Welcome to EduTips, a side project of the Cult of Pedagogy podcast where I share one quick idea to make your teaching better.

This is Jennifer Gonzalez and I am your host.

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Today's EduTip is bring some drama with an anticipatory set.

Teachers who have been trained in formal lesson planning are probably familiar with this term.

An anticipatory set is a very quick prelude to a lesson, not the part where you're listing the objectives, but before that.

It's two to five minutes of drama, where the teacher does something to get students interested in the lesson.

And I'll admit, it's one of the first things I stopped adding to my lessons when time got short and I just needed to plan the main stuff, because it wasn't absolutely necessary.

But, on the days when you want to add a little something extra to a lesson, this would be a great option.

A well-crafted anticipatory set will not only get your students focused and curious, but there's research that says they'll learn better when your lesson includes one.

Here are some ideas for things you can use as an anticipatory set.

With any of these examples, the main criteria is that they should connect to the content of the day's lesson in some way.

One idea is a question. This can be a what if question, some kind of moral dilemma, a would you rather question, or even something as simple as a show of hands, like how many of you have ever da-da-da-da.

Another idea is an image, video, or audio clip. The internet is loaded with all kinds of media that can get students thinking.

Another is a quote or passage. Give students a few minutes to think about, discuss, or even write a response to a quote or passage.

You could do a story, tell a real or fictional story that illustrates a principle you'll be covering that day.

Another idea is a costume. Show up in an unusual hat, wig, or costume that relates to the day's content.

And finally, a demonstration. These are especially good for STEM topics. You can demonstrate an example of some kind of phenomenon that will ultimately be explained in the lesson.

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