My favorite phrase while teaching is, “It’s Showtime!” I say “It’s Showtime!” (with jazz hands of course) before any lesson that excites me or before any observation. I really love what I do and don’t mind if others want to take a peek at some of the neat things that go on in my classroom like the interactive lessons, the creativity, and the enthusiasm. Now not all my lessons were “showtime” worthy lessons but there were definitely some memorable ones based on the content, my students and their interests, that not only got me excited but increased student engagement to a whole other level and left my students wanting more!
What is a “Showtime” lesson?
A “showtime” lesson is one I call interactive, super engaging and just downright fun. It is one that gets students’ attention. It’s one that gets them thinking and talking. It’s one that gets them thirsty for more. It’s one that gives your students the experience. It’s one that shows, not tells. These are the lessons that make your students WANT to come to school and increases student engagement to a whole other level.
Here’s an example of one of my favorite “showtime” lessons. When teaching my second graders how to write in the form of “How To” I just didn’t go with the traditional format of teaching them the steps in a process. Instead I gave them the experience, an experience that they’d never forget by getting them involved and learning in the process.
Setting The Stage
After recess one afternoon my students walked into ‘Ristorante Ala Grande’, with yours truly as their host, apron and all, with a message like this.
Welcome to La Ristorante Ala Grande!!
For your eating pleasure today’s special is Pizza Ala Grande, made with most delicioso ingrediantes: the freshest dough, the tastiest sauce and the finest Italiano cheeses. Today my little chefs, you will be making today’s special. So find your seat at your table and begin making your tasty treat.
Bon Appetite!
The stage was set with tablecloths of red of white and green with all the finest ingredients (English muffin crusts, pizza sauce, shredded cheese, plates, utensils) for 22 chefs. Soft Italian music played in the background to set the mood as my little chefs went to work. And as I walked around the classroom I heard students talking about the steps in the process. “The crust is first, then the sauce and finally the cheese.” I heard some say, “How much should we put on?” which helped them figure out that exact measurements are important in recipes. Too much or too little will definitely make a difference when it comes to taste or preference.
When the chefs were finished, they brought their plate over to me to “cook” their pizza in the convection oven, which I had rolled in on a cart from the teacher’s room. I asked each student to answer a few questions while waiting. “What temperature should their pizza be cooked at and for how long?” Some students had no idea of temperature ranges, while others were able to share some experiences when cooking with their parents or grandparents. Again, all of this was important when giving or following directions in a recipe and making the final product.
Also while waiting for our pizzas to cook, I had out various forms of how to writing for students to peruse through, from recipes to game directions, to assembly instructions. Immersing my students into a variety of how to forms would help them to think about various how-tos and topics, hopefully piquing their interests for the how-to writing project they were about to embark on next. It also showed my students the format of how to writing, materials needed, steps listed by number or by using transition words (first, next, then, after, last and finally) and other necessary information to make the final product properly.
And to make this lesson even grander was this comment that came from my student Eli as he chomped down his pizza, “Boy, Mrs. Weis, this is great, you sure do know how to end the week!” 🙂 My heart smiled!
Here are some tips for “Showtime” lessons:
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Not every lesson could or will be “showtime” lesson. “Showtime” lessons take a lot of preparation and planning, and some like this one costs money out of pocket to buy ingredients and materials for all students to participate.
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Think about the subject areas you teach and your students’ interests. This creates ideas for “showtime” lessons and increases engagement and creates more buy-in from your students. When teaching Ancient Egypt in 3rd grade, we reenacted the mummification process and had a ceremony for the deceased. Now that was an experience. And boy am I glad that I had a picture of this one. 😉 The sky is the limit so think out of the box for great ideas!
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Within the content you teach create reenactments, simulations, experiences and use props. They’ll eat this right up and will want to engage.
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Elementary teachers who teach all the subjects could pick a “showtime” lesson to do once or twice a week. There’s no way you could do a “showtime” lesson every day. I particularly liked to end my week with a “showtime” lesson on Fridays. Middle school or high school teachers could modify their “showtime” lessons for each period/class they teach across grades 6-8 or 9-12.
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Work with other teachers to do “showtime” lessons. Perhaps you could do your “showtime” lesson for all the classes in second grade while other teachers do theirs in your classroom as well. Teachers have strengths and areas of interest so do a lesson that excites you. Work smarter together, not harder.
And be prepared…these lessons will get your kids engaged, talking and sharing. These lessons will get your kids excited and they will WANT more. So be ready to live up to these expectations. Once a “showtime” teacher, always a “showtime” teacher. There no rule in school that says teachers can’t have fun too! 😉
How do you increase student engagement? What works for you and for the students you teach?
