At the start of the last school year, Texas teacher Katy Alexander took an unconventional approach to bringing the spark back to her teaching: She made a high-stakes bet on the life of a lobster.
Then in her third year of teaching, Alexander had begun to feel the first flickers of burnout—until she came up with a kooky, crustacean-themed challenge. Work hard, she promised her new 9th grade class, and I’ll buy a grocery store lobster to release in the wild at the end of the school year. Don’t, and I’ll enjoy a lobster dinner.
In her recent opinion essay and accompanying video, Alexander documents how the lighthearted challenge transformed her classroom culture over the course of a year. (Deep exhale, animal lovers: The lobster made it.)
Other teachers looking to add a little levity to their classrooms this year don’t necessarily have to reach for the drawn butter. Sometimes an invigorating introduction to a new group of students can be as simple as incorporating some classic game-based learning.
In a two-part series, Larry Ferlazzo tapped his extensive network of fellow educators to compile a list of cherished classroom games. Browse through “17 Favorite Classroom-Learning Games” and “Want to Have Fun in the Classroom? Try Learning Games” for ideas.
Even brief group activities can help students learn each other’s names and set the tone for future collaboration at the start of a new year. That’s why Nebraska teacher Renee Jones starts every semester with an activity to get kids up from their desks and talking to each other.
“I believe that by asking my students to do this, in small increments, at the start of our time together,” she explains, “it eases the tension as the tasks become more difficult—such as being asked to present a five-minute speech in front of their peers. I want my students to know that, in our classroom, we move around and frequently talk and share ideas with our peers.”
For more detail on how Jones establishes these collaborative classroom norms—and the tone-setters shared by a couple of her fellow educators—check out “3 Educators Offer Their Best Ideas for Starting the Year Off Right.”
Movement is also fundamental for Utah teacher Mark Daniel, who strives to never keep students at their desks for longer than 20 minutes:
Beyond reinforcing student rapport, mental health counselor and education researcher Zoe Darazsdi recommends movement breaks for helping students connect with their own emotions. In this 2022 opinion essay, she offers three research-backed tips for marrying movement with social-emotional learning.
Another way to bring more energy into your teaching? Look beyond your classroom walls.
Calling on her fellow teachers to reject the misconception that “serious analytical thinking is an indoor activity,” Kate Ehrenfeld Gardoqui makes the case for teaching class outside in her 2019 opinion essay. From her experience teaching a course on nature writing designed for struggling students, the Maine educator saw how studying al fresco helped her class access a new level of academic rigor and creativity.
Ultimately, though, it was the emotional experience that stuck with her the longest: “When we walked through the dim school hallway and out the door, there was a feeling of lightness that would sweep through the class as blue sky unfurled above us.”
You don’t need to have your toes in the grass to venture beyond the four walls of the classroom. As New York social studies teacher Alexander Han explains in “The Weight Room Is the Best Classroom in a School,” plenty of memorable learning experiences can happen outside a traditional academic setting.
For those who prefer a less literal connection between teaching andexercise, check out this South Carolinian teacher’s reflection on “The 4 Ways Teaching Is Like Yoga.” Whether you’re looking to finally land a textbook handstand or draw a laugh from your shyest student, Allison Kilgore Thompson has some inspiration for you.
And it’s not just teachers looking to reconnect with their sense of play. “Many leaders begin the year with a commitment to be more present in learning spaces, but the daily realities of the role, including emails, meetings, and unexpected challenges, quickly take over,” elementary school principal Ian Knox recently reflected. “Without realizing it, the heart of the work slips quietly to the edges.”
His solution for staying connected with students is simple but effective: Read to them. By dropping into classes for read-alouds, Knox found that he not only made himself more approachable, he also rediscovered the joy he has for leading.
Do you have your own idea for keeping school fresh this year? We’d love to hear from you.
