Enthusiasm in the Classroom – Why You Need It (Or Need to Fake It) cont.
While test scores may not reflect a huge jump, because you are now teaching fractions with a smile on your face and enthusiasm in your voice, the bigger issue is how your students feel about the subject. A subject that is presented in a fun and exciting way is more likely to be remembered than one that is taught with little enthusiasm. Children enjoy seeing that their teacher is enthusiastic about the lesson, because it makes the material more fun to learn.
Does this mean you need to perform for your students each day? It may mean exactly that, especially if you are having a bad day. Leave your outside problems in the car each morning and enter the school excited about the day ahead. You may feel anything but enthusiastic about the day’s lessons, but your students do not need to know that. You will get back the enthusiasm that you put into a lesson in the form of interested, on-task, excited students. If that alone is not worth being enthusiastic about, then not much is.
Students deserve your most enthusiastic presentation of the material every single time. They deserve to know that you care about what they learn and how they learn it. Never doubt the impact that your attitude and your enthusiasm can make on a class of students. After all, if you do not seem interested in the subject you are teaching, why should your students be?
Share your tips with us for generating enthusiasm in yourself and your students.
Leave a comment below!
Tangenia Jones says
I think this is so true. I would stop listening to a boring professor, but I would be more attentive to an enthusiastic one. I try to show excitement in the class as much as possible, but I do notice the times when I am less than enthused. The kids relate better when I grab my plastic microphone and get “onstage” to teach. I have to work on leaving my problems in the car, but usually my students help me to forget them for a few hours.
Kathy Ausburn says
That is so true! some of my best times as a teacher are when I put a puppet on my hand and pretend to talk to the students in my kindergarten class. I always thought I should have been on stage as an actress and you know I am every day with my class. They love it! 🙂
Natalie says
When teaching kids new sports, a lot of the girls groan as they are not particularly sporty – so I fake my enthusiasum with them and tell them how great it is to be a part of “whatever” sport and team. I’m not a big sporty person myself, but have noticed the difference when I “fake” it with the girls – they really seem more willing to try it out when I’m enthused about the game. I will keep this up
If you’re on a good thing, stick to it, I say!
Roberta Druszkowski says
I believe a positive attitude toward the students and the subject material benefits everyone. I practiced being a Kindergarten teacher before I was assigned to move from Second grade to Kindergarten. Now people who meet me guess that I am a Kindergarten teacher because I am enthusiastic about life everywhere I am.
Astute Hoot says
This is so true! Tone and affect make a huge difference. Thanks for sharing.