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Christine Weis is a passionate educator, classroom management coach, wife, and mom of two busy boys. She enjoys teaching, writing, and creating resources for teachers.
I love this article and ideas so much. I think I am going to try them out on my son as he gets older. This is a gret blog for teachers!
Thank you so much!! Yes…give these a try with your son! I bet he’ll “eat” it up! Thanks for reading!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
Fantastic ideas! I forwarded this to one of my teacher friends currently struggling with changing her classroom approach. I’m sure she’ll love the ideas!
Thank you!!! That’s fantastic…thank you for sharing and I hope she finds it helpful! Thanks for reading!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
What a great post! LOVe the “showtime” aspect! It’s so important to get them excited and engaged as much as possible! Thanks for the tips too! I bet they just loved your showtime restaurant lesson!!
Thanks Ashley! It’s so fun to get the kids all jazzed up for lessons. I find that they learn so much more. Thanks for reading!!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
Love these ideas! My favorite Showcase event was our Author’s Tea. (may not be a lesson-but they sure did learn a great deal about presenting their writing, reading their writing with expression, etc). Complete with menu, table cloths, desserts beverages, etc. It was such a great celebration.
A lot of our Reader’s Workshop lessons are pretty elaborate too. But those are spread out throughout the year.
You have inspired me to incorporate more! Thank you!
Showcasing your student work is so much fun! I loved when the parents visited and got to be a part of it too. I want to hear more about your funny accents though that get your student’s attention…lol. Want to hear my New York accent? It comes in a variety of boroughs…Brooklyn and Staten Island. LOL
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
Love reading your posts!
You’ve got a great gift. Your students are really lucky!
Looks like a great way of engaging students. Make learning fun! Great! The show must go on… haha!
Thank you for reading my posts and for your kinds words. This is the best way I know to engage students by giving them the experience. And YES…THE SHOW MUST GO ON! Haha!! Love it!!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
Great strategy! You seem like a very caring and hard-working teacher! I wish there were more teachers like you. I bet all the students had fun and learned a valuable life lesson (cooking) in the process! .
Thank you Patricia! I appreciate your kind words and thoughtful feedback. I’ve worked with some really great teachers. They are out there, just hard to find! Thank you for reading!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
I absolutely love reading your posts, your love and passion for your students is so apparent. Every child an parents is lucky to have you as their teacher!
Thank you Nina!! Thank you for always reading my posts and for leaving such kind and thoughtful feedback! I appreciate it! xx
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
I’m loving what you do! I’ve never known anyone to do the “Showtime” method. That has to be one of the most awesome ideas ever! I’m sure that the children love you and what you’re doing. Becoming a teacher also takes hard work and devotion. Those children will remember you for years to come.
My 18 year old still remembers her kindergarten teacher and said, just the other day, that she is still her favorite teacher to this very day!
Awww…thank you so much! I’ve had some really great teaching years and there are many students that I will never forget, especially the ones that make my “showtime” lessons what they are because of them! That’s so special that your son remembers his kindergarten teacher. She must have been an amazing teacher! Thank you for reading and for your thoughtful response!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
How wonderful and engaging is this?! I would have been thrilled as a kid. Also, I LOVE the font on your blog!! What is it called?? So fun!
Thanks Daniela!!! It is fun! I wish I had more learning experiences like this in school too. The font I use is called Schoolbell. Figures, right?! LOL Thanks for reading!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
This is awesome for new teachers and ones that need to refresh their teach formats. I have used a lot of techniques in my real life as well. It’s interesting how anyone can improve with a bit of fun structure. It’s showtime!
Thanks so much Chastity! I agree…sprinkle a little fun into it and let the learning begin. Kids really thrive off of being part of the experience. Thanks for reading! 🙂
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
I am not a teacher and I feel that teaching is the most difficult job in the whole world. I have never heard of “It’s Showtime” before but it is an amazing way to boost engagement and imagination in kids. I would definitely do this “Pizza” activity with my 3-year-old girl. I love your website as there is so much to learn as a curious parent. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much!! Making pizza is so much fun and I have done it with my own kiddos as well. Your 3 year old will love it…and will eat it up…lol!! Thank you for visiting my website and I’m glad you find it helpful as a parent! I’m a mom too so I often write from a “teacher mom’s” perspective too. I’m actually working on a post about that. Thanks for reading and for your thoughtful comment!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers