Now that springtime is here, you may notice its effects on yourself and your classroom engagement. Not only is it a season of new beginnings, but the shift towards more mild weather, especially the invigorating fresh air, often causes a change. You might even notice your student’s attention steering away from the whiteboard to daydreams of the great outdoors!
But you can recapture their attention with some simple ways to incorporate the season in the school room. And Daybreak Lesson Plans has a few ideas to get you thinking about how to leverage the springtime for furthering your classroom engagement.
Carefully Match Your Classroom to the Season
As an elementary school teacher, you probably know about decking out your classroom to create an inviting atmosphere. And although sometimes it can seem overwhelming to keep up with the seasons and holidays, going overboard with decorations isn’t something you would normally stress about.
But keep in mind that many studies suggest that too much decoration in the classroom can be a distraction to your classroom engagement. So, what should you do?
Instead of spending hours of your own time and extra dollars, try something different. What’s important when you’re decorating for the season is student input for more empowerment! And simple changes can make the difference. Need a few examples? Daybreak has you covered!
- Identify springtime vocab and create matching artwork to decorate with.
- Add a pop of color to your desk by adding a bright cover or a festive garland.
- Use brown butcher paper to create a giant tree your students can adorn with handmade decorations.
- Take springtime pictures for a class Instagram and print them out for a fun springtime wall.
- Play music, like springtime sonatas, to get your students in the mood for the season.
Use an Outdoor Activity to Bring in Classroom Engagement
Now that you’ve thought about some ways to bring the springtime into your classroom engagement, why not bring your classroom out into spring? And you don’t have to go out of your way to plan a field-trip or get caught up in approvals with these easy outdoor activities:
- Plan a flower or plant hunt with students working in pairs or teams to identify springtime foliage.
- Put on a book reading outside in the fresh air with students taking turns reading.
- Create a color matching activity where students can match colors swatches to the colors of the season.
- Have an outdoor session where students find items that represent spring to incorporate for display on the class bulletin board. Talk about classroom engagement!
With springtime here, you’ve got some great ideas to start to incorporate the season into your classroom engagement. And if you want some more tips and pointers on how to position your classroom management for engagement, be sure to check out more helpful Daybreak Blog articles, the resource made for teachers like you!