Creating Interest

Day 1

Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:3-5 (NLT)

My middle school English teacher jumped on the counters when reciting lines from Hamlet. She posed questions that required deep-soul searching. And she led us in novel study units that included projects, discussions, and field trips. She created interest in the material and immersed us in the content. Engagement was her strength.

One of the first keys to engaging students is to create interest through excitement. If kids aren’t curious or connected, they will not engage. We need to show them how excited we are about the topic and share interesting tidbits we’ve learned while preparing for the lesson. Excitement can make the dullest topic magical. Dress the part. Memorize a monologue. Show a news report. Pose an intriguing question that can’t remain unanswered. We can show our students how exciting learning can really be.

Along with excitement, we can stimulate the senses through inquiry. Experiments aren’t only for science. Think about ways to engage taste, sight, touch, hearing, and smell. Take them back to the hidden basement on the Underground Railroad through sensory rich storytelling. Make food that would have been eaten on the Titanic. Build a structure using the Pythagorean theorem. Challenge the students with inferences and hypotheses and allow them to discover the answers through experimentation.

The possibilities are endless in this modern age of technology. Interviews, virtual field trips, biographies, new discoveries, and inventions are everywhere on the web. There is no reason to ever neglect the inclusion of relevant, up to date content and activities. Kids love to engage with new material. Utilize the internet and real-life connections.

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.

If we can build interest in the classroom, what about in our relationship with God? Are we interested in his kingdom? His love? Grace? Are we asking questions? Reading biographies? Making things fun and relevant? Allowing God to stimulate our senses and show us new things about himself? Are we interested in learning more about God?

https://classroommanagementexpert.com/blog/how-do-you-build-students-interest-in-learning-in-the-classroom/

Do the Heart Work

1.      How are you creating interest in your classroom?

2.      How would your classroom change if you could get your students engaged and interested in the content you are teaching?

3.      Are you interested in God’s Word? His character? His ways? How are you showing that interest?

Digging Deeper

Read John 2:1-10 (NLT)

The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.”

“Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”

But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions.

When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!”

This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him

              Jesus created interest by not only turning the water into wine, but made it better than the original wine. It was unexpected. Totally new. And the disciples were amazed.

If You Get Spare Time 

              Think about topics that interest you. What do you do to learn more about those things? What topics interest your kids?  How can you pique their curiosity? Brainstorm ways to build interest in your classroom while adding fun and creativity.