Hi Linda,
Super. When students sense their teacher is interested in their learning they (invariably) will be more inclined to work harder to do a better job.
Barry Westling
I teach a culinary class, so i often walk around the classroom to show my product in different stages of completion instead of spending the entire demo/lecture in the front of the room.
I try to have some type of activity that works with each session. Often times it is a simple question that stimulates discussion. I teach in the CJ field, there is always an item in the news, or local paper that I can use in my classroom. Depending on the student or the topic, I may call on the student directly.
I always redirect the learning by stating how much I look forward to seeing their learning project. I might even ask them about the focus of their project and what they are attempting to accomplish during this class session.
Hi Betty,
Yes - open ended questions are one of the simplest jet effective ways to get students reengaged, refocused, and back to attention. Students have all kinds of stuff going on in their lives that can easily permit drifting off in thought. Upbeat, energized, and enthusiastic tempo and diection helps keep students on their toes.
Barry Westling
Hi Linda,
Super. I think it would be rare that a students repsonse would so off and out of sync that some redeeming nugget of information couldn't occur from their statement. Blending this to tie into the objectives is a great skill that can be learned by teachers, if they're will to be patient and understanding that students learn at different levels. Even the stronger students benefit when they hear seeming off tract comments from their peers, and the corrected information from the teacher or a response from a stronger student.
Barry Westling
Hi Dona,
Great idea. If students sense they may be randomly asked a question at any time, they may more likely to focus and pay attention. In fact, this is great techniques in general, even when students are actively participating in class. Teach, ask a question, clarify, then move on and repeat that process.
Barry Westling
Depending on the content, I might ask open-ended questions or ask that student his opinion or thoughts about the material. Sometimes, if we are doing something as a class, I will change up and break the students into smaller groups and have them do something that shows they are engaged in discussions, etc. When independent work is assigned, it is easy for students to get off task by daydreaming. When I see this, I will walk around the classroom and acknowledge a student here and there to see if he is having any problems. This doesn't single out the off-task student, but it gets him back to his work. It also gives other students the opportunity to get help if needed.
I try to present "case study" situations, and have each student voice a approach to this situation. Unless they are completely off-course, I bring out a good point and present it to study groups for more thought. it is important if you have students at several levels in the same class to mix them up, making sure the weakest student contributes, and the stong students don't take over and do everything.
I will often use questions to reengage off-task students. Simply stopping the class and asking "What do you think about...." is usually enough for them to realize they are off-task, and potentially distracting others. This approach ia also non-confrontational. The "What do you think about...." question content should focus on redirecting the student back to the task.
Hi Dennis,
Good start. It's what you do after that that's most important. Everyone has excuses. We need to identify the reason, then work from that point to assist them to be brought up to speed. Students have to accept responsibility for their learning, just as we are accountable for teaching them.
Barry Westling
I have those students shoe me their completed work and ask them to explain to me why they are not at said point as the rest of the class.
In these instances I think you need to determine if it is'nt somehow the group.
Hi Nikki,
I think your method is great! This stimulates thought, keeps students on their toes (who will be called on next?), and makes for an interactive learning experience. I think technique can be done throughout the lesson, and not limited to trying to engage inattentive students.
Barry Westling
Hi Jennifer,
Good idea. Simple activities like this break the monotony of focused attention. One former teacher in my department would periodically have the class stand and do either a body-bend exercise, stand on one foot, or do a squat and stand. Then he'd resume class. Seemed strange, but students grew accustomed to it, and it assist getting students refocused.
Barry Westling
I find that it helps to focus the students on the matter at hand by asking them open-ended questions on the subject. By making them the center of attention they always snap back to the matter. I don't do it in a way to embarrass them, but to get them back on track. This helps keep the discussions going the way I would like.
This is a challenge especially in larger classes. I have found it helps to have the students get up and change seats during the break. Sometimes getting out of their comfort zone re-energizes them and they get a new viewpoint of the material presented
Hi Kevin,
Great! The key is to not embarrass a student in thye process, and to make sure they have the bulk of the information under their belt - otherwise the teacher will have to backtrack over too much misinformation given by the student. Yet, I agree, teaching a topic is a great way to learn it. Another application would be for students to teach each other in small groups, then present to the whole class.
Barry Westling
Hi Jeff,
Good - finding the right task or activity might reqiure the creative talents of the teacher. We want to keep the activity related to the subject matter and/or daily lesson. I look to the learning objectives for ideas on "how else can I teach this" for answers.
Barry Westling
