Teachers all around the world, the new ones, and even seasoned ones are going the extra mile constantly trying to find new ways on how to make teaching and learning enjoyable for both them and of course the students as well.
With all of the professions to choose from, teachers choose to teach. And teaching might be the noblest thing to do.
Every teacher combines different methods and techniques to try and get students to be more engaged during lessons and activities. And a surefire way to get kids more involved is by letting them be who they are—kids.
Teaching is also a continuous learning process, there’s no concrete formula on how to be effective in this profession. Each classroom requires a different approach. But making it fun both for the teacher and the students is always a good idea.
Not only is it going to be fun, letting them enjoy while learning can also increase their ability to retain information and their motivation to learn will also be on new heights as they get excited to learn more.
If you feel like you’ve fallen into a routine and you’ve found yourself figuring out how to make learning fun again, then you’re in the right place, my friend.
Creating a rich learning environment doesn’t have to be a bore, tweaking things up a bit by adding a little bit of fun and excitement will surely keep you and your students engaged like never before.
Read on to know more about the ten techniques you can try out in the classroom to let out the fun and make both teaching and learning enjoyable again.
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<<Have you tried using humor to make your classes interactive and interesting? Here’s to instilling a happy learning environment.
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How to make teaching and learning Enjoyable: 9 No-fail Techniques!
1.) Let them share ideas and brainstorm with games
Obviously, if there’s one thing that kids are good at, it’s playing games. Kids enjoy the interaction and the fun they get out of playing games.
I mean, even adults enjoy games I’m sure you have at least a couple of game apps installed on your phone right now!
You can try incorporating games that you can make based on your lesson for the day, it can any kind of mini-game or a quiz game where they can maybe earn points and or fun stickers that you can give to them as a reward when they win! They’ll surely get motivated just by the fun stickers awaiting them.
The possibilities are endless, just try to make the game age-appropriate and can be easily understood by your students so that it can be fun, and without them knowing they are already learning while playing.
Also, try not to complicate the games you set out so that they will not be too overwhelmed.
One tried and tested game that I loved while I was still in school was the relay games my teacher would let us play. Memory games are fun too! Another strategy that you can blend your game with is the use of modern technology or apps.
Your creativity will surely spark out with this technique while you’re having fun as the Game Master!
2.) Let them use real-life scenarios and let them enjoy the hands-on experience
Nothing beats experience when it comes to teaching, and letting them learn on their own will not only add to their takeaway from the lessons, you are also letting them learn by actually letting them experience it first-hand.
Relating the lesson to their own lives will also encourage them to engage and share with the class. Making your lessons more relatable and appropriate to their level of understanding will give light to what you want them to comprehend.
You can try to set their homework and let them connect it to their lives and experiences, this will make teaching and learning more fun and less of a bore because they already have something that they can contribute.
The best way is to also share some personal experiences that you think might help them understand the lesson from a different perspective. It’s all about how you deliver it.
You can let them use educational toys inside the classroom too! It’s a great way to help them learn while they have fun.
You’ll be surprised as to how fast they can learn with the use of toys. Children love repeating, even if you let them play with hands-on toys for countless hours they still won’t get enough of it.
You can let yourself take a break from standing up while you let them explore toys, but remember that it’s still best with your guidance and supervision.
Experiment activities are fun and highly educational too, let them get their hands dirty while they create their lava volcanoes, or create their own inventions. Experiments let their imagination run wild and it’s a great practice to boost their creativity and critical thinking too.
3.) Let them see and feel that you are approachable
Have you had any terror teacher experiences when you were still in school? Well, I surely did. And it was not pleasant in any way.
Letting your students know that they can approach you not only inside the classroom but also outside, will make them feel comfortable talking to you and sharing ideas with you—and that’s what we want inside the classroom right?
It’s not a one-way conversation, it should be two-way traffic where open communication is a must. To make teaching and learning fun inside the classroom, you have to let your students have their own voices and you also have to listen to them.
This way, both your ideas and your students will have a perfect synergy to create a positive atmosphere for learning. Letting them know that you trust them, and they trust you is the ultimate way to make learning and teaching most enjoyable.
4.) Let your students take a break and don’t forget about yourself too!
If there’s one thing that teachers need the most is a break. A teacher’s burnout is a real thing and is inevitable at times, and you surely won’t enjoy teaching if you yourself are having problems letting out your stress.
De-stressing can be in different forms for everyone, find something that you know you love to do, and will let out some of the steam. You can maybe book yourself a day at the spa for some pampering, and have yourself some hot choco while you watch some of your favorite series or movies on Netflix.
Taking a step back to take care of yourself will greatly help to be the best you can be for your students and yourself too.
And with you needing a break from time to time, this same also applies to your students too! They are tiny little humans going through a fast-paced learning environment trying their best to take in all the information as much as they could, I mean that sounds really exhausting, right?
With them needing to study almost ten subjects in a week all while preparing for exams, they deserve the best kind of break too.
This can be in the form of a field trip, or a day of the class outside the classroom where they can enjoy nature while they learn are a great way of letting them have a break. You can also let them have mini-breaks in between classes to let themselves relax even just for a few minutes.
Students can experience burnout too, it’s best that you take care of your mental health and theirs too to make every second inside the classroom as enjoyable as it can be.
5.) Let technology take over some of your lessons
Technology has come far ever since it has been introduced in the classroom. Even most kids nowadays can even use computers better than adults, and it’s a great thing actually.
