5 easy ways to spice up a lesson

5 easy ways to spice up a lesson

1. Take it Outside

Get your students up and out of their seats by taking your lesson outside. A change of scenery can help break up the monotony of the classroom and add a new level of excitement to the lesson. 

This doesn’t need to be for any particular reason. 

Got some worksheets for students to do? Get them to complete them outside. That’s it.

Apart from being a great way to spice up a lesson, is also one of my fave ways to differentiate. It allows students to sit or stand or lie down in a way that works for them. It also allows students to group together, pair up or isolate for quiet time. 

If you want to go the extra mile you could turn your lesson into a scavenger hunt, but honestly just taking your class outside is enough.

Some tips:

• Set strict rules before hand with the warning that if they don’t behave appropriately or don’t take their work seriously you will bring them back inside.
• This doesn’t have to go for the entire lesson. Even just a 20 minute section of the lesson could be done outside.
• Make sure you let your admin know if you are planning to do this in case of an emergency or the need for a student to be contacted by the office.
• Consider other classes, the weather, and seating options. 

2. Incorporate a Fun Brain Break

Brain breaks are a great way to spice up a lesson. They give your students a mental break which allows them to re-focus and continue learning. 

Incorporating a fun activity that has a competitive edge like bottle flipping, or rock, paper, scissors, can re-energise students and help them be ready to dive back into the lesson.

Here are 23 of my favorite brain break ideas for middle school.

3. Turn it into Stations

Adding movement and choice are great components when you are looking to spice up a lesson. Turning your lesson into stations is a great way to get your students up and moving while still teaching them important concepts. 

You can set up stations around the room and have students rotate through each station, working on different aspects of the lesson. 

This allows students to work at their own pace and can make the lesson feel more interactive and hands-on.

Again, this doesn’t need to involve heaps of extra preparation for you. Instead of having the class work linearly through the different activities you already had planned, split them up into stations around the room. 

4. Make it a Competition

Adding a competitive element to your lesson can be a great way to get your students motivated and engaged. 

Whether it’s a friendly competition between groups or a class-wide contest, giving students a reason to work hard and try their best can add a new level of excitement to the lesson. 

I often do this while watching an educational video. I split my class into teams, and while watching students write questions (and answers) from the video. We then go around and each group can ask the class a question. The group that answers first correctly gets a point and if no one can answer it then the team that asked it get a point.

This works particularly well to spice up a lesson for videos that are more than 10 mins long. 

Don’t forget to add some incentive, like a prize or lollies, to keep your students motivated.

5. Add Some Fun Tools

Adding fun tools to your lesson can help keep your students engaged and make the lesson more interactive. 

Buzzers, dice, or mini whiteboards, can be used to create hands-on and interactive lessons. Even something more simple like incorporating post-it notes is enough to spice up a lesson.

Incorporating these fun tools can help keep your students interested and engaged, even when the subject matter is challenging.

Conclusion

In conclusion, incorporating these five simple tips into your lessons can help make your lessons more engaging and interesting for your students. 

From taking the lesson outside to adding fun tools, there are many ways to add a new level of excitement to your lessons. So don’t be afraid to get creative and try something new!

If you’re still in doubt, try to add movement, change the environment, or try something new and out of the ordinary.

Do you have a way you like to spice up a lesson?

Please comment below!