As I have mentioned before, teachers must in some form be entertainers as well as teachers. While children must learn to some degree to be attentive and responsive without great reward other than self-satisfaction, teachers must also work to engage students as thoroughly as possible.
Creative lesson plans are the best learning opportunities for students. When students are excited and actively engaged in a lesson, they learn more and remember it longer.
Through the many various levels that I have taught I have learned that there is one lesson ingredient that is sure to spark even the least motivated child?s interest. That ingredient is food.
In today?s health conscious world, teachers and schools must be very careful about the snacks, food rewards, and items that they serve to students.
However, many wonderful lessons can be carried out with a variety of candies, cereals, crackers, and more.
Colorful snacks are great for graphing and other math activities. They can be used for sorting, categorizing, and grouping. Food and science also mix very well together. During science lessons, food can be created and recipes followed. Students can explore mixtures, compounds, and solutions in a variety of ways.
Even when the students realize that the food is to use in a lesson and not for consumption, they are still excited. The new and unusual manipulative sparks great interest in the activity.
When using food in lessons, strict rules should be given before the item is passed out. There should be no eating until after the lesson is over. If the items were unwrapped and handled by the children, they should be thrown away. Always save some of the food item that is untouched for eating after the lesson is over.
In my next article I will detail some foods and activities that go great together!
Tips: Managing Student Supplies