4 Ways To Use Shakespeare For Better Student Engagement

Shakespeare’s work inspired and introduced many generations to the world of plays and drama. We all are amazed and get inspired by something so profound and legendary as his work. For centuries, he was the core moving force in our educational system and managed to cultivate many young people in the transitional adulthood process.

Technological advancements in the past 20 years improved our learning experience and made us dependent on e-learning methods and the Internet. This is the reason behind the eagerness of so many educational institutions for building a school website. In fact, the online approach is more effective than the traditional one. You need to create a classroom website to increase the level of interest among young children and students.

Unfortunately, having interactive and visual educational experiences is not enough.  Although we live in a world were visual and the graphic material show stellar results, still the attention span of the students and children is decreasing.

Fortunately, content is still the king, especially quality and meaningful educational material like William Shakespeare’s work.  There are a lot of ways to involve and engage students simply by using the best work of the legendary Shakespeare.  We have compiled a list of things you can do with Shakespeare’s best work in order to improve the knowledge of English and history in children and students.

1. Use Movies Based On Shakespeare’s Plays

There is no better way to raise the interest in his work then quoting or watching movies based on his plays. Pop phenomenon Romeo + Juliet (1996) with Leonardo Di Caprio as a lead role is a perfect material you can use to spark an interest in teenagers and children. Create a classroom website, post quotes from the movie and afterwards analyze and discuss Shakespeare’s original play. In the end, you will have students that will be touched on a deep emotional and intellectual level by his work and along the process learn more about history.

2. Make It A Privilege

Shakespeare’s plays are something that students only get to do if their all other activities are finished successfully and they are well behaved. Give extra credits to students that like to get involved in his work. Discuss his work with excitement and anticipation. Never give up and make them believe that reading his work is a must and mandatory activity in order to become successful and functional adult.

3. Assign Different Play Roles Every Day

Bring back to life his plays by assigning roles to your students every day that can be played during the English class. You can make an online lottery system where each week different students will be assigned to different roles that they will have to prepare for. Create your own classroom website and involve your students there, it will be fun and interactive for each age group.

4. Use Real-Life Comparisons

Finding real-life analogies, between their lives and the plays that they will be doing can help a lot. You can even start an online community where they can share their similar personal experiences and discuss complex issues in more serious manner. Building a school website that will serve the students is a must if you want to achieve full cohesion. They must be able to relate to the scenes in order for them to engage.  His plays are universal, with themes that can relate to anyone, however, you should help them to find the connections.

Final Thoughts

Shakespeare’s work mixed with the brand-new technology can be effective and educational. Create a classroom website where your students can express themselves and find e-learning material easier.  There is no better way to learn English and history than William’s creations. His work is timeless and will stay in the educational system forever.