After traveling from class to class, your students can sometimes arrive at your classroom with depleted energy, making it difficult for you to teach them effectively. However, even with their energy levels being a bit under par, there are some activities that you can do at the beginning of your class to get your students’ brains ready to learn.

Begin Each Class With a Minute to Win It Challenge

One quick and easy way to refresh your students’ brains and get them ready for an interactive class period is to begin each class with a “Minute to Win It” challenge. These often incorporate little effort on your behalf and only take up a minute of your day, yet they increase energy levels and get your students in good spirits. You can choose a different challenge each day and different students each day, making sure to eventually include everyone. This is the perfect brain break for your students, especially if you are able to tie the challenge into your lesson material. As a bonus, you’ll likely become the teacher that most students are excited to have, and pupils will look forward to your class throughout the day.

Play Music as Your Students Enter

Your classroom can act as a calming or energetic oasis for students to walk into. At the beginning of each class period, you can play a song as your students enter. This will likely stimulate their brains and put them in a good mood. The good thing about this activity is that you can change it up each day, shifting between meditative tunes, an 80’s throwback and even the latest pop hit. Your students will enjoy entering this atmosphere, and it will help get their brains ready to learn. You can also play some music as they leave the classroom, getting them prepared for the next class ahead.

Start Class With an Icebreaker Question

Another way to prep your students for learning is to begin each class with an icebreaker question. For instance, if you are teaching about the solar system, you might consider beginning your class by asking your students, “If you could live on any planet other than Earth, which would you choose and why?” This will engage your students in the learning process and allow you to learn more about each individual. These questions can be tailored to each lesson and allow your students to get some participation points. Asking icebreaker questions will help prepare your students for the material ahead and will enable them to get to know their peers better.