It is that time in the school year where the weather starts to beckon our students, distracting them from the learning in the classroom by luring them outdoors. They have a level of comfort with the routines, expectations, teachers and their classmates that affords them the ability to skate by every now and then. To be honest, I get it. There are moments that I want nothing more than to be outside soaking up the warmth of the sun and enjoying the fresh air. When these feelings start to rise in our classes, we have a choice to make. We can either encourage students to resist and remain present, or we can sprinkle in a little change to help them refocus. 

Here are five ways to help students crush the mid year slump:

Make it a collaborative game. Encouraging students to work together to beat their collective best last score is a challenge students from Kindergarten to twelfth grade can’t resist. Whether the idea is to transition more efficiently, read longer, or complete more of the project they are working on, by adding a time limit, increasing the number completed, or sharing with students how the class will ‘level up’ can break the monotony and lead to a resurgence of energy and focus.

Get physical. Incorporating movement into your class throughout the period or the day is a research-backed way to raise students’ energy and attention. Consider starting the period with a group “warm up” of movement (desk push-ups, jumping jacks, chair dips, or other fun movement) or giving students a word to listen for and perform an accompanying movement whenever it is said. Allowing students to move in a controlled manner at the start and throughout the class will elevate their engagement and increase their productivity. 

Turn the tables. Your students have watched you for more than six months, they’re ready to teach, right? To mix up the learning, assign students to small groups and have them prepare a lesson to teach the class that is focused on the unit they are working on. Provide each group with the necessary materials and information to learn the lesson they will be teaching and coach them during the work period. 

Independent interest work time. One way to ignite passion for a subject is to allow students to explore part of it on their own. Set aside time for students to ask a question about the topic you are currently teaching and then find the answer themselves. Whether it involves trying new techniques, learning a new skill not covered yet, or drawing upon past knowledge, the opportunity to explore and share their learning will have students focused on what is happening inside the classroom rather than outside. 

Invite a guest speaker. Experts on almost any content area can be found in your own community and many willing to share their knowledge and experience for free! Tap into your community to shake up the learning by inviting a guest to be a speaker, demonstrate a particular technique, or inspire students by seeing how they make a living through their passion. 

At this time in the school year, it can be challenging to keep students motivated and engaged in the learning. Instead of working harder, we can work smarter by changing up the regular routine and allowing the change to help students re-engage. When students feel inspired and committed to their work, we feed off their energy, being propelled by their enthusiasm to create active and interactive lessons. The symbiotic relationship creates a learning environment where passion and engagement run deep and everyone experiences success. 

Written by Sarah Fillion and Dana Januszka for Positive School Solutions 2021