Do you remember sitting in a class you didn’t particularly care about, bored out of your mind to the point of distraction?

Of course you do. We all had classes like that. For me it was English class. I had already read all the books they assigned to read, already thought about the material on my own, and I was ready to move on. I nearly had an equal dislike for social studies class, which talked about things that were long past and didn’t have any bearing on my current world as a child.

For many it is math, some claim science. Still, other’s disliked the art classes more than anything. For each of us, what we liked what we were naturally good at the most, followed by what what we are interested in but aren’t naturally good at. This takes up a majority of our lives — as rightly as it should. It will, after all, lead us to a unique and fulfilling life if we listen to it.

All the other classes that we take to make us educated, well rounded human beings? We generally just want to get through it and get back to the fun stuff.

So, what are we to do to make those dreary, dreaded topics fun again?

You’re aiming for this level of excitement, right? Image found at College Times.

Whether from the student or teacher perspective, there are three things you can do to make those terrible topics a bit more fun again.

Yes. Really.

Make it useful

Let’s face it now. There are very few people in the world that want to waste their time on things that they will not use. (I happen to be one of those collectors of useless knowledge, so I know my kindred spirits are few and far between.) When the knowledge we are learning is going to be useful for us beyond the exam, we store the information and skills away for later use with all seriousness.

You can help students make this leap if you show them how it’ll be useful later on in life beyond the exam. It’s hard, especially if you’ve never used the information and skills, but give it a go. Try to find ways that the skills you’re teaching in class are going to be used by real people later on.

And students? Keep an open mind about your fellow man’s future. You never know what the person next to you wants to do for a living or might end up doing to pay the bills while they make gorgeous art in their spare time. Be supportive.

Make it interesting

Teachers at Lake Central concur: Make it interesting, make it applicable, make it fun. Image from Lake Central News.

There is a fine line between interesting facts and boring detail. The point of diminishing returns depends on the individual student. That, of course, makes teaching a class of 30 more than a bit challenging. The key is to give enough interesting facts to show drama and intrigue about the lesson, but not enough to make it boring.

Example?

OK. Newton, for example, wasn’t just “some guy” that solidified our ideas of gravity. He was a recluse with a bit of an attitude. He was OCD and also believed in the power of alchemy. He seriously thought he could turn lead into gold and find the philosopher’s stone.

When you tell people a little bit of the whole story, the topic comes alive in their minds. The key is not to add too much detail as to make it drag on. When that line is crossed, eyes start to glaze over.

Students, if your teachers aren’t making it interesting enough for you, ask! Ask for as many details as you want to make it come alive. We may not always have the answers, but watching us scour our memory could be hilarious too.

Make it quick

We are taught to introduce the information, give the information, and repeat the information a few times. This repetition helps the brain remember ideas, and it’s a fabulous technique. But that doesn’t mean it has to drag on for hours and days. Put yourself in the other shoes and give it ago. Listen to a lecture you find boring and see how long you stay checked in. That is about how long you have to catch attention spans.

In your introduction of a topic, show them how it’s useful in the every day world, give them some background information, and tie it into what they have already learnt. That shouldn’t take too long — about 5 – 10 minutes depending on the topic. Keeping yourself on a short leash here will ensure you don’t go off on a tangent.

Then, spend a bit of time explaining the concept with a concrete example or two. Once you see the light come on, progress to repeating the information once, then have the students step up and show their examples. When you involve the students, they are hearing the repetition from themselves, which makes it a bit more tolerable to the brains.

Your thoughts wanted!

What are your thoughts? What makes a dull topic more palatable to you? How do you cope with a boring teacher? Tips on engaging others?