Wacky and Fun Entry Events
How to Ignite Student Curiosity and Learning
Everyone loves to be silly sometimes. One thing I’ve learned after a twenty-year career in education is that high school students love to see their teachers take risks and really show themselves. A school that laughs together has a stronger culture and does a better job of building relationships and supporting students.
An Entry Event is an instructional strategy used to immediately engage students, raise their interest in a topic, and pique their curiosity. Instead of saying, “Class, today we’re kicking off our unit on persuasive speeches” and getting blank stares back from your students, a teacher can orchestrate something compelling for the students, that doesn’t even feel like school — it feels more like play or a powerful challenge.
“Good entry events also convey a teacher’s investment in the project. When teachers put their own creativity into launching a project, they share this unspoken message: We’re about to embark on an important learning adventure together. Let’s make it into a big deal.” — Suzie Boss
An Entry Event might take an educator a couple of hours to think up and create, but it will unfold for the students in a matter of twenty or forty-five minutes, and feel effortless.
