Capturing the Students' Attention
I have found that it takes many different ways to keep the students focused on lecture. Some of the ideas I have come up with are to compare some of the more complex ideas, to everyday situations the students may experience. I also have brought some creative activities to class to bring some hands-on learning for students who may learn better that way. For reviews, I have played things like jeopardy to try and create a fun environment. I think those things really help pick up the attention of the lessons. Do you have any other suggestions on how to pick up a slow subject? I am always looking for new ideas!
I have found it extremely useful to incoporate a wide ranging of instructional/teaching methods in in order to capture the students attention. The primary method is a lecture. However, guest speakers provide students with an example of an individual in the current field along with their experiences and how they obtained their career. There is also field trips which provide students with the opportunity to go somewhere they never been before. Most importantly, is "school on the go". Field trips provide students with the visuals and experience of various careers/fields. Another method is via individual and group activities. The students practice developing critical thinking, analytical skills and teamwork.
Tammy,
You have great variety and change of pace in your instructional delivery. The suggestion I would have for slow subject areas would be to use case studies or role playing to reinforce the content. I have my students act out some of the more boring aspects of my field even if they are just standing in different locations in the classroom to illustrate a point about how to do a function or solve a problem. The students really like this approach as well as working through the case studies.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
