5 Tips for Teaching Boring Topics

Teaching boring topics can be as hard for the teacher as it is the student at learning time. Having some degree of interest in what you’re doing, or in this case, teaching, makes all the difference in the world. For those saddled with teaching boring topics on the regular, here are five simple tips that can help make the experience much better for everyone involved.

Include More Outings

Call them field trips, days out, educational outings – whatever the terminology applied, trips outside of the school can be a great way to lively up the otherwise cumbersome classroom experience. No matter the subject you teach, there is a world of related concepts and examples out there waiting to be explored. If funding or other difficulties stand in the way, consider student fund raising, or even simple trips outside, but still on school grounds. Even here, surprising and unorthodox opportunities await within the outdoor environment.

Include More Hands-On Activities

Learning is handled differently in each and every one of us. While there are lots of visual, audio, and other types of learners, virtually all of us are hands-on learners to some capacity. Countless studies have confirmed this as well as the many tenured teachers out there themselves. Even more good news: hands-on activities can be orchestrated in all kinds of ways and for virtually any subject matter being taught.

Employ Fun and Games

It may seem unorthodox to some, but science has also proven time and time again that fun, games, and other activities considered to be entertaining always yield the best learning results. Humor specifically has been clinically shown to draw much more learning and memory engagement from the student. In addition, these much lighter teaching approaches can’t hurt in turning around a dull and boring classroom.

Contributing writer at BusyTeacher.Org, Claudia Pesce promotes a number of great ways to make things more lighthearted here. Among these approaches in upping the fun level are:

– incorporating the students’ pop culture interests into the lesson

– finding the “loopy hole”, or utilizing whatever makes the class find humor and combined interest and jubilation

– being more personable and smiling more often

– whenever possible, skipping the technical talk and replacing it with down-to-Earth language the students can better relate to

Revise That Lesson Plan

If simple additions and subtractions from your daily lesson plan really aren’t having the desired effect, consider a complete lesson plan overhaul. In doing so, consider yourself as a student and what then may really draw your own interest and memory functions. Certainly, you must also impart the necessary core course knowledge, but don’t be afraid to completely rework the plan if it isn’t working.

Seek Outside Services

Finally, seeking outside services such as those offered by consultation professionals may be just what the doctor ordered. Sometimes it really can be tough to come up with a better way to teach a difficult or boring subject. This is where the professionals come in.

There are many outside consultation services that specialize in education, teaching, and, for that matter, more dynamic, fun, and effective classroom facilitation. These services will come to you and provide expert advise and assistance in orchestrating any necessary changes. If you are unable to personally hire such a service, you can always consult with your hiring department to see what options are available to you in getting assistance to improve your teaching endeavors, by this mode or any other.

Teaching isn’t necessarily the easiest profession out there. This is especially true when the subject matter being taught puts the teacher to sleep even before the students. In the end, these five basic tips can often do a great service in battling the doldrums of teaching boring topics in the classroom today.