The fifth element

Going through the National Board process is helping me to keep focus on a goal of being mindful of lots of different elements, when designing lessons:
What am I doing to ensure that this lesson is mathematically meaningful?
That it's addressing equity and is accessible to all of MY students?
That students will be able and willing to be responsible for their learning?
That I'm prepared to offer meaningful help to struggling students, and meaningful extensions to rock stars?

And, today, I came to recognize the fifth piece of this puzzle:

What am I doing to ensure that this lesson will be entertaining?


Yes, I'm thinking now in terms of entertainment, rather than engagement. Because it's not always necessary that the lesson is engaging, itself: if a student is bored, then the lesson won't engage them. If the student is having fun being in class, then (in my recent experience) they'll happily tackle a worksheet. Also, it's a heck of a lot more fun for me...