You're teaching with a set curriculum. How do you keep students engaged and motivated?

At the same time, we need to vary teaching methods and linking content to students' interests. Incorporate examples, case studies or projects that captivate learners' interest. Also incorporate contemporary examples or real-life problems that demonstrate the importance of the content taught in everyday life. Alternate between traditional teaching methods and more interactive approaches such as group discussions, role-playing, debates or collaborative projects. This helps maintain attention and respond to learners' different learning styles, whatever their field of study.

Leveraging technology can enhance tailored learning. Using educational platforms that offer interactive and personalized learning experiences helped cater to diverse learning styles and preferences. Students who enjoyed gaming could engage with gamified learning modules, while visual learners benefited from multimedia presentations. Understanding and incorporating students' interests and current events into the curriculum, you can create a dynamic and engaging learning environment.

To keep students engaged with the curriculum, tailor lessons to their interests and current events. Understand what excites your students and incorporate those elements into your lessons. For example, if teaching history and your class is interested in technology, focus on the historical impact of technological advancements. Linking the curriculum to real-world scenarios that resonate with them makes the content more relatable and interesting, increasing their motivation to learn.

To utilize interactive teaching methods, transform passive learning into an active experience. For example, if you're teaching a science lesson on ecosystems, encourage students to participate in discussions, work on group projects to create ecosystem models, or engage in role-playing as different organisms within an ecosystem. This approach makes learning more enjoyable and helps students develop critical thinking and collaboration skills. By actively involving students in their learning process, you'll foster a dynamic classroom environment where motivation thrives.

Innover par la variation des modalités pédagogiques peut augmenter l’intérêt des élèves pour les contenus ou les activités d’apprentissage proposées. La classe en présence, la classe à distance, les classes inversée inversée, hybride, comodale, synchrone ou asynchrone adaptées à des activités convenablement choisies, peuvent alors être d’une grande utilité.

To rethink assessments, integrate creative and varied evaluation methods. For example, instead of just traditional tests, you could supplement them with projects, presentations, or creative writing assignments aligned with the curriculum's objectives. In a literature class, students could create a visual art project or write a modern-day adaptation of a classic story. This variety caters to different learning styles and keeps students motivated by allowing them to showcase their knowledge in diverse ways. Creative assessments also help students see the practical application of what they're learning, further engaging them with the material.

Encourage students to set personal learning goals that align with the curriculum by having them articulate what they hope to achieve. For example, in a math class, guide them in creating SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals such as "Improve my score on algebra quizzes by 15% over the next two months." This gives them a sense of ownership over their education. By setting clear targets and tracking their progress, students stay motivated and focused on their personal and academic growth.

Establish a continuous feedback loop to maintain engagement and motivation by providing regular, constructive feedback on student work. For example, after a science project, offer detailed comments on what they did well and areas for improvement. Create opportunities for students to reflect on their learning, such as through self-assessment forms or class discussions. This helps them understand their strengths and areas for growth, showing that you value their efforts and are invested in their success. A positive feedback culture boosts student confidence and motivation, keeping them engaged with the curriculum.

Imagine you are teaching a high school biology class with a set curriculum. Start by outlining the objectives for each unit, such as understanding cell structure and function. Use quick quizzes at the end of each lesson to check for understanding. Provide prompt and detailed feedback on assignments, highlighting both what students did well and where they can improve. Set up peer review sessions for lab reports, encouraging students to give and receive constructive feedback. Use varied teaching methods, such as virtual dissections, videos, and group discussions, to keep the lessons engaging. Finally, create a safe environment for feedback by using anonymous surveys to gather student opinions and adjust your teaching methods accordingly.

We create educational videos that address the PSHE curriculum for our peer learning app, Peerscroller. The trick to staying flexible? Each video is max one to two minutes long. The short length helps engage learners, but it also reduces to work needed to create a single video. That means we can try different things and see what learners engage with. And if learners really do engage with a given video's style of teaching, we can quickly pounce on that approach and make the most of it with more videos in the same vein! I'm sure the same approach can be adapted for use in the classroom, too - there's nothing that's specifically digital about it.