Teaching Is Fun: Top Tips on How to Make the Most of It

Teaching is a noble profession. Good teachers are the ultimate multitaskers as they learn through experience what works best. You probably remember that one teacher who read aloud from the textbook and spoke in a monotone voice. You can always choose not to be that teacher. One of the simplest and most effective ways to fight boredom is to have fun yourself. If you’re enjoying your time in the classroom, chances are your students are too. Yes, there are days when it can be frustrating and disappointing, but there are many reasons to go through the difficult moments and remember why you love teaching.

There are never two days that are the same. Each day brings a new challenge and a different outcome. There’s nothing more precious than to see growth and improvement in your students as a result of your efforts. And at the same time, you develop and change, and grow into a better teacher. Creating lessons that are fun and educative can be a real challenge. So, here are some tips that can help you run your classroom smoothly and turn it into a safe and productive learning environment. 

Cool School Stationery Supplies 

Having a classroom that runs efficiently is important to successful teaching. Sometimes all it takes is a small modification to your stationery to make a big difference. You need to have the right supplies in your classroom that can enrich student learning. To find stationery supplies that will improve your classroom management, begin with asking yourself one simple question – what I can’t do without in my classroom? Different age groups will require different kinds of stationery supplies, but the following are some of the most essential items for every teacher.

Pens and Pencils 

Every classroom needs plenty of pens and pencils. Pencils are used in the classroom daily for all sorts of activities. Pens, most commonly black and red, as most schools mark with these colours. Choose pens of a decent enough quality, so they write smoothly and get at least a dozen. Sometimes you’ll need to loan them out to students or end up losing them randomly as it happens very often with pens.  

Highlighters 

Get yourself highlighter in a variety of colours as they can help make your lessons look more interesting and keep students’ attention. 

Manual Pencil Sharpener 

It’s a good idea to choose manual pencil sharpeners as they are quieter and won’t cause any disturbance in the classroom.  

Whiteboard Markers 

You can use them for organising your weekly schedule, working on school projects and creating visual aid on projector films. Whiteboard markers are used for writing on non-absorbent surfaces such as whiteboards, projector films, glass and more. They come in various colours and tips that can help you make writing and drawing more engaging.  

Dry Erasers 

A teacher can never have enough of these. You can use them in many different ways in the classroom and make practice a little more interactive. 

Post-It Notes 

These are a great choice for labelling things and sticking to the walls. Post-it notes are available in many different styles and you can use them in different ways to express your creativity and help your students learn easily. 

Teacher’s Diary 

A teacher’s diary is an invaluable item that can help you keep your appointments in order. Teachers using mobile phones in the classroom is actively discouraged and having a well-organised diary can be a great benefit. Well-known brands tend to create teacher’s diaries designed in direct consultation with Australian teachers, including everything a teacher might need. 

Educational Toys  

Kids are curious and they love exploring new things. Very often, they ask help from the adults to understand their surroundings. As a teacher, you’re instantly a role model and your students naturally look up to you. You have the opportunity to recognise, encourage and cultivate talent and have a positive impact on young people. 

Learning through play is an important part of a children’s development and educational toys can help them learn difficult skills such as problem-solving, conflict resolution, motor skills as well as teach them about sharing and nurturing their imagination. As children progress through childhood, they go through different developmental stages. STEM toys can help engage children in a culture of learning and fun at a certain age to enhance their development. 

STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. STEM education is an interdisciplinary approach to learning these subjects and combines academic concepts with everyday life. You can choose STEM toys to introduce a joyful and healthy relationship with these disciplines and allow your students to explore and apply what they’ve learned in contexts that make sense to them. 

When children are focused on STEM through toys or exploration, they become problem solvers. One of the most important uses of educational toys is to challenge your students and encourage them to focus on solving a problem, step by step. Some toys, such as puzzles, require attention and thinking from the students. Others challenge the students to solve mathematical problems by thinking of all the possible ways to solve the issue. 

Play is a free-risk zone and students can learn how to fail and still have fun. Learning how to take healthy risks in a playful environment can help them transfer that courage and confidence to their future endeavours. Also, these toys can help them use their creativity safely and entertainingly, and experience the environment around them through building and designing. In the end, it’s most important that you encourage them and join in the play.