I’ll be writing about ways to create more leverage in the future, but a good place to start is with you. You don’t always–or even frequently–have to have fun learning games planned. Storytelling has been the single most influential thing I’ve ever done to make kids love/want to come/enjoy school. It doesn’t take much planning and the more you do it the better you’ll get. Start with simple stories, just 3-5 minutes, about your life–experiences you’ve had, funny moments, childhood memories, vacations. You can also use storytelling to introduce lessons and units of study. Retention and interest will skyrocket.

Also, be willing to add humor whenever you can. I’m convinced that you can make anything, any subject and any activity, more enjoyable simply by the way you interact with students. You can find more on storytelling and using humor in the classroom in the book Dream Class. There are chapters devoted to each.

Michael