​The opening few minutes of a lesson can set the tone for everything that follows. If you get this right, you will have a room of curious, switched on pupils ready to listen and learn. If you get them wrong, you may find yourself fighting to win back their attention for the rest of the hour.

How can we make these opening moments count? Here we have some easy but effective lesson starters that can make students lock in from the beginning...

The Curiosity Question.

Begin the lesson with a question that the students will want to answer. This will spark conversation in the classroom and get your pupils brains working, as well as introducing the topic of the day in an engaging way that will bring the energy for the rest of the hour. Here are some fun examples -

-Which fictional character would make the best Prime Minister? (English Lesson)

-If you had to live in any climate on Earth, which would you choose? (Geography Lesson)

-If you could change one historical event, what would it be and why? (History Lesson)

These are some questions that will get your pupils excited to talk and warmed up for the rest of the lesson. Sometimes they just need a small kick start to the lesson to get their brains switched on.

​

A Quick Challenge.

Set a short task or puzzle that your students can get stuck into straight away. This could be a fun riddle, a maths problem, or a picture to interpret. Keep it low-pressure but engaging at the same time - this will get brains ticking and creates a purposeful start.

​

Storytelling.

Nothing pulls people in quite like a story. Open with a short narrative, a surprising fact or a mystery.

For example:

- "One night, an apple fell from a tree - and it led to one of the most important discoveries in physics", to open up a lesson about Newtons gravity story.

As well as stories capturing attention, they also make learning feel memorable and meaningful.

​

Visual or Object Hook.

Sometimes the easiest way to spark curiosity is by showing students something unusual and letting them wonder about it. A curious object, a striking image, or a short clip can grab attention instantly, especially if you don't explain it straight away. The mystery itself becomes the hook.

Here are some examples of this-

- History: Place a gas mask on the desk before a lesson on the Second World War. Ask pupils what they think this may be used for and why it would be so important.

-English: Display a mysterious photograph, such as a deserted street, a broken door, or a shadowy figure. Invite your students to write the opening sentence of a story inspired by this.

-Geography: Show a satellite image of the Earth at night with cities glowing brightly. Ask students why they think some areas are lit up whilst others are dark.

This will let pupils speculate and question a little before revealing the link to the lesson.

​

Movement or Drama.

A good way to hook a class in is to get them out of their chairs and into the action. Movement not only energises pupils, it also helps them process ideas more actively. A lively starter can reset the atmosphere in the room and get everyone involved straight away.

Here are some ideas:

-Give a statement to the class and ask them to move to one side of the room if they agree, and the other if they disagree.

-Quickfire roleplay. Give pupils a role connected to the lesson, such as a character from a novel, and have them act it out briefly.

-Ask pupils to arrange themselves in an order to represent data or events.

The key is the movement and drama don't need to take long- two or three minutes is plenty. But by getting them involves physically, you spark curiosity and excitement, building energy for the rest of the lesson.

​

Lesson starters dont need to be elaborate or time consuming. The best ones are short, purposeful and tied directly to the learning ahead. By investing just a few minutes in a strong opening, you will create momentum that carries through the rest of the lesson.

​