Using Humour - When to Add the Sugar?

When to Add the Sugar​
How do you know it's time to add more sugar to the lesson?

One of the tools I like to use - probably because I have spent a lot of hours playing a certain computer game -  is to imagine an ”energy meter” just above the students' heads. It shows how much energy they have left. All I have to do is look and listen:

Listen. Listen to the 'chatter', when it reaches a certain level, you know it's time to pull a furry rabbit out of the hat.

Look. Watch the students' body language. When it drops above or below a certain level, or certain students start to fidget, take that as a signal to change gear.

​Reflect. Probably the most important part of your working day. When a lesson has ”crashed and burned” reflect on when it was that you lost contact with the students. Then plan a humorous moment at the start of the next lesson, or if possible in between the lessons in cases where you have ongoing e-mail contact with the students. A well-placed spoonfull of sugar can set them up for a great next lesson.