Incorporating Something Creative into Every Lesson
Check out our list of tips for incorporating something creative into every lesson.
Create lessons that allow learners to teach something. Set the model and give your learners the freedom to design their own strategies to increase participation and learning. Instructing is one of the most effective ways to learn.
Utilize stories and anecdotes to connect learning with real-life situations. Learners will remember the story and then link it to the concept.
Utilize graphics to help learners with organizing info from text. Many learners need the visual image of organized thoughts to help them compile info.
Support learners’ sense of curiosity by providing opportunities to investigate, probe, and uncover info. Supply multiple ways learners can accomplish their task and present it in various forms.
Start reading aloud a passage of a novel or short story to learners. You can do this at any grade level, from elementary through high school. You have engaged the learner through reading aloud, and they are more likely to continue reading.
Create groups and have learners author story problems for math concepts they have been studying. Learners use comprehension, creativity, and problem-solving skills to help them write the problems, plus problem-solving skills to help them solve the problem.
Do mental activities with your students when only a few minutes are left during the class or day. Such activities keep students’ thinking sharp and activated. Utilize trivia questions, problem-solving questions, or current event questions.
Construct learning centers that exercise learning, promote inquiry, and provide challenges. Once learners have explored many learning options, design another learning center to optimize skills and concepts. Construct on the concepts or skills you identify in the lessons by designing the centers around math, science, and reading. You can prepare learning centers around the arts areas, themes, or topics such as engineering or Valentine’s celebration.
Once you teach, use descriptive and lively words, provide several examples to support the concept, and try to explain a lesson relevant to the world of work. Learners need to continue to see the relevance (Why do we have to learn this?) and cement their learning in examples.
Present real-life learning experiences for learners by visiting local factories, business establishments, and governmental agencies. Attempt to provide hands-on experiences for the learners whenever appropriate. Hold learners accountable for their learning by asking them to give feedback summarizing their experience.
Nurture discovery, invention, inquiry, and artistic creations through meaningful lessons that will promote synthesis and evaluation. Learners must be challenged to think beyond the usual conventions in the class.
Share some of your interests, collections, and prized treasures with your learners. Bring your favorite CD, kindergarten picture, diplomas, and family pictures. Regularly change what you have displayed. You’ll persist in building a closer relationship with your learners, and the items will provide more things to talk about with your learners.