Engaging students in the classroom can be a challenging task for educators. With a never-ending list of tasks and responsibilities, it can be difficult to find the time to incorporate new and exciting ways to keep students engaged. Thankfully, there is one tool that is simple, quick, and effective in capturing students’ attention: music.
Why Music?
Music has been shown to stimulate the brain, evoke emotions, and create a memorable environment. All of which can enhance students’ engagement in their personal learning process. Additionally, music can serve as a mnemonic device, helping students remember key concepts and information related to the lesson. By incorporating music into a lesson, educators can add variety and excitement to the classroom experience, making it more dynamic and interesting for students.
To effectively use music in the classroom, educators should consider the following questions:
- How can I use music to enhance my lesson?
- What type of music or specific song can I use for this particular lesson or unit?
- Which songs contain lyrics that are relevant to the topic I’m teaching?
- Can I ask my students which songs they can think of that relate to the topic we’re studying?
- How can I effectively use music as students enter my classroom?
- Can I play a particular song when students transition from one activity to the next?
- How can I use music to end my lesson with impact?
For example, when teaching a novel set in a particular time period, you could introduce songs from that era to your class before they even crack open their books! This will make students more invested in their reading and help them to better understand the context of the story. Also, music can be used to make connections between different topics, such as playing Elton John’s “The Circle of Life” before reading Tuck Everlasting, a book that touches on the topics of life, death, and the cycles of nature.
Enhance Student Writing With Music
Music can also be used to enhance your various writing assignments. For instance, if students are going to be writing spooky narratives in October, educators can play songs like “Thriller” or “Monster Mash” to set the mood. By associating a song with a particular topic or concept, students can create a strong neural connection in the brain between the music and the material, making it easier for them to recall the material later on.
Music is a simple and effective tool that we encourage you to incorporate to easily increase student engagement in the classroom. By spicing up your lessons with music, you’ll create a positive and enjoyable classroom environment, enhance the learning experience, and promote long-term retention of information.
Will you give it a try?
