Mood Booster Lessons: No-Prep Lesson Plans

What I like about March is that it provides space for creativity. It’s so long and so dull, that I really feel like coming up with ideas just to alleviate the March Mood in the classroom.

That’s why I want to share five of the lesson plans I’ve created so far, tested them quite often, and hence I can recommend as immediate mood boosters! They’re creative, inspirational and funny… and of course you can enjoy them without the hassle of extensive preparation!

1. The Power of Useless: TED-Based Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students explore the concept of “uselessness” through engaging TED Talk by Simone Giertz. By embracing the seemingly unimportant, students learn to appreciate creativity and unconventional thinking. The whole point of the lesson is to show students that it’s OK to find joy in doing something that might look useless.

Benefits for students:

• develops critical thinking skills
• fosters a positive mindset towards challenges
• encourages creativity

2. Flower Power: 3 Simple Lesson Ideas + Free Worksheet

Let’s enjoy the beauty of flowers – especially in March! And incorporate nature into the classroom. From exploring symbolism (ever heard of floriography?) to engaging activities with flower codes, students not only learn about flora but also develop observation skills and unleash their creativity.

Benefits for students:

• promoting mindfulness
• supports appreciation for nature
• encourages creativity and artistic expression

3. Exact Instructions Challenge: No-Prep Lesson Plan

Get ready for a challenge! It’s one of my favourite lessons that encourages students to think critically and communicate effectively by giving and following instructions precisely. Very precisely. Students work on teamwork and resilience… and learn the new concept of “malicious compliance”.

Benefits for students:

• develops communication skills
• boosts critical thinking
• supports linguistic precision

4. Aliens vs. Humans: Lesson Plan

This lesson will take you right into the world of imagination. This lesson is about aliens and humans and the way both sides may look at one another. It also provides a refreshing break from traditional teaching methods.

Benefits for students:

• develops out of the box thinking
• boosts collaboration
• encourages creativity

5. The Colors of Evil: Shortie but Goodie

This lesson teaches us that if you want to summon a proper demon, you should pay attention to your spelling… But more than that, it’s a quirky lesson full of colours and adorable fluffiness. Students work on predicting the events in a short animation, having quite a lot of fun, as the plot has an interesting twist.

Benefits for students:

• develops out of the box thinking
• boosts creativity
• encourages informal use of English

As you can see, with these no-prep lesson plans, you can inject creativity and positivity into your classroom while saving time on preparation. I’d love to hear about your experiences implementing them in your classroom. Share your stories, successes, and even any challenges you faced in the comments below.

Enjoy!