Letting them immerse themselves into learning incorporated with technology will let them enhance their knowledge on how to use it in a good way to help them learn and find ways to use it to their advantage when it comes to learning.
Most studies show that teaching blended with technology has increased the student’s interaction inside the classroom.
Many Apps available for download on tablets and smartphones nowadays can provide endless learning opportunities that can still be facilitated by teachers, this can be in quiz forms, online questionnaires, and fun trivia.
Technology can be held as a valuable tool for teachers inside the classroom if used the right way. And technology has never been more relevant in education now than ever before.
With remote learning being on the rise, more and more teachers are leaning on technology to help them create fun and engaging lessons for their students.
With just one touch, students have all the information readily available to them and it’s a must to help them use technology in a good way to help them thrive in learning.
Technology also made it possible for everyone to stay connected whenever and wherever they are.
So it’s probably a good idea to take advantage of it to help both teachers and students have a great time inside the classroom.
6.) Let each of your students bloom in their own way
If you have been teaching for quite some time now, then you already know this best. Each and every student has their own way to thrive and excel.
No individual is the same, there are actually eight types of intelligence according to Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory which explains the different way on how a person processes and retain information,
With that in mind, it is no doubt an applicable situation in the classroom. If you know your students well, you will know the best approach to help them learn and succeed in class best to their ability.
You can also offer them choices on how they would want to learn and show off what they’ve learned.
So maybe instead of instructing them to write a 500-word essay which might not be a strong suit for everyone, try to give them a couple of choices on how they would want to share what they’ve learned.
This can be in the form of an illustration or short presentation, or maybe they can create a model to explain their train of thoughts, or in a song form which can be a fun way to showcase their talent in singing if they want to.
Giving them choices on how they would want to express themselves gives them a better chance to let out what they’ve learned and much better than that it will give them confidence in how they will tackle any kind of situation the best they could.
7.) Don’t let things become automatic
Teaching can easily become and feel like a routine for some, and it’s something that we cannot avoid happening from time to time.
It’s best to take a step back and assess yourself and how you teach, this way you’ll get a better picture and focus on some aspects that you can improve to help teaching become fun again.
Awe them with the element of surprise and do something out of the ordinary, you might even surprise yourself too. Spark their curiosity with some mystery games that you can base on your lessons.
Or maybe thrill them with anticipation for your next fun-filled lesson to encourage and motivate them to interact more with their classmates.
Creating an exciting atmosphere for them to enjoy every now and then will shake things up in the right direction.
You can keep them on their toes with a surprise activity that will get blood and adrenaline rushing with friendly competitions which are good for their mind and body to help them with their critical thinking and problem-solving as well as body development too.
8.) Let pop culture take over your classroom
pop culture when defined is a familiar topic for almost everyone of all ages and is a great way to discuss concepts like media literacy, social change, or other current events that are important to young people which we all know that students are very mindful of since most information are well within grasp thanks to their smartphones and other digital devices.
Incorporating pop culture into your lessons will help make them more interesting for both teachers and students, plus it will also make your lesson more relevant. Even if you’re teaching a group of teenagers or a younger set of students, there’s bound to be some common ground among them, whether it’s Imagine Dragons or maybe even Taylor Swift!
You can segue pop culture into your lessons quite easily, such as using a popular song or phrase for an activity or having students create posters about their favorite series or movie.
Another instance where you can interject pop culture is if you’re teaching about the history of war and peace you could talk about how pop culture has portrayed it in films and books. You could also teach about current affairs and use popular news events as an example to connect with the students.
You can also optionally bring pop culture into the classroom when discussing subjects like math and science because they’re often thought without any context or relevance at all, and this makes them a bit dry and boring for students who are used to more interesting subjects like English or Art. Try hard to think about what might interest each students in your class—whether it’s superheroes (Dr. Strange), music (Billie Eilish), sports (Tom Brady), movies (Marvel Cinematic Universe), so on and so forth.
9.) Live. Laugh. And Teach!
A good laugh with your students creates a warm and cozy environment. Laugh at their jokes as they laugh at yours, validate their feelings, and watch how it creates an enriching learning environment.
Using humor is a great way to make them more comfortable in the classroom and to set a great mood for learning, plus you’ll get to practice a few jokes of yours! (Me, actually dreaming of being a stand-up comic one day)
Never let yourself be comfortable with just going through the motion. Take risks, go outside of your comfort zone, and still challenge yourself to be better than who you were yesterday. It’s how you and your students will grow.
If you’re not having fun and enjoying yourself while you teach, your students will certainly mirror what you’re feeling and will feel the same way too.
They’re kids, it’s what they do. They’re best at mirroring what they see from their role models so it’s best to set out your best effort when you face them.
Conclusion
Don’t be afraid of having fun with your students while you teach. Try out new things and think outside the box.
Let your students take the spotlight more often, you’ll be surprised with what they have to say and share. Let their ideas spark the change inside your classroom.
The possibilities are endless on how to make teaching and learning enjoyable. Laugh with them, share meaningful stories with them, and let them know that you are there to help them learn not to just throw lessons at them day after day.
If teaching is your passion, everything else will follow. What matters is that you teach with your heart and you have the compassion to help your students learn, and I know that you do because you’re reading this!
Do you have a unique way to keep things interesting in class? Care to share some of your best practices to make things exciting and fun?
Sound off below as I’d love to hear your strategies and techniques to make every school day a fun-filled day!
Happy teaching!
