Hi Susan,
Students love to have fun while learning. Learning really does stick when students are having fun.
Patricia Scales
This is a wonderful subject for me. Being a new teacher the ideas really help. Our students are from an area that is full of personal life drama and obstacles. Keeping focus can be difficult. One of my classes is anesthesia which is full of important information and many drugs that can be overwhelming. I hope to find some "fun" games to incorporate information and engagement.
Various methods acn be used and it depends on the classroom environment. A smaller class size, might require a soft touch from the instructor such as just movement towards the student to reengage him or her. Larger classroom may require a varied method, such as a direct question.
In my busy kitchen classroom I bellow out, "can everyone hear me!" this works and it is great, I capture the attention of everyone in the room so I can successfully communicate the direction the class needs to go in.
While we must focus on how to do things right, there are students that for various reasons, can not grasp the right way. I have to get down to their level and understand their thought process and explain why the things they are trying to do will not work. This many times will bring students back into class and get them motivated again.
These are all great responses. I am getting ready to teach my first class and this is very important to me. I am hoping to use a combination of exciting ways to look at things and humor. I want to try and make the class 'feel' light while teaching some fairly complex topics. I am hoping it will come through.
By asking for their opinion on a particular topic that is related to the subject being discussed.
Breaking apart the presentation methods. Many students struggle with how they are 'receiving' the material and thus feel isolated (I'm the only one struggling) - use of breakouts for review and role playing helps to utilize other students who may be understanding the material. Sometimes students learn better from each other.
It depends on the class atmosphere and scene of humor, relating a class topic with everyday life activities can re capture their attention to the subject.
Hi Melissa,
I have witnessed that if you let students move around or even stretch for a quick 5 seconds, they regain their focus.
Patricia Scales
I like to have the students get up and move around. It could be something as simple as asking them to gather around up front or an activity, but it usually gets everyone on track.
In my class I have used the call on the attentive student to read and/or answer the question that was asked. This method
I call on student to read or to answer the question that has been asked.
The instructor could call upon the student frequently to ensure the student is paying attention. You could move the student to the front of the class and/or move from distraction. Learn personal information from that student and use it to keep there attention.
I will often turn a lecture into a class discussion to keep the students attentive. A class discussion usually encourages participation from all students.
I call upon the students to assist with demonstrations and help prepare the next days tools and items.
Some ways to capture the attention of inattentative students, are to make sure they are aware of course expectations and that it is their responsibility to be attentive, assess whether the coursework is too difficult or easy and presenting material in an interesting and challenging way.
Changing the instructor's physical presence in the room is often enough to alter the inattentive student, if that is not enough, speaking with the student outside of class would be required.
Asking students to engage in one-minute quizzes and bouncing questions around the room are other good stategies for keeping the entire class attentive.
I like to use group activities in which thoses students need to play some type of role.
Hi Glenn,
It is more exciting/interesting to students when an instructor uses variations of teaching methods to engage students. No one likes pure lecture all the time.
Patricia Scales
To keep student attention I find breaking the presentation into modules and using various styles keeps students more engaged than a continuous lecture.
I introduce the topic and encourage students to share their experience in discussion. This helps connect the topic to real life and show legitimacy. We switch learning styles and do a small group activity that relates to the discussion that just ended. I observe the activity and help guide students. A group is asked to share.
