Teenagers are often restless and can easily get tired, especially when they are bound by systems that conform them to rigid ways of doing things or learning. This can get really boring for them.
However, learning is also an important part of their lives, especially at their current stage. This is why, as a teacher, knowing ways to make learning fun for teenagers is a great way to help them learn.
1. Use games
The average teenager can relate to something if it is interesting. They tend to open up more and engage more. When you teach, you can always help them to understand what you have taught better by creating puzzles, and using cards or quizzes to achieve this. You can also add an element of competition to keep them on their toes.
2. Use visuals
Teenagers are moved by what they see. Staring at words, numbers, or symbols all day can get boring because they have to learn. It can also reduce their attention span and make them less interested.
Some apps or videos help teach lessons interestingly. You can also make a presentation with slides that are appealing to the eye and incorporate the use of colour by sketching or drawing to make illustrations when you’re trying to drive home a point. You can use markers, coloured pens, or highlighters to do this.
3. Put them in groups
You can make learning fun for teenagers by creating teams for a presentation, a quick act, or an assignment. Teamwork will foster interactions, and everyone in that group gets to contribute their skills and capabilities in one way or another.
4. Take short breaks
Teaching teenagers at a long stretch can keep them uninterested in your words. So, when you’re done teaching them, or they have accomplished a task, or even in the middle of a lesson, you can encourage them to stand up and take a break. As a teacher, you could also use those short breaks to help you concentrate more on work.
5. Make learning a challenge.
Another way to make learning fun for teenagers is to incorporate them into the process. You can also attach a reward to these challenges. Ask them to solve quizzes within a given period, ask them questions, and engage them in debates. Above all, set a goal, and when it is achieved, give them a reward as you see fit.
6. Ask open-ended questions
Open-ended questions will engage their curious minds and spark a conversation. They could also be a judge of how well they understand a particular concept. That way, you get to understand their unique way of viewing things and their approach to matters as they arise.
It challenges them to think and express themselves. So, it’s not a case of them just listening but not understanding or communicating what they are learning.
Learning can be fun; just be flexible and avoid rigidity at all times. So, make learning fun for your teenagers. It’ll make your work easier.
