takes place and the classroom becomes a lively stage for growth. Because we are teachers, we know how hard it is to keep students’ attention and spark their interest. In the ever-changing world of education, the art of involvement is the key to creating a space where people want to be involved.
I’m aware of that because I am also a teacher like you. It’s quite common that students need our ultimate strategies so they get excited about the new material for learning.
Photo by Megan Soule on Unsplash
Getting ready for another exciting phase in the classroom? Well, you just need that hook that captures students’ attention so they can make meaning of the new content effectively.
While this means a lot of work, its outcome is really worth it especially if students give meaning to the material in their own ways. Hence, independent learning has always been possible. We just have to unlock their world of interest and engagement.
Now, if you really like to bring that sense of wonder and excitement and sustain your students’ interest by the time you introduce a new lesson, try these top 7 surefire tips on how to engage students in a new lesson.
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10 Surefire Tips on How to Engage Students in a New Lesson
Imagine a classroom pulsating with energy, where every student is not just a passive observer but an enthusiastic participant in their own learning journey. If you’re on a quest to turn your lessons into captivating experiences, you’ve arrived at the right juncture. In this blog, we unravel the secrets behind student engagement—offering you 10 surefire tips that will not only capture their interest but also leave them yearning for more.
1. Enhance your motivation techniques
As you try to pique your students’ interests, you should take care of your motivation techniques and make your lessons unpredictable. When students don’t know what to expect, they become more excited about revealing what’s in store for them.
By now, you probably have your motivation style; however, you should try to double-check if it suits the new lesson and your students’ interests. The suspense and the unveiling of classroom activities keep students on their toes and make them motivated to participate.
You can start with a video clip, for example, and let students spot its relevance to the content. It’s a fun way to introduce a new lesson and to foster student engagement. As you ask for ideas, later on, you will notice how participative they are because most of our students today really are visual learners and they love watching educational videos.
2. Review previous knowledge
Show relevance to the previous topic by asking specific questions that deal with the past lessons. This will not only serve as a review of what already transpired but also enhance their memory and their recalling abilities. I always do this before I begin any lesson of the day whether it’s new or not. I would just love to know if my students learned something from the previous discussions and perhaps can tell me exactly where they are.
It’s good to know what your students already know about the new topic. You can ask relevant questions or have an interactive activity. The more they are involved from the beginning the more they appreciate the new content. Moreover, doing this can help students connect the relevance of the learning materials which adds to how profound their learning experiences would be.
You can employ a small group discussion or use a think-pair-share strategy to get students into a thinking activity that develops their critical thinking skills as they begin to unravel new content material.
3. Connect the material to the students’ experiences
For this strategy, you need an in-depth collection of thoughts about the learners. You have to craft questions that help students confidently share their experiences. You should get on their shoes and feel what keeps them interested. Get them hooked by using their experiences.
Photo by Megan Soule on Unsplash
You can do this by asking questions that will lead them to a reflection of the events of their lives. The more they talk about their experiences, the more they connect to the material.
For this, you have to be more creative in your art of questioning. Rather than directly gauging them to the new topic, you can bank on their rich experiences to give them more meaningful learning experiences. I do this so my students can learn the best they can by not getting overwhelmed by the new lesson.
When students see the relevance of the new lesson to their experiences, they gain more authentic learning opportunities with you. I know how you wish to make your students so confident so they can learn at their best. Hence, you should make your instructional conversations so real because every new lesson introduced is a new learning opportunity for them and a new teaching experience for you as well.
4. Integrate technology
With the advent of technology, you must have realized its importance in education. Keeping to our goal of engaging students in a new lesson, the use of smart gadgets in bringing about enriching learning experiences can make a difference.
Even though we are very capable of making the lessons interesting our way, the use of PowerPoint presentations, educational apps, and digital learning tools can deepen students’ understanding of the material. Hence, I will make an analysis of the material and see at which point can technology be integrated.
As a phenomenal tool for teaching and learning, technology has shown how incredible it is in enhancing student learning experiences. Furthermore, incorporating technology into our instructions can keep students motivated from the time that a new lesson is introduced.
Technology gives us the best chance to personalize learning and meet our students’ individual learning needs; hence making our classroom instruction more student-centered.
5. Prepare interactive activities
The more learning tasks, the more choices students have. When you’re planning for a new lesson right now, you should consider tasks that keep your students interested. The learning tasks hold students’ interest and give them opportunities to manage their own learning.
