It’s the second period in Mr. K’s class and the bell just rang. Mr. K is ready to start the lesson from him, but here’s what he doesn’t know is lurking just below the surface:

-Susie just got dumped by her boyfriend due to a false rumor posted on Facebook last night.

-Jimmy was stopped by his coach in the hallway and reminded that the coach really needs Jimmy’s best performance in the big game tonight.

-Sarah has butterflies in her stomach because she hopes that today is the day Jimmy asks her to homecoming.

-Eric thinks he failed today’s history test despite everything he studied last night.

“So who’s ready to learn about continuous compound interest today? What does it mean if interest is continuous compound? Susie? Jimmy?…anyone?” Mr. K wonders why so much of his class seems to be on a different planet.

How can students leave their personal problems (which seem like doomsday situations to them) and focus on “continuously increasing interest” at the flick of a switch? The answer is that they cannot.

ACCESS THE GREEN ZONE

This is how I fight the problem. (You won’t find this in any teacher’s textbook.) Rather than start class with some kind of syllabus, I start on neutral ground. I start each day with a teacher led activity that takes 2-5 minutes of class time. The activity is high interest, unrelated to the curriculum, but it is also predictable. Here is my weekly schedule:

-Monday: My crazy weekend. I share a fun but personal story from my weekend… students love to hear about the “real life” of their teacher!

-Tuesday: Two Minute Mystery Tuesday. I read a mystery from Donald J. Sobol’s book, Two Minute Mysteries…the students love to play “sleuth” and try to solve the mystery before it reveals the answer.

-Wednesday: ‘Do you prefer Wednesday?’ I read scenarios on a card from the old board game, would you rather…? For example, you could ask the class, “Would you rather have five bottles on your fingers for a year or a bucket on your foot for a year?” This always sparks a fun debate.

-Thursday: Puzzle Thursday. I read a riddle or show a visual riddle for the class to solve; this is challenging, but attractive.

-Friday: Bad Joke Friday. I share a really bad joke like:

Q: When is a gate not a gate?

A: When it’s in a jar!

Students normally roll their eyes and complain, but at the end of the semester, I often hear that this was the students’ favorite activity!

So what have I achieved in the end? Some would say that I have wasted valuable class time in an environment where every minute counts. I would disagree. In those 2 to 5 minutes, I eliminated the “mental garbage” of 34 teenagers. I have helped reset their brains to a neutral state that is better equipped to learn about “continuous compound interest.”

Susie is smiling and shaking her head at my bad joke. Jimmy is imagining what it would be like to have five bottles at her fingertips instead of whether or not he will make the winning move. Sarah solved the two-minute mystery and is confident that Jimmy was impressed. Eric correctly answered a very challenging riddle and is feeling a little smarter.

I am not suggesting that these activities will create world peace, but they do:

-Get the attention of the whole class

-Put a smile on everyone’s face,

-Create a bond between teacher and student, and

-Make a smoother transition to the “real” curriculum in question.

Now, when I ask the question, “What does it mean if interest compounds continuously?” You might get an answer like “won’t compounding stop?” This could be the correct answer or it could be the wrong answer, but at least it’s an answer. Then it gives me a starting point to engage with the students in the curriculum.

But wait! There is more…

It wasn’t until I used this strategy for several years that I discovered some unwanted benefits. Over the years, I have kept in touch with many graduates. They often tell me what those 2-5 minutes meant to them. My students shared the following:

-They thought he was doing it for the sole purpose of entertaining. They thought it was great that I cared about them to do something to brighten the mood of the class.

-They liked to have something to look forward to at the beginning of each class.

-One student said, “Walking into class, I found myself thinking…I wonder what kind of ridiculous joke he’s having today?” In this case, he thrilled me to know that his attention was already focused on anticipating my actions before they even walked through my door.

-They were disappointed if I had a substitute teacher!

-Students perceived that I “cared” more than other teachers because of the “connection” that was made through mutual laughter and discussion.

Starting

It’s easy to get started with this simple but highly effective strategy; there is so much material available! However, I have listed a few links below to help you get started. Choose things that appeal to you, because your delivery will be much more natural.

Good luck, and above all… have fun!