My first year of teaching, I struggled to keep my students’ attention. As a young, soft-spoken teacher, I felt as if maybe I didn’t have what it takes to make my lessons worth listening to. I was grasping at straws and growing increasingly frustrated trying to recreate what my fellow teachers were doing. Nothing was working. My lessons felt “meh,” lackluster, and boring.

The amount of restlessness in my classroom grew, along with my frustration. This particular year, I was especially struggling with students tapping and drumming on their desks with their pencils, and a growing need for constant discipline. I’m not sure why the pencil-drumming craze had overtaken my classroom, but nonetheless it was a daily distraction amongst the mundane lessons. I had felt like a broken record while no one was listening — and that’s why I took these distractions into my own hands.

Grabbing their attention

During my planning period one day, when inspired by a momentary bout of creativity (and an equal amount of desperation), I took my lesson plans for my 8th grade English class and cultivated my very own rap song about “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe. At the risk of being *cringe* and *lame*, I decided to surprise my class by busting a rhyme when they least expected it. To make things even better, they had no idea I was a drummer in my high school band. So, of course, I had a crisp beat to go along with it.

I awaited my sixth grade class and waited until I’d reached peak boredom before I broke out into the aggressive first verse. I knew it was a gamble — middle schoolers can be a tough crowd — but to my surprise, they were impressed. Most importantly, I had their attention.

My students’ eyes widened as I drum-rolled with pencils effortlessly on my desk and sang about Poe’s adventures with an odd bird, summarizing the plot and combining the beloved poem with something my students also love. Several students joined in, offering back-up pencil drummers and beats on their desks. I’m sure you could hear our spontaneous concert from down the hallway.

It became a weekly occurrence that extended to all of my classes. After we finished reading a poem/story/biography, we’d summarize it in a rap song, drumming included. The students would look forward to it, and I ultimately began including them in the creative process of writing them. We’d break into groups and hold competitions. It became a creative team building activity that also lightened the mood before weekly tests.

I knew I’d struck gold — but I didn’t really understand the impact that it had on my students until years later. Several students have come up to me years after they graduated to reminisce about our innovative summarizing. “Remember the raps we’d write in your class?” “We had so much fun in your class!” “Your class is where I fell in love with reading.”

The secret sauce of memorable lessons

Lessons written with a creative and fun flair, that catch them off guard and add a little spark back into their day; these are the lessons your students will remember the most.

These are the lessons born to reignite a passion in your subject and share that fire with your students.

You don’t have to be a drummer of course, but as a teacher, sometimes it helps to meet students where they’re at, to REALLY reach them. Maybe that’s their love of animals for the elementary kids. Maybe it’s going outside and sharing a lesson over a picnic blanket. Or maybe it’s something else using your own creative gifts. I’ve learned that our greatest superpower is breaking up the monotony, and doing something unexpected. I truly believe that’s an essential part of fighting against burnout as an educator. Plus, it greatly benefits the students.

Harnessing students’ interests

In this instance, I could’ve lectured my students, again, about their distractions; and don’t get me wrong, there’s a time and place for that. But if I could encourage you to pick your battles, and maybe even lean into them, I’d do just that. “If you can’t beat them, join them” is my advice. Want to create memorable moments with your students? Ask yourself — what do they enjoy? How can I incorporate that into my lesson? How can I regain their attention and make it FUN?! Joy is memorable, for both teachers and students.

I know teaching is tiring and overwhelming much of the time, but I’ve never regretted following my gut instinct on when my students need a change and my lessons need shifting. If I can encourage you to do one thing this school year, it’s to add a little more fun into the curriculum.

That’s where the magic happens.

I hope to be the reason my students never forget the plot of “The Raven.”