If you’re yawning, looking out the window, thinking about everything and especially nothing, fidgeting with your pen, getting irritable, and wanting to leave class for recess, you’re definitely bored.
Or, your teacher, whether in a traditional classroom or online, may really allow you to participate in extracurriculars.
If you’re in the middle of a long lecture and need something to do, whether you’re in the second grade or the twelfth, in an online class or a traditional classroom, here are some suggestions (both calm and cheeky!).
Pick The Right Time to Beat Boredom in Class
After class begins, it is crucial to recognise when it is suitable to perform extra tasks so as not to distract the teacher or other students. It’s also the finest strategy for maintaining a positive mood and academic performance.
If today is your first day of class or you have a topic on which you need to focus, you should probably save these plans for tomorrow and give your teacher some time to get the day started.
If you’re lucky, your school timetable balances teachers’ preparation time, students’ work time, and some downtime for everyone.
In other cases, the instructor may take their sweet time launching into the day’s material, leaving the first few minutes of class free. Furthermore, there are classes where the instructor actively encourages pupils to pursue independent creative endeavours. The bright side is that you can use these concepts during your breaks as well!
These scenarios are ideal for implementing one or more of the classroom entertainment strategies I’ll describe shortly. You shouldn’t deviate from the plan if your teacher has specifically instructed you to focus on a given lesson or assignment.
Outside of these times, though, consider the following suggestions for staying engaged until the bell rings.
19 Time Killers for Class
- Listen to music. Thread your earphone wire up your sleeve, and pull out an earphone in your hand. Then lay your head on your hand to listen to music in peace.
- Scribble on your notebook. There’s nothing more relaxing and fun than drawing, especially when you’re doodling! So, while you are listening to the lesson (or music), take your coloured pencils and draw things – abstract, crazy or real-life.
- Do homework for another class. Despite your interest in learning, do you know what’s happening and why one of your classes is so boring? So utilise this time to finish your homework for another subject! You’ll observe that time goes by much more quickly.
- Play games on your phone. Why not take a break from the digital world at your disposal? However, only do this after finishing your task; never while lecturing. Use discretion! Put your phone on mute and tuck it down beneath a filing cabinet because the teacher will take your phone away if he finds you.
- Play easy games like tic-tac-toe, hangman, or knots and crosses with your buddies.
- List one fascinating fact you are aware of about each of your classmates.
- Paper aeroplane. Makes a paper aeroplane with your classmate and see who travels the furthest or stays in the air the longest. You may even be able to get your science teacher on board with this and make it a fun class competition.
- Eat sweets, AKA – “pocket munch”. Did you realise that chewing helps you relax? It also keeps your mind busy because your brain needs a lot of carbs to function properly. If you are not permitted to eat in class, conceal little candies in your pockets.
- Write funny phrases and jokes. Do you love words and words love you? Well, invent funny sentences and write them down on a sheet. Let yourself be carried away by the creativity of words and see if your English teacher is happy for the whole class to play.
- Entertain yourself with an anti-stress toy. This type of toy is very relaxing and entertaining, and it doesn’t require your full and complete attention. That’s why it’s a perfect game to do in class. In addition, there are a wide variety of styles and they make no noise so won’t disturb the class but will keep you occupied.
- Make a news article about something cool that has happened to you or write about some important event that happened and put this note away as a keepsake for later in life.
- Write down all the different things you would do if you won the lottery. Join in with school friends and see who has the best ideas. This will broaden your thinking and see what similarities you share with others that you may not have been aware of, which will increase bonds and build friendships.
- Write a story about what everyday life is like in your country compared to other countries. What’s good about where you live, what do you like and dislike? Get thinking about your life and how it compares to other cultures and countries.
- Start a bucket list. Yes, you’re young, but it’s a good idea to start thinking about what experiences you want to have in life. Write down a number of places you want to see, experiences or achievements that you hope to have or accomplish during your lifetime.
- Create a comic strip using your friends as the main characters. Draw them and create a sketch about some adventure you could have together in a fantasy dimension.
- Write down the details of your dream job – or “jobs”. Create a pros and cons list for these jobs or careers and try to decide which one you want to go after. Compare ideas with classmates and you may discover a job that you like but otherwise had no idea existed.
- Make origami. If you’re bored in class, you could construct all sorts of amazing things out of paper, similar to the paper plane. Origami is the Japanese art of folding paper into figures. It’s a terrific way to pass the time when you’re bored in class. All you need to make origami is a sheet of paper. Before entering class, conceal several pieces of paper inside a notebook or folder. Then all you have to do is memorise the procedures or record an instructional video on your phone.
- Play Word Games. The classics never let you down when you wonder what to do when you are bored in class – Sudoku, crosswords, and word searches are a great way to kill time and most likely your teacher will have no issues with you doing these, and even better, if they’re on the topic of the class.
- Write a song or rhyme. Do you like making sentences rhyme? Well, you can include this option among things to do when looking to kill time in class. For example, you can write a song, a poem, a play, or even a rap.
I hope this has given you some helpful suggestions to get throw a slow day in the classroom. Remember when you should be doing each one, and then try them out one by one.
Don’t forget that the ultimate objective is to come up with novel approaches to learning. Learning how to maximise your time now will help you achieve your goals in the future.
Keep in mind that your instructor has invested considerable effort into preparing your classes, so be sure to express your appreciation and best wishes to them.
