When the Ministry of Education Malaysia issued a circular dated March 9, 2023, it received mixed responses. This new circular informs that the first week of school should be focusing on engaging programs, exciting activities and support programs that involve not only teachers and students but their parents and the community as well. This approach has been applauded by teachers at large as they can prepare themselves as well as the kids to face the full swing of the academic year.

Do you still remember when was the last time you enjoyed learning in the classroom? Do you remember the interesting and fun activities carried out by your teachers? You might be feeling disappointed if the lesson is dull and hard at the same time. Winston Churchill once said, “I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught,” which shows that we have our own limits when it comes to receiving knowledge, especially through rote learning. As we are moving away from an exam-oriented education system, fun learning is an approach that should not stop after the first week of the academic year. Fun Learning is a beneficial solution that will allow students and teachers to discover the joy of learning and become enthusiastic learners and educators throughout the year.

Learning without laughter, entertainment, and fun will make our students fall asleep even at the beginning of the day. By injecting a dose of entertainment and fun to the students, a boring lesson can be an entertaining one! Therefore, how can we determine that our lessons are fun and entertaining enough? Let’s take a look at some ways to determine how fun and engaging our lessons are. First, learning is fun when we love doing what we are doing in the classroom. Teachers should have the passion to teach the kids and the kids in the class should be inspired by what we are doing in the class. Kids who are inspired by the teachers will go the extra mile to know more than just what they’ve learned in the classroom.

Next, learning is fun when everyone feels safe in the classroom. Language learners usually have problems with anxiety levels especially when they feel they cannot utilize the language learned. This is due to the fact that other students might say negative words to those students who’d like to say something in the language they recently learned. This negative attitude should not be allowed to grow in the classroom as we’re promoting a safe environment in the classroom. When kids feel safe in their own classroom, they will feel they’re free to explore and set new goals.

Failing is something that teachers will make most of us afraid of. However, in order to make learning more fun, we should somehow, or rather, allow kids to fail or make mistakes. As mentioned earlier, a safer environment of the classroom will make kids feel free to explore and at the same time, set a new goal. Allowing kids to make mistakes and do corrections afterwards will foster creativity and innovation among the students. As mentioned by Brian Herbert, an American author in his favourite quote, “The capacity to learn is a gift, the willingness to learn is a choice.”

Remember, teachers (including, me!), learning is not a one-day event or not even a convenience store. It requires preparation, repetition, and dedication. Fun learning will make students eager to be in your class as neurologist, Judy Willis mentioned that fun learning and fun experiences increase levels of dopamine, endorphins, and oxygen in which all three hormones are all important .

Finally, learning is fun when teachers have the freedom to choose what to teach and students can choose how they want to learn. Both parties should work together to ensure fun learning can be conducted not by only one enthusiastic teacher, but to all teachers out there. As we‘ve experienced a lot of changes and challenges during the pandemic, it is time for us teachers to open the door of happiness and joy to our students. When students are happy with their class, they will be enthusiastic to keep on learning. Most importantly, fun learning inspires a lot of teachers to become lifelong learners which involves striving to be the best version of teachers, every single day.

Written by Hazwan Hamdan