As teachers, we have all been there—struggling to keep students engaged in lessons that may not be their favorite. When the yawning begins and doodling appears in notebook margins, it’s time to pivot and inject some fun into your lesson plans. Enter the drawing monkey approach! By incorporating drawing (and monkeys) into your lessons, you can bring excitement back into even the dullest subject matter.
In this blog post, we will explore how adding monkeys to your boring lessons can make them more fun for students and help them absorb information better. Buckle up, because we’re about to take a wild ride through the jungle of teaching using drawing monkeys as our trusty guides.
What is the Drawing Monkey Approach?
The drawing monkey approach combines two universally loved things – adorable monkeys and doodling. Instead of asking students to simply absorb information through note-taking or rote memorization, you involve them in a creative process that engages their imaginations.
While this strategy can be applied to any subject matter (yes, even math!), it’s especially effective in getting reluctant students excited about learning language arts, history, or social studies. Using drawing monkeys allows students to make connections between content they may otherwise find dull with something engaging and fun.
So how do you bring drawing monkeys into your classroom? Follow these five steps:
1. Choose the subject matter or topic of your lesson.
This could be anything from ancient civilizations to parts of speech. Just pick a topic that might otherwise elicit boredom from your students.
2. Introduce the monkey connection.
Depending on your topic, you might need a bit of creativity to make monkeys relevant. For example, if you are teaching music notes, you could talk about how different species of monkeys have unique calls and songs.
3. Start with storytelling.
To engage your students in this new way of learning, begin by telling a story that involves both monkeys and your chosen topic. For example, if your lesson is about verbs, create a tale where monkeys journey deep into the jungle in search of action words that help them complete a task or solve a problem.
4. Lead by example and draw out concepts together as a class.
Once you’ve set the stage with storytelling, grab those markers! As you introduce various concepts within your topic or subject area, start associating each one with a specific type of monkey or action that the monkey performs. Encourage students to follow along and create their own drawings as well. This visual representation helps solidify the content in their minds while also making it fun for them.
5. End with creations that combine concepts together.
After all concepts have been introduced, have students collaborate on larger illustrations that connect everything they’ve learned. Make sure each monkey takes center stage while highlighting important components from the lesson topic.
Give It a Try!
It might be hard to imagine leaping tall buildings in a single bound but using drawing monkeys to conquer dull lessons isn’t only possible—it’s downright fun! By incorporating this engaging and creative strategy into your everyday teaching, you’ll notice increased student focus and understanding within even the most mundane topics.
So why not equip your classroom tool belt with some sketchpads and markers next time you need a little help captivating student attention? You never know when those adorable primates will come to the rescue again!