I incorporate all of my students into my lectures by asking questions about the material covered every 10-15 min. I go around the class and request participation from everyone to ensure that all are alert and following along while being actively engaged in the class lecture
I use what technic works best for the class at hand. I have always tried to get to know my classes before I start instructing. If you know how your students learn half of the learning process has been achieved and the other will go smooth throughout the term.
Tom
for me by keeping their attention is by walking around in class and asking each students a question. If they are responding to the questions then for sure you have their attention.
Approach the area of the class that the student is seated. Ask the student a question relating to the current lecture material. Dont make a big scene if he or she does not know the answer simply call on another student.
I have found it useful to occasionally use humor, if it is relevant to the topic being discussed. This has the effect of leaving the inattentive student in the position of wondering what is going on, without singling them out. It is not an easy process and requires careful use as well as talent for applying humor. Additionally, humor seems to make some thing easier to remember.
Using the socratic teaching method. This encourages students to actively participate in classroom discussions.
During the first fifteen minutes of class, I like to involve the students in group discussions of classical lab interactions. Then proceed with classs objectives.
Hi Ted,
Anytime you can make the lecture applicable to the real world students are so much more engaged. Visual is always a plus for students. Seeing is believing!
Patricia
I like to throw out questions. I move around the room and make sure they are answering question even from the back of the room.
To try and capture the attention of inattentive students, I try to maintain a lively discussion and specifically call on, and engage, the students who appear to be the least motivated and involved. I hope that by doing this, I will win over their attention, and they will be more connected and participatory in the future.
In my lecture classes, I am a mover. I work around the room, frequently using the equipment the students will see in lab & clinical to illustrate the points I am discussing with them so they can relate the lecture material to the clinical application and familiarize themselves with the devices they will be using in lab & in the clinical sites.
I find this tactic helps engage most students in the topic of the day.
Hi Audrey,
You have great versatility as an instructor. You can really shift gears when you see things that are not going very well. Variety adds flavor to any course. Remember, students love hands-on activities too.
Patricia
Being animated with the students. Ask them questions. Have them get involved by sharing stories.
I try to move around the class. This keeps distractions like texting and side conversations to a minimum. This also helps me as an instructor by forcing me to focus on students and student body language. If I see that much of the class is bored or appears inattentive, I know I need to change my strategy. In several instances, I have stopped the lecture and come up with a group activity or discussion topic to help students become re-engaged with the class session. This also encourages me to have a variety of teaching strategies and keep lessons interesting. I am also challenged to "think on my feet" if the lesson is not going as well as I had planned. Students have expressed appreciation for that flexibility in the past.
Hi Natelle,
Keeping students active is certainly a great way to keep their attention sparked. Idle time is not good for students.
Patricia
Hi Sandy,
Great variety! I like how you break your activities into intervals. Even adult students need structure.
Patricia
I think it is important to establish structure to the course and this should help to capture students attention. I do agree that it is important to move about the room and to make eye contact with the students during a lecture. I have found dividing the class session into short interval, of fifteen to twenty minutes will help to keep students focus. I usually structure the class session in segments, allowing lecture for twenty minutes, student's discussion, for fifteen minutes, follow by an activities, for about fifteen minutes, and I repeat the process for the remaining schedule time.
It is difficult for anyone to listen to another person's voice regularly, for long stretches. Varying lecture and large group discussion with activities, whether individual, small group, or large group, seems to wake up the inattentive students. When they are required to do something, say something, write something, they have no choice but to become engaged in the process. I've heard the concept called "breathing in and breathing out". No one can continue to breath in (absorb information) for long periods of time. Breaking up the "breathing in" with activities that require "breathing out" - thought, speech and action on their part, helps reduce inattentiveness.
I would probably inform the students that there will be a quiz following lecture or class disscussion, and that everyone will be asked to share their answers.
WHEN I HAVE AN UNATTENTIVE STUDENT, I TRY TO ENVOLVE THEM IN CLASS ACTIVITIES. FIND OUT SOMETHING THAT THEY ARE GOOD AT AND ALLOW THEM TO HELP AND DIRECT OTHER STUDENT SO THEY CAN BE A PART OF THE CLASS.
