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Shaina, the start of the day can be hectic without a routine. I'm not sure what your current environment with children consists of, but I suggest you have a regular morning routine to start your day. Kids trickle in, unpack backpacks, sharpen pencils, bring you notes and money, etc. Depending on their age, this routine will look a little different. When I taught elementary school, we projected Daily Oral Language on the Board (DOL) which consisted of just a few problems for students to complete while all the above was going on in the room. Students could work on this individually until morning announcements were done, and then afterwards, we would go over the work together with children sharing their answers. They also have Daily Oral Math and Daily Oral Social Studies. There are also Daily Warm Ups for Science by Robert W. Smith. Once you get your routine established, it makes it a lot easier. I had their DOL on their desks waiting for them each morning. If they are a little older, in 3rd grade or above, they can keep it in their desks in a folder.

Hi! I am both currently a swim teacher and a senior in college pursuing an education degree.  I sometimes struggle with the same thing in both swim lessons and in student teaching.  Last quater I was in math methods and practicum and one thing that I had trouble with at first was engaging and getting the students excited for math.  However, one thing that proved to get them excited every time was inviting them up to the board and be involved and hands on in their learning.  They would get so excited to come up to the board and work a problem, explain to the class, etc!  Getting them personally involved in their own learning makes it so much more meaningful to them and I think it makes the difference sometimes! I hope this helped.

I just finished my student teaching this past year and know exactly how you feel when it seems like the students have no interest in a complicated topic. I definitely agree with other peoples' answers that adding in games, technology, and options are a great way to go. Another idea that I found helpful was bringing in objects or something hands-on the students could actually work with and see physically was very helpful. For example; my students really struggled with measurement, but when I was able to bring in objects like a gallon of milk or a measuring cup the students were more engaged in the content and could also manipulate the cups that went into the gallon. I also found that collaborative learning is super important. Students want to be able to learn and grow from their peers, so if there is any time that they can work with other students in discussion or partner work that will also help with engagement and motivation.

Hi Shaina! My name is Breya and I am currently studying elementary education at Wartburg College. I am in my third year and currently working toward endorsements in ESL, reading, and coaching. Over these last few years, I have had a handful of opportunities to work with students in classrooms for field experiences, and for work experiences in various schools. Something that I have picked up from all of those experiences is that getting students engaged can be as simple as getting to know them and personalizing lessons. I have also found that chatter, restlessness, and distractions can be a trend to begin lessons, but those can be mitigated by controlling the chaos. When you allow students to get their random thoughts out and elaborate on them a little, that allows them to feel heard, which creates a respect for them toward you so that they can reciprocate that respect! Controlled chaos is the key! Distractions will always be present in an elementary classroom, it's just a matter of how you control them which boils down to classroom management.  

I completely agree with Brittany! I teach middle school, and while they are awesome people, some days they can be challenging to motivate. By offering them choice within a lesson, the students feel they can express individual interests while learning more about those interests. 

A recent example: we have been learning about honey bees, and I wanted the students to explore how reliant humans are on honey bee products. To do this, I assigned a research project, but I allowed the students to choose which bee product they wanted to learn about: honey, beeswax, bee pollen, or royal jelly. I provided some guiding questions to answer, and let them go! Many students chose products they use in their own lives (many girls chose beeswax and royal jelly since they are prominent ingredients in cosmetics). 

In the end, the students were exposed to the same content and answered the same guiding questions, but were able to learn about something they were interested in. It's a win-win!

Yes i agree with brittany great advice and idea about choice menu!.