“Sometimes it’s OK to do things in class because it increases the fun factor and fosters positive feelings about school. “

It’s Not a Waste of Time

Doing a quick game, activity, or challenge is not a waste of time. If you do such an activity, you might notice the following

– students cheering on and encouraging their peers
– students cooperating and offering great tips
– students who never interact with each other before, working together

All of that can come from a silly activity and not detract from the regular learning that happens in your room.

I love doing special activities in school and think we can find time to do them more often. We can do short challenges and tie them into the theme or context of the learning we want to see happen in that lesson.

Be Creative

In the book, Teach Like a Pirate, Dave Burgess writes about how he sets up a hike that goes around some of the outer fields of the campus. He plans out the route and sets up all sorts of props and scenes throughout. During the class period, they go for a walk, and stop at those areas to have a lesson, lecture, or activity.

These activities can be fun, energizing, and educational! And the best part is that it gets students excited about school and breaks the monotony of the traditional school setting that inspires very few of us.

Teaching Tip Tuesday – yours source for weekly classroom inspiration