The introduction to the lesson as a motivation for students. Possibilities and limits (PDF)

Internship Report from the year 2015 in the subject Didactics - Common Didactics, Educational Objectives, Methods, grade: very good, University of Education Heidelberg, language: English, abstract: At the beginning of a lesson, teachers often have a lot of organisational matters (e.g. attendance checks, letters to parents...) on their minds. This is usually clarified right at the beginning of the lesson. This is often followed by the homework check. As a result, the introduction to the lesson may be neglected.

However, the beginning of the lesson is just as important a phase of the lesson as the development, the securing and the conclusion, because it has many didactic functions. However, students often have other things on their minds at the beginning of the lesson. For example, they have just written a mathematics paper or there was an argument during the break. Often they cannot immediately get involved in the new lesson topic.

It is therefore all the more important to make the introduction to the lesson varied, interesting and motivating so that the students can fully adapt to the new topic and detach themselves from the previous lesson.

But how can a teacher start a lesson? How can he motivate the students and arouse their interest? How can he build up a certain level of expectation and excitement for the lesson? And can a successful introduction keep the students motivated and interested for the rest of the lesson or even for the entire lesson?