I think changing the location is a great idea give students something to look forward to.
It keeps the stu;dents engaged
It's keep the action going in the classroom.
It keeps you aware of your classroom and your students... you will know if you have thier full attention or not. Also...the students are likely to stay completely engaged in your lecture or lab demonstration. I believe it also lets your students know you are "available" for questions...help...etc.
It depends on the set up of my classroom and how many students I have as to how I move around. Sometimes I move back and forth in the front of the room if the class is large and there is little room in between rows and seats. If there are a smaller number of students, I try to have them sit in a semi-circle and I stand in the middle of the the semi-cirlce. I try to engage my students and read their nonverbal communication to keep them involved in the task at hand.
I realized that I did this in my class last night and made a mental note of it. I felt like I was really beginning to connect with the class and feeling more confident.
Hi Margie!
I hear your challenge. But I think an occasional movement behind students is OK. They will keep up with you. I'm not suggesting that you do this often but I find movement like this will wake up the less than enthusiastic student since they are often the ones on the back row.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
It is important to give each student a sense of personal connection with the instructor. Physical proximity is one way of doing that.
I like to move through the classroom, but find the double horseshoe setup in our classrooms a bit restrictive. I move across the front of the room, but I find it awkward to move between the two arcs. I feel uncomfortable moving behind students during a discussion that I am leading as they look to me for nonverbal cues in regulating the conversation. I could set up the tables differently, but would be responsible for moving them before and after class. Any thoughts on how to make better use of this room layout?
Moving about the room will help the students in many ways but unfortunatley alot of my classes are in small rooms and there simply isn't enough room for me to walk around the room.
Any suggestions?
I move around the room in order to keep students focused on material and at the same time provide one on one instructions
Hi Darlene!
I hear ya! Academia encourages technology use, but then are challenged by it. I continue to suggest incorporating - in some way - the use of texting, etc. in classroom activities. I believe occasional use would accept and respect this generations (and others) need to use technology.
If you have any good ideas, let me know!
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
i feel my students are more connected to the lesson if i remain among the group. it seems to remove the disconnect between what i am saying and the lesson. as they watch my movement i can direct them to the screen ,chalk board or what ever other teaching aid i am using.
I have found that moving around in class has kept the student focused on the discussed material instead of their attention else where, example studing for other classes.
I wanted to touch on the idea from the module about sitting to show moving out of the position of power. I've found moving into the seating area for the class can have a similar effect. I teach English, and when I want students to have a conversation about topics, I tend to position myself among the students. The front of the classroom is a position of power, while the classroom desks or seats are reserved for the students. Standing keeps some power (moderating the discussion), but being among the students lets them feel more in control of the conversation. They also get the opportunity to look at each other, especially difficult to accomplish in rooms with fixed seating, which fosters discussion. I've found it helps build rapport. Coming out into the classroom, I've found, has helped students open up, become more responsive, and become less fearful of answering or asking questions. And switching the dynamics of the classroom helps students refocus on what's being discussed.
It helps to refocus the students attention for a brief period of time. It also helps to engage the entire classroom in your lecture.
I too use the "horseshoe" setup in my classroom. For computer lab work it allows me to see what all students are doing as it relates to the lab. It also allows me to quickly identify which student might be having difficulty with a lab assignment.
Moving around the class helps my students to feel that I am paying close attention to whatever it is they are doing, such as taking notes or going over something in their week's text readings that relate to the discussion/lecture. My moving around also limits my laptop users from surfing the web, answering email and blogging during class. This seems to be more prevalent nowadays in the classroom, and my moving around limits this activity that distracts the student from the week's learning activities. I sometimes even "advise" my class that I will be moving around to learn more about them as we talk, and this also limits inappropriate web surfing on the laptop!
Hi Sarah!
I agree that it can be a challenge to manage to be all places at all times. I try to think my strategy through of how I am going to move around in the room when I am developing my lesson plan. Then I have different activity corners (as I call them)most like a Montessori room might be set up. This enables me to more easily move from one area to another.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
It is important to keep the students engaged in learning and also to help manage the classroom. It can be a challenge sometimes to locate yourself effectively based on the set-up of the classroom and the materials that you may need to use. For example I use the white board a lot which is located on the complete opposite side of the room as the computer (for powerpoint) and the desk (where I keep my notes etc.) I can find it difficult to manage all these things while at the same time float in the classroom. I feel like I am constantly moving back and forth.
Hi Heather!
I totally agree! I also think that it keeps the instructor on their toes.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
