Putting the Joy Back in Learning
I will never forget my physics lesson in 2014 by one of the best teachers I have ever had. It was packed with excitement and, most importantly, a learning point we all had to take away. My physics teacher taught us the importance of water for life by allowing us to make ice cream.
The whole point of the lesson was to highlight the importance of water in our universe. He made clear that water preserved a balance in our world. Whilst also providing us with a treat like ice cream. Water has to exist as a liquid, gas and solid, which preserves the balance of the world as we know it.
He took us through the molecular structures and what it means to physics. And he did this by allowing us to find the perfect middle ground between solid and liquid with ice, sugar and cream.
By far, one of the best lessons I have ever had, and I do not think I will ever forget it. He took the class through a story of amazement and wonder and left a solid impression on all of us.
Looking back on that lesson, I realise that there were a few components that made it so good. Recently, I wrote an extremely short article on what magic can teach the education system.
In a nutshell, the article argued that our ability to wonder is natural. So if we wish to engage students in any lesson, we must hit their intrinsic motivation to wonder.
I do hope that all of us have a memory of a teacher that inspired us. Or at least a lesson that blew you away. I have spent the past week speaking to some of my friends on some of their most memorable lessons. And they all seem to follow a trend.
My short article linked above highlighted that magicians have the ability to make us wonder. They take us through a chain of events that defy everything we know about the world. In doing so, they gain our attention and leave us speechless at the end.
I have found that many of the best lessons follow a similar presentation style to a magician. These lessons provide students with the intrinsic motivation they need to pay attention and take part. I would even go as far as to say that it motivates them to want to learn more.
In this article, I will present the structure of my physics lesson that left me in amazement. Although it is not always possible to take on this structure for every lesson. I do believe implementing at least one of these stages will grab students attention.
I was a badly behaved student in school and was often disengaged by the lesson. However, this one lesson changed my whole approach to school and the value of knowledge. I am sure all teachers wish to have this impact on all their student.
So here is a lesson structure I propose to teachers to start creating an impact in the short hour they have their students.
Stage 1: Create Mystery
When I walked into my physics class that day, it was set up uniquely. All the props were out in front of us. And a picture of an ice-cream van was on the screen. Upon taking our seats, all of us were eager to learn what on Earth was going on.
I remember some of the louder students in my class being a bit more ecstatic about the situation. They were all predicting a good lesson, with many of them bouncing and whispering. My physics teacher brought the class to attention.
And to me, this was the best part. He did not say something like, “you are probably all wondering why the class looks like this.” Instead, he created more mystery, which engaged us even more. He did this by telling us a story about his younger self.
Story-telling is a powerful tool any of us can use to create a deeper connection with someone. We love stories and learn to take part in telling our own stories from a young age. It is how we communicate with others around us and relate to our closest friends.
In this story, our physics teacher highlighted that he came from very humble beginnings. His mother was a teacher, and his dad was a bricklayer who owned an ice cream van. He told us how his dad would love serving the kids with ice cream and how he would often help out for pocket money over the summer.
All of us were on the edge of our seats thinking what is going to happen next. He then went further to tell us that it was ice cream and his mother’s teaching that led him to want to teach physics. And we were all confused at this point. I remember one student shouting out, “did you just say ice cream, sir?”
The whole class was quiet as he took us through his story of experimenting with ice cream. And then he revealed that the ice cream van on the screen was his fathers. It is also where he found his passion for physics.
After that, he told us we would be making our own ice cream and learning what he learnt about the physics of ice cream.
Now for a short moment, imagine sitting in that classroom. What would be going through your mind? In about ten minutes, he grabbed our attention and made us feel connected to him and his story. And it all started with a bit of mystery.
So, the first step to a lesson that brings us joy is to create mystery. Whether that be changing the layout or putting something on a students chair. This will spark the student’s curiosity. After that, it is up to you to build on that mystery to make the student eager to learn more.
Stage 2: Leave Everyone Guessing
Throughout the whole lesson, my physics teacher kept the class guessing. He left us clues, but the clues were never enough to come to the answer. A great example is his story.
We were all left wondering how he came to want to be a physics teacher in an ice cream van? The two seem contradictory and make you scratch your head. Also, whilst explaining the importance of liquids, gases and solids in our universe, he would say, “Do not ask me why it is this way. It just is.”
The phrase was repeated throughout the whole lesson. Especially when it came to the experiment of us making ice cream. He took us through the process step by step, and whilst explaining what the water was doing with the cream, he said the phrase.
He went on to explain that this is what amazed him. That water behaved in this unique way, and no one could answer why it did it. He explained that it put him on a journey to learn why, and he failed, so he became a teacher.
The ultimate question as to why water exists and where it came from continues to make us scratch our heads. Science is still trying to figure this out today. This constant guessing kept us engaged in the lesson and took us on a journey with our teacher.
It felt like we were trying to discover something, with our teacher being the leader. The constant guessing made us hungry to find the answer. And knowing that our teacher did not know kept us engaged in the lesson.
So, the second stage is to create an atmosphere where students remain hungry for the answer. My physics teacher did this by constantly reminding us that the answer is yet to be found. And that our experiment leads us to a deeper understanding of the concept to find an answer.
Stage 3: End With a Bang
The end of the lesson was a mixture of excitement and pure amazement. Whilst we sat enjoying our ice cream with 5 minutes left, he came to the final slide of his presentation.
On this slide was the importance of waters physical properties. It highlighted that if water could not be a gas, our atmosphere would cease to exist. And if water could not be a liquid, the majority of the terrains on Earth would never be formed. Finally, if water could not be a solid, most of Earth would be covered in water with no land for mammals to inhabit.
He then kept us guessing with his final line. “Do not ask me why water is this way. All I know is that if it was not this way, we would cease to exist. And that was enough to spark my interest as a child in the back of an ice-cream van.”
I will never forget this moment. I turned to my friend and said, “should we clap because that lesson was amazing.” And before he could say anything one of the most troublesome kids in the class started clapping. His words were, “Sir, you deserve a clap for that.”
The classroom erupted in claps. People from the corridors started poking their heads in to see what all the clapping was about. This was truly a masterclass of a lesson, and never again have I had a class like it.
Like a magician, ending with a bang makes them memorable and causes a positive response. There was nothing left to do other than appreciate my teacher person for his performance.
I am not sure how many teachers have received a round of applause for their lesson, but I probably not many. But would it not be great to have that effect on a class of students?
So, the third stage is to end your lesson with a bang. Leave your students in complete amazement of what they just learnt. It can be done by giving them some real-life facts they can apply to their lives. Or by stunning them with another mystery to ask their parents when they get home.
Closing Thoughts
As mentioned before, I was not the best-behaved student. The majority of the students in my science class were quite disruptive. My class would probably be every teacher’s nightmare.
But my physics teacher changed the course of some of our lives with one lesson, including mine. It is a shame I am not in contact with him because I owe him a big thank you.
I believe that every teacher can install one of these stages into each of their lessons to begin bringing the joy back to learning. I now have hopes to become a lecturer in the future myself.
Knowledge is the most scarce good, and it should be treated with care and held in high regard. Students of all backgrounds and demographics should experience the amazement my class felt.
I would think that is every teacher’s goal. To help their students find joy in learning whilst inspiring them to be the best they can be. And this short 3 step process can serve as a tool to do just that.