agree- I was shy person and the thought of standing in front of the class was terrifying, well that changed later in life. I think smaller groups or taking them one on one and asking them questions, maybe in back of the room while others are working on another problem.
I was dealing with a silent student recently in the clinical setting and it was hurting in his/her performance... I had a talk with this student... with the help of this course. I was able to understand that this student was just a little insecure and just needed a little encouragement.
Hi Karl,
Whenever you can get the opinion of a shy student, it does forces them to loosen up some.
Patricia
Another way of dealing with the quiet ones is a small task but with utmost importence. Asking for their feed back lossens them up.
Hi Katrina,
Great ways to get silent students involved. I especially like how you have your students write questions and give them credit. Silent students are more open to writing questons as oppose to asking a question or sharing a response. This is a good pyschological approach because this can encourage the students to ask the questions as well.
Patricia
Hi Carolyn,
Every student learns best a certain way. Whenever you can reach a student based on their learning style, you are well on your way to establishing a relationship. Having a relationship with a student makes a student more comfortable around you, and they tend to open up when they are comfortable with you.
Patricia
Hi Karl,
It is the instructor's job to find out what works best for bringing the silent student out of their shell. I like to do small groups with my silent students and make small talk with them as well.
Patricia
Extra effot is needed by the instructor to gradually find out what makes them tick and use it for their benefit around other classmates.
Just a suggestion: I believe it is a good idea to take into consideration the "shy" student's learning style when trying to get them more involved in the class. Working with their learning style will make them more comfortable and therefore they may open up more, etc.
I feel there are many ways this can be done. It should be done gradually, maybe first by pairing the student with a partner, assessing their comfort level and then gradually move into small groups.
Participation and attendance is part of our school's grading system which seems to work nicely. If the student is not in the class they are unable to participate in the class or with the class when required.
I had a student read a short question off the board to bring her into the discussion. She felt proud of herself for speaking up and the class was excited to have her participate.
Definately, small groups work the best. I have also found that creating a positive relationship with the student and each individual in the classroom helps. Another technique I use is round robin with questions. Everyone gets a turn and they know what order I'm asking questions (clockwise or counterclockwise) during the group discussions. At the beginning of class, I hand out a piece of paper for questions. I use those questions to start my next class; I find the silent students will write or asking. I give the students credit/ positive reinforcement for thinking of such a great question that benefits the whole class.
Katrina
I also try to make each student feel comfortable by greeting them individually as they enter my classroom at the start of class. I have found that most of the time after using small talk at frequent intervals, the shy or quiet student tends to gradually open up more and more within the first 2 weeks. They do it when they are most comfortable.
Breaking the class in smaller groups helps the shy student to be more active and to participate in the discussions.
Have students work in groups of four to six. This gives students an opportunity to share information that they may not want to share with the whole class. I appoint groups so the shy student doesn't feel uncomfortable about selecting a group. I also change the groups so students have an opportunity to get to know everyone in the class.
You can involve silent students to participate in class discussion, by assigning them to small groups, this allows them to feel more comfortable due to the decrease in student size, they are able to connect and feel less alienated ,Also call upon them every now and again
try to win their trust by showing interest in them and get to know them better as an individual. This builds a relationship and they know that you will not expose them or make them feel uncomfortable. if you see they have something to say or share, make sure you allow them to speak and do not ignore them. Put them in a small group with other people that they will feel comfortable with.
I believe that the key ingredient is to find out the reason for the silence, and then incorporate a social activity that would best help the student incorporate himself in the activity of the class.
I love this idea. I use this method when I know I am not going to get any takers about answering questions. Students feel that we are picking on them...but it is equal opportunity picking. No one is left out.
