BusinessHABMy class: There’s a new class every day, and it can sometimes feel like you’re in the same one for months on end. After all, how are you supposed to stay engaged with your students after they’ve heard the same 20 questions about themselves for the 100th time?
Luckily, it doesn’t take much to get your learners excited about coming back to school. And if new ideas are what you need, that’s OK too. We think you should try some different tactics so that even your retrograde students can feel like they’re being challenged again. Here are our top five ideas for reviving your old-school curriculum—and making your new one feel as fresh as ever:
Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value. You can request publication of your article for publication by sending it to us via our Email below. Click here to start business now with businesshab.com
New Classroom: The Best Ways to Engage Your Students (And Teachers)
If you ask most educators, they’ll tell you that the single biggest challenge in their classroom is getting their students to pay attention. The problem is that many classrooms feel like busy places these days. There are so many distractions and new tools for learners now that it can feel like a 24/7 digital world outside your walls. But, have we really considered what this means for our learning environments? How can we make our classrooms more engaging for our students? What steps can we take as teachers to create a more captivating learning experience? To address these questions and more, read on…
What does it mean to be “engaging”?
This is a loaded topic, so let’s start by looking at what “engaging” in the classroom really means. Engaging in the classroom means taking on different roles as a facilitator, a learner, and a communicator.
This can sound complicated, but in practice, it’s really not. Facilitating is about creating a safe environment where students can explore and feel confident in their own exploration.
It’s about creating a space where students feel like they can truly be themselves — both as a person and as a learner — even if that means stepping out of your comfort zone a bit to help your students get more out of the classroom experience.
Engaging as a Learner means immersing yourself in the course material and putting in the effort to understand the information you’re being taught.
It means applying the new knowledge you’ve gained to real-world situations.
It means applying what you’ve learned in a way that helps you grow as a person.
Communicating effectively is another huge component of engaging in the classroom.
It means speaking and writing in a way that’s clear and concise.
But it also includes creating an environment where your students feel welcome and included in the learning process. It means creating an environment where students feel encouraged to ask questions and express themselves in a way that’s constructive and helpful.
Make Your Classroom Feel Like Home
When we think of engaging our learners, we often think of making our classrooms feel like home. Why? Because a home setting is where we feel most comfortable. It’s where we have the most control. It’s where we can feel safe and supported. But, a classroom has just as many opportunities to feel like home as a home does. If you want your classroom to feel like a home, you have to make it feel like a home. This means creating a homey environment that feels welcoming and comfortable for you and your students. It means creating an environment where students feel supported in their exploration and facilitated in their learning. It means creating an environment that inspires curiosity and creativity. Homey classrooms don’t always come naturally. They take effort and create a new culture within your classroom. But once your classroom feels like a home, engagement will come naturally.
Help your Learners Feel Welcome
Creating a sense of community in your classroom is another way to help your learners feel welcome. Communities like this are often created through peer-to-peer interactions between students. These interactions can take many forms — sharing ideas, working as a team, asking questions, or offering constructive feedback. Creating a sense of community also means creating an environment where your students feel safe and included. It means creating an environment where students feel welcomed and supported. It means creating an environment where students can be themselves and explore who they are and what they love without fear of judgement. Creating a sense of community doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and effort to create a community that feels safe and welcoming for your students. But once you’ve done it, you’ll find that engagement will come much more easily.
Use Technology to Your Advantage
While engaging your learners certainly doesn’t mean becoming a YouTube pro and using every tool at your disposal, using technology to your advantage can be a powerful way to increase engagement. The best part about engaging with technology is that it allows you to completely customize your classroom experience to your own needs and preferences. It means creating a learning environment that feels welcoming and accessible for you and your students. It means creating an environment where students feel supported in their exploration and facilitated in their learning. It means creating an environment where students feel safe exploring and engaged in a way that’s helpful and constructive. Engaging with technology doesn’t mean that you have to spend hours on the computer each day. It means that you spend time in your classroom that feels like learning, and that you create an environment that feels welcoming and engaging for your learners.
Get up off the treadmill and change things up
As much as we’d like to, there’s no way that we can keep up with technology advancements and expectations without dipping into our learning hours. So, what can we do? One thing that you can do when you feel like you need a break from the hectic pace of your day is to take a step back. A step back means taking a break from your computer and creating a safe space for yourself to explore, reflect, and recharge. It means creating an environment where you can be yourself and step away from the pressures of your day. You can also try flipping the classroom tables. For example, you can use technology in different ways than you normally would. Or you can use it to create a more engaging learning environment for your students.
Conclusion
Engaging your learners isn’t a magical process that happens once you’ve “made it.” Engaging in the classroom doesn’t happen overnight — it takes effort and change on a daily basis. And, engaging in the classroom doesn’t mean that you’ve succeeded as a teacher — it means that you’ve taken the time to engage with your students. Engaging your learners is a journey, not a destination. You have to be open to changing your teaching methods, thinking outside the box, and creating a homey classroom that inspires curiosity and creativity. It means stepping out of your comfort zone, and taking the time to create an engaging learning environment for your students.
BusinessHAB