How to Build Curiosity Into Lessons (Even the Boring Ones)

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Show Notes:

You know the moment when curiosity captures your students’ attention? Heads tilt, eyes widen, and students lean in without being asked. When a lesson sparks wonder instead of giving everything away upfront, engagement stops feeling like something you have to manage and starts becoming something students choose.

Building curiosity into your lessons isn’t about flashy activities or extra prep. It’s about creating just enough intrigue to make students want to know more and stay mentally present from start to finish. In the third episode of this series, I’m sharing simple strategies for building curiosity into your lessons that activate your students’ brains and transform the way they engage during instruction.

Incorporating small opportunities to spark curiosity can completely shift students’ mindsets about learning. Strategies like posing a question before revealing the objective, pausing a lesson right before the answer, inviting students to make predictions, or teaching through storytelling, give students a reason to stay engaged and invested. I also explain how curiosity positively impacts classroom management by turning student compliance into genuine cooperation.

Instead of treating engagement as something you’re constantly trying to manage, think of it as something you’re trying to solve, and curiosity is the solution. When it’s intentionally built into your lessons, students naturally lean in, ask better questions, and stay engaged because their brains are invested in what comes next.

Ultimately, this small shift creates a classroom where focus is driven by interest, behavior improves through cooperation, and learning feels meaningful. Stay tuned for next week’s episode, where we’ll explore how to incorporate more novelty and keep ideas fresh without adding to your burnout.

Inside this week's show, you'll learn:

• The real reasons behind frequent behavior problems in the classroom, especially during instruction.
• Simple strategies for creating and building curiosity in students to spark engagement.
• How teaching through stories and case examples helps illustrate concepts without telling students directly.
• Ways curiosity-driven teaching improves classroom management and increases student cooperation.
• A preview of next week’s episode, where we explore how to create novelty without constantly reinventing the wheel.

Links & resources mentioned inside this episode: 

• 5-Minute Field Trips Subscription
• FREE Class at the Virtual Teacher Ski Lodge: How to Prevent 2-3 Students from Derailing Your Entire Day
• Beginning Teacher Talk on YouTube
• Grab a copy of my book, Dear New Teacher, Here's Exactly What to Do: Your 5-Step R.E.A.D.Y. for School Roadmap for Elementary Classrooms
• Lung Cancer Free: One Couple’s Journey Through a “Lungs in a Box” Double Lung Transplant.
• Enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card by leaving a review for Beginning Teacher Talk on Apple Podcasts!
• Follow Dr. Lori on Instagram
• Follow Dr. Lori on Facebook
• Follow Beginning Teacher Talk on TikTok

I hope this information is helpful as you prepare for your first, second, or third year of teaching. Until next time, remember, just because you're a beginning elementary teacher, there's no need for you to struggle like one.

💛 Lori

Dr. Lori Friesen | Beginning Teacher Mentor

Creator of the R.E.A.D.Y. for School Academy and The Classroom Management Club, Dr. Lori Friesen has mentored thousands of beginning teachers across the country through her workshops and courses. Host of the popular podcast Beginning Teacher Talk and author of Dear New Teacher, Here's Exactly What to Do, Dr. Lori is dedicated to serving educators and inspiring learners. Learn more at drlorifriesen.com.

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Related episodes you might enjoy:

• Low-Prep Ways to Add Surprise to Your Elementary Classroom Without Losing Control
• Why Mystery Works (And Why Kids Are So Bored Right Now)
• When Half Your Class Seems “Checked Out” —  Motivation Strategies That Actually Work
• Today’s Apathetic Kids: What to Do When Kids Just Don’t Care
• 4 Keys to Ultimate Student Engagement

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