Making Learning Stick: How I Structure Class Time So Students Really Get It

Students don’t learn when they’re bored. And they definitely don’t learn when the material feels out of reach. So when I design my in-person class time—especially on days when I’m introducing new material—I focus on two things: connection and comprehension.

Combined with the backward design approach I talked about in yesterday’s post, this method has made my teaching more effective and more appreciated. Students often tell me—both in person and in course evaluations—that this structure helps them feel cared for and respected. They’re right. It does come from a place of care. (I have found the aphorism “No one cares what you know until they know you care” to be true.)

Start with Connection: Emotion, Memory, and Relevance

One thing I’ve learned from reading here and there about how memory works is that the brain doesn’t just store information like a hard drive. We don’t file and retrieve facts; we relive them—especially when they’re linked to emotion. That’s why a smell or song can bring back a vivid memory. It’s also why learning sticks best when it’s anchored in something meaningful.

So, I start class by triggering something familiar and easy to engage with. I’ll ask students about a personal experience, a strong opinion, or something light and funny. I’m not looking for deep vulnerability—just a quick spark of recognition that pulls their lived experience into the room.

This does two things:

• It activates emotion, which helps memory
• It signals that they already know something relevant to what they’re about to learn

Even if the topic is brand new, it no longer feels like starting from zero.

Then, Build Comprehension: Layering Techniques Until It Clicks

After I introduce a new concept, idea, or framework, I don’t stop with the definition. Some students are natural conceptual thinkers, but all students need to understand by the end of class. So I layer different ways of explaining until I see it click.

Here’s what I use:

• Examples from the arts: Real-world application shows that what we’re learning is useful in their future careers.
• Analogies: When students don’t yet have arts administration or business management experience, I draw from everyday life to bridge the gap. For example, many of my students have work experience in other areas – restaurants, retail, college offices.
• Metaphors: These bring in emotional or psychological resonance—making abstract ideas feel familiar.
• Stories: Often funny or self-deprecating, stories bring the material to life and help students retain it.

When I use these layered techniques, I see the understanding spread across the room. One student lights up during the example, another starts taking notes during the story, another chimes in when the analogy lands. Even the early concept-graspers deepen their thinking along the way.

Throughout, I intersperse quick discussion questions and student responses. It’s dynamic, and it works.

Teaching This Way Is Creative—and It Works

I truly enjoy building lessons like this. It’s a creative challenge: How many ways can I teach this one thing so everyone can learn it?

Some instructors dismiss this kind of work as giving into ineffective “edutainment.” I see it differently. It’s not about entertaining students—it’s about meeting them where they are. The more I work to make the material accessible, the more they engage. The more they engage, the more they learn. And isn’t that the point?

Tomorrow, I’ll share how I use Universal Design for Learning to make my courses even more inclusive and effective.