When I think about what fun can look like in the classroom I envision curious students actively engaged and learning. If we want students to have fun in our classrooms and with the curriculum we provide we first need to spark their curiosity and offer content that resonates with them. If students do not care about the material they are working with or learning about it can be difficult to get them interested and participating. When we create lessons for the class that are personal to the students they will be more willing to invest in their learning and have fun doing so.
The tasks we include to accompany our lessons also need to be fun for the students. Hands on activities, group work, games, or other assignments where students have opportunities to play with the material are engaging and fun for students. Including a variety of options of activities for learnings to work with can also be fun and engaging for students. Teachers can also provide consistent feedback for students as they are completing their work. These check-ins can be motivating and fun for students as they are able to see what progress they have made and what they need to work on. This also alleviates some of the stress students may have and will help them see the funner side of learning.
I also believe when the learning students do is applicable across dimensions of their academic, social, and personal lives they can develop a zeal for learning and will want to be in the classroom where more fun learning can occur. These fun activities can have positive effects extending beyond the learning of the actual content. Students emotional intelligence can be raised as they are engaging their different senses and working with others while completing their work. Their ability to apply and transfer information from various aspects of their lives can also be benefitted by including fun learning opportunities in our classroom.
Having fun is an important part of the learning process. When classrooms are fun there can be broad impacts on the class community and on student learning. Students who are having fun while learning are more likely to engage in their assignments productively and will be able to retain the information more effectively. Fun lessons and activities can also lead to a more cohesive class community where students feel safe and are able to work with one another respectfully. As teachers we need to create fun opportunities for students and foster a class community where "fun learning" can be expected.
