For many adults, there are fond memories of the time that was spent in school. Going on school trips, winning at sporting events or creating interesting project work all contribute to a positive mental image of this time spent in education. However, most adults will also acutely remember times when they were bored at school and had difficulty engaging in certain subjects or tasks. This is the same for every generation and it cannot be expected that all school activities will produce captivating tasks that motivate the students.

Schools must aim to encourage high levels of engagement, focus, and motivation in their pupils as it inevitably leads to improved learning and better average grades.

In this article, three key ways in which schools can achieve this will be explored in detail.

Hold a school fundraising event

Many schools face extremely tight educational budgets and in recent years there have been a number of budget cuts in education that make modernization plans extremely difficult to achieve.

Schools may find it difficult to secure funds to improve classrooms, gain the latest teaching equipment, or subsidize school trips. However, this problem can be alleviated by encouraging pupils to come up with school fundraising ideas for specific goals or purposes that resonate with them. For example, they could plan and organize bake sales or raffles or hold special events that have a paid entrance fee such as a music or talent show.

These types of fundraising activities can motivate students as they can be encouraged to take an active role in every part of the project or have specific tasks to accomplish. There is also a sense of satisfaction to be gained by raising a target amount of funding and seeing the school transform because of these efforts.

This type of activity may also help to build project management and communication skills that will be useful in adulthood when cultivating a career.

Use technology in the classroom

Decades ago, the classroom learning environment consisted of a blackboard, books, and possibly an overhead projector. However, many schools are now incorporating modern technology into the classroom to encourage students to engage more with task and project work.

Increasingly, virtual reality (VR) technology is starting to be used in an educational context. With VR headsets and suitable software, fully realized 3D worlds can be created that encourage students to explore and interact with subjects in a way that was not previously possible. For example, history lessons can take place in ancient Greece and students can move around in believable and immersive environments, whilst getting a greater understanding of how life would have been in these times.

Encourage teamwork and collaboration

In adult life there is a need for teamwork and collaboration, especially in many forms of business. These skills can be developed in school by promoting educational activities that need to be accomplished in working groups. Teams of students can be encouraged to work together on a larger project or assignment and take different roles within the group.

Many students find that this method of learning is far more interesting than simply studying information in books or listening to lectures. In short, this active, “hands-on” method of education can inspire students to learn and problem solve, whilst developing key skills for later life.