Between stop-and-go online and in-person teaching over the past few pandemic years, educators are understandably exhausted. Their students have suffered, too, with significant setbacks in learning. As summer draws to a close and teachers prepare to return to class, here are some ideas of ways to energize students in your classroom this fall.
Rearrange Your Classroom
Moving desks and tables into a new configuration can make teachers feel refreshed and give students a new perspective. In the fall, a new group of learners enters the space, and educators can try new methods and lessons that make use of group seating or that permit independent learning at desks where social distancing is still advisable.
Change the Routine After Winter Break
Your morning drill may be getting old. Involve students by creating a new routine, whether it’s adding a review of what’s in the news or assigning rotating responsibilities for passing out materials. Elementary students will feel more energized and engaged when they get to actively participate in running their classroom.
Get Moving
Learning in front of a laptop was so passive that students struggled to stay awake, much less stay involved. Once your pupils are back in the live classroom, take breaks that involve movement between lessons. Get everyone who can stand up out of their chairs, and lead them in five minutes of physical activity, from dancing to playing musical chairs. Don’t forget to adapt activities for students with disabilities so that they can participate.
Incorporate Experiential Learning
Whether you use math manipulatives or help your students put on an educational play about a historical event, experiential learning is a wonderful way to engage students in your classroom.
Add science activities involving exploration, including using microscopes to foster engagement. Let your students participate in bridge or robot building contests or learn how to create apps using programs that help make their creative ideas a reality.
Keeping students engaged has always been a challenge for teachers, but never more than now, as the pandemic keeps re-emerging when teachers, students, and parents alike are burned out with it. However, learning can be a wonderful respite. Understanding science and history can reduce anxiety about what has been happening in the world and give students energy and hope for what they can accomplish in the future.
