Many of our students have no idea how to focus on others instead of themselves. Raised behind screens and with parents who are often unavailable, we are educating a me-focused generation. What if we could teach them the value of serving others? What if we created a classroom focused on out-serving the next person?

As adults and teachers, we often struggle in the fun department. We get distracted by our “have to” list and neglect the ignition of genuine wonder and excitement in the lives of our students. None of us enjoy boring lectures, professional developments, or meetings. Nor do our kids want boredom. How can we bring fun, excitement, and newness into our classrooms on a regular basis? And how can we bring it into our own lives as well?

Scaffolding is critical for brain engagement. Think about prior knowledge, then add the next piece to that knowledge. Keep adding and connecting to the original knowledge, but each level gets a little harder, deeper, and requires higher levels of thought. With everything we teach, our goal should be to scaffold the material such a way that every student could teach the content to another person confidently.

The only way I was able to learn how to drive a standard shift truck was by being an active participant. The only way your students will truly learn the content is if they become active participants. Like Jesus sending out the disciples to complete his work across the territories, we must present opportunities for our students to dive into the material and actively participate, taking ownership as they dive in.

We can also ask the students what they want to learn about and offer them choices. Kids will learn more if they are already interested in the topic or if they are in a group of people with similar interests. Posing questions, sharing interesting facts, and offering true stories builds interest quickly.

Engagement changed everything about my classroom, especially when paired with responsibility, pacing, procedures, and routine. I went from having decent classroom management to basically having zero behavior problems. When kids are consumed by learning, secured by a routine, steadied by a fast pace, and feel safe with consistent procedures the classroom can almost run itself.