Moving around the class room and standing near the student can help recapture their attention. If inattention is an ongoing issue with a particular student, I might talk to the student outside of class to help determine how to capture their attention.
I am a resent retiree/veteran and find when I mention that at the beginning of the class the students, especially veterans, want to create a bond as a good student with me as instructor. When I walk around the class during lectures or skills the students want to show their best work because they like the positive words of encouragement I give them. If I have issues with any distracted students I make sure to catch them as they are leaving the room and ask how they are doing with the material. The positive reinforcement and noticing when a student is not themselves has seemed to keep them all involved and productive.
It frequently happens when students have to take a second class after a long lecture. I think its best to involve them in the discussion by asking their life experience regarding the topic.
I also have military and former military students who sometimes seem overwhelmed with some of the information in my class of Computer Technology. Many are returning home after years of deployment and feel disoriented with some of the changes in technology. I also have some older students who thought computers were just a fad back in the 1970s and 1980s and now see they need some manner of training in order to just keep a job. They need someone to listen to them and work with them individually and I get a great deal of satisfaction from helping them in this way.
Breaking out into smaller groups or having a team building type of activity are helpful options.
I often start with some music that is appropriate to the topic. This is tough to find sometimes, but it can have a dramatic opening effect. I then carefully explain the relationship of the music to the topic. This helps to also give them a framework to remember course sections.
I think one way to capture inattentive students is to break up lecture and do a hands on activity. Sometimes students learn better when they are involved more.
Hi Matthew,
A stare normally does the trick. Sometimes intimidation really does work. They get it when you stare at them.
Patricia Scales
Object lessons help to break up my presentations in Algebra class. Something as simple as bringing a box of cereal (or two ) to class will usually grab their attention long enough to show them area and perimeter for a rectangle, parallelogram and even a triangle.
Malcolm Bartlett
STARE LET THEM KNOW THERE OFF TASK
I strongly support good communication, being attentive to students and one-on-one meetings with those presenting with attention and negative behaviour.
Break the students into small groups so that they can take part in a smaller discussion. It may also be helpful to pose a question to the large group and go around the room asking every student to respond with their opinion, drawing the inattentive student into the discussion.
The problem I faced this quarter is my classroom was a computer lab. This alone was a distraction to certain students.
Hi Tracy,
Great tactic to utilize to ensure your students are following you and they understand. You can catch confusion early this way, which is better.
Patricia Scales
Some ways I capture the attention of inattentive students is I ask questions very frequently through the course of my lectures, I choose randomly so the students do not know who will get called on next to answer. I also stop frequently and ask the students if they have any questions or need further elaboration on anything that I have covered. I have found that this works good because it is easy to loose the attention of students quickly if they are confused on the information that has been presented to them.
Inattentive students are at times hard to grasp their attention.
In a previous class I incorporated a game into the one class. I asked a question, students provided answers. Then it was open discussion which answer they thought was best. It was a BLAST and it got everyone talking because the student who got to the end of the board first got a "free" pass. And didn't have to homework that night :)
Hi Morris,
No one likes being bored. Long drawn out lectures are just too boring. We have to add excitement to our courses. Guest speakers are a great idea, and I have found students love doing hands-on activities as well.
Patricia Scales
Speed up the rate of your lecture.
Stand next to the students while presenting your lecture or PPT.
Asks random questions.
Make the topic of discussion relevant in real world scenarios.
During one of my lectures, I think this was the second week of class. I noticed a younger male sitting in the back row next to the wall. I also, noticed that he seemed to be writing or drawing. I most definitely did not have his full attention even though he was hearing me, he was not listening. So what I decided to do was speed up what I was saying, By doing this I captured this young mans attention because he could no longer quickly process what I was saying and had to pay more attention. This is one was.
My students know that from time to time I present discussion questions in class and randomly call on students, most of the time I am walking the classroom while using a PPT lecture.
I have found that when I have reviews for quizzes and tests, instead of me reading the question to the class and having them answer, I place all the responsibility on them. For example, I provide a study guide for the exam. I pull up the exam on the monitor screen so that each student can see it in front of the class. I have the first student read #1 and then I let them explain to the class the answer. If the answer is right, we move on. If the answer needs critiquing, I do so and move on. I also give the rest of the class a chance to add to the explanation if they have something different. I have found that this keeps the class involved a lot.
There are multiple ways to catch a students attention. I tend to not to have long drawed out lectures , but pauses ask questions to make sure everyone is following. I will also ask the class to break out into groups and talk about the topic. I think that helps keep the students attention.
