Spend time on your lesson plan. Make a list of questions to ask, anecdotes to narrate and activities to conduct in relation to ideas expressed in the lesson. Violate the students' expectations. For example, the story of a mathematician and how he discovered a particular concept breaks the monotony of learning formulas and equations.
Answer patiently the questions that students ask, even when they appear irrelevant. Even better, ask a counter-question that will encourage them to think in new ways. Don't brush aside complex questions, saying they are not a part of the syllabus. Instead, ask students to form a group and collect more information, setting a date for them to present their findings.
Give children short breaks between learning sessions. If possible, let them have physical activity sessions. If this is impractical, conduct a game or activity, preferably unrelated to the topic of your lesson. If even this is not possible, simply spend a few minutes relating to students as individuals with an identity. Ask for their opinions on some current happening in the school or community. Engage their minds with topics that interest them. Such breaks refresh their minds and help to keep boredom away.
Create connections between topics. Better still, ask students to discover these connections on their own. Doing this encourages them to think more deeply. Discovering connections gives them an intellectual thrill that builds confidence and self-esteem. It sets them off on a path of curious learning.
Hold presentations, quizzes and competitions without the specter of grades hovering in the background. Divide students into groups and pit groups against each other. Working in a group stimulates interest in the topic, and a spirit of competition invokes excitement in the learning process.
Provide positive reinforcement. Express approval of students' efforts, if not the final outcome. When you enthusiastically applaud a student's efforts, it gives her a sense of pride and builds self-esteem, giving her the courage to venture again and again down unexplored paths. Avoid harsh criticism because it creates a fear of trying something new, and it effectively kills natural curiosity.