Props provide students with a link to the real world outside the classroom. They can add fun and intrigue to a lesson and spark the students' imagination. Drama and English as a Second Language teachers usually use a wide range of props, but teachers can use props in other lessons, too. History, Math, English and foreign languages lend themselves to the use of props. In fact, with a little creativity, you can make most lessons livelier with relevant props.

Use individual props to excite the students' interest, particularly if it is a creative lesson in a class like Drama or English. The prop can be in the room as the students enter. For instance, you could place a caged bird or a teddy bear in the room. Have the students discuss the object and then write a story based on it or perform some improvisations.

Move on to collections of items, such as old postcards or newspapers for History or butterflies for Biology. Students can ask their parents for collections, or other teachers and members of the local community can contribute.

Encourage your students to take a "prop" and turn it into something from their imagination. Collect fabrics and ordinary bed sheets to use as props. Students can make impromptu costumes referencing historical time periods, such as Roman togas. You could also use a piece of fabric as the starting point for a short story.

Turn classroom objects into props. For instance, move the desks and chairs into a half circle. The students can then debate a subject of historical significance in the classroom that is now Congress.

Integrate "real" props, such as bus and train timetables, into your lessons, where relevant. ESL lessons become more true-to-life with these types of props, while Math demonstrations are made more exciting through the use of candy, cake or CD-Roms.