Boring Lessons
All teachers can face a bored class, but there are many ways in which you can change things around and make the lesson interesting and the students engaged and enthusiastic.
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Why are they Bored?
Boredom comes from not being engaged in the class; instead of working enthusiastically on a lesson which engages their interest, the students instead stare out of the window or yawn or talk to their neighbours.
Here are the 3 main reasons why students get bored in class.
The Wrong Material
If you are a 15 year old boy you are probably not very interested in reading an article on the migratory patterns of birds in Winter. Or learning how a pencil is made. Or learning a list of irregular verbs. Things like this will bore you.
Think of something which holds absolutely no interest for you. Now imagine you have to sit in a class and listen to a talk on that and this will put you in the position your students are in.
The Wrong Level
If you are studying something which you know very well and which is very easy for you, you are not engaged and get bored. It's as simple as that. You will feel there is no reason to read the list or watch the video for a second time - you know it already and so you'll talk to your friend or look out the window.
Likewise, if you are studying material which is too difficult for you, you will soon be distracted. Material which is too advanced can also lead you to feel that you are inadequate and not clever - this is especially so if you realise that others in the class do understand!
No Student Participation
If all you do is sit at your desk and listen to the teacher drone on and on you'll get uncomfortable and restless and bored. If the teacher calls up each member of the class in turn to do the same board (bored) exercise you will sit at the back getting bored.
An Experiment
Try this simple experiment. The video below is of the Greek parliament in action. (And if you speak Greek well then try this experiment with a video of a parliament in action in a language you don't speak to see how it feels for you.)
See how long you can watch it without "tuning out"!
This demonstrates the three main problems above, namely content and level and participation. If you are a teenager then in all likelihood:
- the content (even if you can understand it) is not really of interest to you
- the language level is too high (unless you are highly proficient in Greek)
- there is no participation here; you are sitting passively watching a video and not actively taking part in anything
Make Lessons Interesting
Quite simply, it's a matter of removing the issues above.
Make Material Relevant
You should always do a Needs Analysis with your class to determine not only why they are in the classroom and studying English, but also to get a good idea of their general interests.
This way you can tailor material to them. Often it does not take much to do this. Suppose the course book you are using looks at a biography of a film star from the 40s that you or your class have never heard of, you simply adapt it and present the biography of a modern day film star whom your class will recognise and appreciate more.
Get the Level Right
This is very important. The level of material you present to your class should be pitched just very slightly above their current level. Thus they will know enough to be able to understand what they are reading or listening to, but there will also be a few unknown items in there to make them have to think and work at the language to understand it fully.
Get the Class Participating
This is all about the Classroom Focus. Instead of having the class Teacher Centered (i.e. based around what you the teacher are doing and saying) it should be Student Centered (i.e. focussing on what the students want and need).
Instead of having the class sit passively as you, the teacher, lecture them, get them working together in small groups or doing things for themselves.
In other words, don't teach them but lead them instead.
