Whenever possible, try to show how the math that the student is learning can be related outside of the classroom. Students want to know the application. The more real-world examples you can share, the more interested your students will be.
First, show the class a few different ways to approach a particular problem. Then, encourage individuals or groups of students to work together to find other ways to solve a problem.When going over homework problems, always ask students to share different ways they may have solved the problem.
While teachers take the time to get to know the students in front of them, making it a step further by using this knowledge to make the lessons and assignments related to their interests can yield even greater outcomes.
Whether you are trying to have your students learn a mathematical concept, remember the steps for a formula, or have fun learning the digits of Pi, creating your own math music videos is a great way for students to become more interested in the class and subject.
In high school geometry, a student may be asked to find the diameter of a plate, where all the information he has is a section of the plate that is smaller than a semicircle. The chosen applications should be short and simple to inspire rather than distract from the text.
A story of a historical event (for example, the story of how Carl Friedrich Gauss added the numbers from 1 to 100 within one minute when he was a 10-year-old in 1787) or a contrived situation can motivate students. Teachers should not rush while telling the story—a hurried presentation minimizes the potential motivation of the strategy.
Great care must be taken in choosing the challenge. The problem (if that's the type of challenge) should definitely be taken up in the lesson and within reach of the students' abilities. Care should be taken that the challenge does not distract from the lesson but actually leads to it.