Teaching Smarter This Year: Adapting Ideas That Work

The truth is, great teaching ideas rarely fall from the sky. They come from watching others, trying things out, and adapting what already works. It’s the same way chefs refine recipes and artists evolve their style by borrowing, tweaking, and improving.

This year doesn’t have to feel like a constant scramble for new ideas. If you’re willing to take inspiration from unexpected places—business leaders, sports coaches, actors, even your own learners—you can build a toolkit of strategies that make life smoother and lessons more engaging.

What Business Teams Can Teach Us About Working Smarter

Business leaders thrive on systems that save time. Teachers can too.
A few practical crossovers:

• Batching tasks: Instead of squeezing in marking whenever you can, set aside one focused block of time to get through a big chunk. The mental clarity is worth it.
• Using templates: Pre-written email replies, feedback stems, or lesson outlines reduce repetitive work and free up energy for planning and connection.
• Focusing on the high-impact 20%: The 80/20 Rule reminds us that small, targeted actions often make the biggest difference. In teaching, this could mean prioritising relationship-building or clarifying instructions over perfecting slide animations.

If CEOs can run entire companies this way, teachers can use the same strategies to create calmer, more organised classrooms.

What the Sports Coach Knows About Motivation

Sports coaches understand momentum. They know that confidence grows from small wins.

In the classroom, this can look like:

• Celebrating progress rather than perfection: A learner mastering a new method after three attempts deserves the same recognition as the one who gets it right the first time.
• Short, focused drills: Instead of long explanations, break concepts into quick activities. Repetition builds mastery more effectively than a single in-depth lecture.
• Normalising mistakes: Athletes treat errors as part of practice. When learners adopt the same mindset, they stay motivated, resilient, and ready to try again.

What Performers Know About Capturing Attention

Actors don’t start a performance with a long explanation. Instead, they pull you in.

Teachers can do the same by:

• Opening with a hook: A curious question, a surprising detail, or a short demonstration keeps learners alert from the start.
• Using movement and voice intentionally: A small shift in pace or tone can re-engage an entire class. Pausing after a question gives learners time to think and helps create space for better answers.

Performance is about presence, and a teacher with presence naturally holds attention.

What Social Media and Gaming Get Right About Engagement

Learners spend hours on TikTok, Instagram, and video games because these platforms know how to hold attention. Instead of competing with TikTok or gaming platforms, take note of what keeps learners so absorbed.

• Short bursts of content: Breaking lessons into small, manageable chunks mirrors the micro-content learners already consume.
• Gamified elements: A simple leaderboard, challenge, or badge can transform a routine lesson into something interactive.
• Instant feedback: Like games that show progress immediately, real-time feedback helps learners adjust quickly and stay engaged.

What Learners Themselves Can Teach Us

Some of the best teaching ideas come straight from the classroom itself.  Learners often have a fresh perspective on what works and what doesn’t.

• Learners explaining concepts in their own words often reveal new pathways into a topic.
• Asking what helps them learn can uncover simple changes that make lessons more meaningful.
• Letting learners contribute ideas builds ownership and often leads to solutions adults might overlook.

When learners help shape the experience, engagement becomes a shared responsibility, and solutions to improve the learning experience emerge. Embracing those ideas can create a more collaborative and dynamic classroom environment.

Teaching Is About Sharing, Adapting, and Growing

No teacher has time to come up with fresh ideas for every lesson. The best educators know that gathering, adapting, and improving on proven ideas is how great teaching happens. As you step into this school year, remember: you don’t have to do it all alone. Learning from others—whether business leaders, sports coaches, performers, or learners—can make your life easier and your teaching more impactful. Happy first term, and happy teaching!

By Chantal Tarling