Whether you're new to teaching or you've been teaching for a while, you likely are familiar with the task (and challenge at times) of keeping school fun and engaging.
Here are some tips to help you do just that so that your children and you can have an enjoyable time together.
Mix it Up
Sometimes, the best way to keep learning interesting and help the children stay engaged is to add some change to your school day routine.
This could be as simple as having class outside on a nice day. Or maybe, go to a local library or coffee shop to have a change of scenery.
Another way to mix it up is to put the textbook (or computer) down for a day and instead choose flash cards, board games, or a project instead.
Maybe do a project where your students create a comic about a chapter that they read rather than writing a summary. Or teach about nutritional and healthy foods and then go experiment with juicing your own fruits and vegetables to make a homemade juice.
Structure and routine are good, but don't be afraid to be flexible and add some variety to your classes!
You might even find that some of these ways better suit how your children learn. They will appreciate and enjoy some change to keep school interesting.
Add Some Music
A good way to set a positive tone and maintain a nice learning environment is to play some music during the school day. We like to listen to instrumental music in the background during some of our work times.
If you're a musical person, you can implement music and rhymes into your teaching as well. This especially works well for younger children. If you aren't very musical, there are plenty of musical learning videos that others have made online that you can add into your lessons.
There are many benefits of music. Music can help improve memory, boost focus and performance, relieve stress, and help create a more fun and learning conducive atmosphere.
In addition to listening to music, it's a great idea to actually have some kind of a music class. There are many online lessons and programs to choose from that can help teach your children music theory or how to play a specific instrument.
Try a New Class
"What's your favorite class?" Well that depends... if your classes include a baking class where you get to create tasty desserts, a coding class where you learn how to program games and websites, a gardening class to learn how to grow food, or a business class to learn how to take creative ideas and opportunities to start your own business, then this might be a hard question to answer!
Or maybe you want to add drawing, cooking, plant foraging, typing, or keyboarding classes to your school routine. There's many possibilities, so you're only limited by your own imagination!
This is a great way to help tailor your school routine to your child and to include subjects that really interest them into their learning. It's also a great way for them to explore and find out what they're interested in!
It's also an opportunity to have a more well-rounded education. "I wish we would have learned this when we were in school!" What are some classes that you would have been grateful for when you were in school? Maybe these will make a good addition to your children's schooling!