When a lesson is presented for the first time, you have to actively involve the students from beginning to end. A thoughtful presentation of a new lesson provides students with interactive activities where they share ideas and listen to others as well. If it requires them to move around and mingle with each other, then do it.
I know that it deeply requires planning the lesson as to what is expected of you as a teacher. You can’t just jump into a new lesson without enough preparation and planning.
A carefully planned lesson makes you more capable of engaging students through interactive activities. The more they are involved in the different learning activities the more they value learning. I can’t just take the scenario of having students sitting on their desks waiting for you to finish discussing the lesson. It’s very flat and gloomy.
6. Make learning fun
Another crucial foundation in student learning is the enjoyment they get from their experiences. If students have fun learning, the more they retain information and the more they develop the skills. If this means gamification of the content, then do it. Our students love games and they are engaged instantly especially if a new lesson is introduced. No doubt about it, games can make your class more fun!
Also, you can use humor in your instructions and share laughter with your students in productive ways. Interestingly, this can help students feel better and remove intimidation.
When a new lesson is introduced I can feel different emotions because I am sensitive to what my students feel. Therefore, as much as possible I make my students feel warm and make the classroom environment pleasant by making learning fun.
Your students need as much fun as mine. They have to enjoy what they are doing and have fun learning. The fun in the classroom can make your students more interested in participating and get involved in the different learning experiences you set for them.
You can do this by giving them choices on what to do. Therefore, you should always plan for more interesting activities that can be enjoyed either individually or by a group. If students are given choices, they create more learning experiences that help them develop a love for lifelong learning.
7. Be consistent with your effective teaching styles
Your efficacy in teaching should be consistent. It should not be seasonal or mood-dependent. Remember, your effective teaching style is a contributing factor that helps students achieve their learning goals.
Hence, your varied teaching pedagogies should always be in action so your students become more confident in their academic performance. By always putting your best foot forward, you are confident that you are making every lesson interesting to your students. Have that superpower of efficacy all the time.
With your consistent effective teaching styles, you are making your students feel your incredible support in their learning journey. It’s telling them “I am with you along the way.”
Giving students high-quality instructions vividly helps students appreciate the new content and removes all doubts or difficulties. In other words, your effective teaching styles make your students confident to learn new material and to have a new set of learning experiences.
8. Use small group discussions
Provide opportunities for your students so they can take advantage of each others’ viewpoints and skills to communicate their thoughts.
When it comes to organizing and designing small group discussions, trust your instincts and your in-depth observations of who gets along with whom.
Allowing students to work with one another can make productive opportunities happen. Why not organize your class into different small groups and create meaningful learning experiences in the classroom? It’s possible.
Give them more possibilities to think creatively and express themselves especially when they are to unravel a new topic. It’s more fun and exciting.
9. Make learning more authentic
Increase the possibilities for authentic learning by involving the students more and more. Give them a say and let them explore the new topic.
It can be more real if they see the relevance of content with their experiences. That’s why in planning your lessons, always set learning activities that encourage brainstorming activities where students can elaborate their thoughts.
Also, concepts will appear more realistic if they are supported with a variety of reliable resources to make student learning more successful.
10. Enhance your art of questioning
Good questions can keep students attentive and can make their thoughts go beyond.
Wanted to put some guide, I review the significant process of creative questioning.
The art of questioning is the heart of all teaching and learning. Moreover, questioning as the foundation of interactive teaching intensifies the learning process and comprehension, hones critical thinking and problem-solving skills, boosts creativity, and fulfills curiosity.
Besides, a good question always has a good answer and keeps students excited about learning.
Concluding Thoughts
Launching a new discussion requires great skill of getting students hooked and attentive. And this should be included in your overall plan. As there can be questions that can just pop out of nowhere it still counts if you are guided with an appropriate framework so as not to deviate from the competency. Furthermore, by keeping your lessons interesting, your students get motivated all of the time.
All in all, your teaching strategies really matter. It’s a way to keep lessons interesting so students are motivated to absorb the new lesson and don’t get bored. When students are excited about learning, they learn the material easily and appreciate it more. The above-mentioned teacher-tested ways can help you engage your students in a new lesson.
Have I missed an awesome tip to keep your students engaged? What else can keep them motivated in learning a new lesson? Share your experiences in the comment box below and I’d love to read them!
