Hi Laurie,
Call on everyone in the class, including the shy students, and these students do not feel as though they are being put on the spot because everyone has to participate.
Patricia
I try to pull them out of their shell. I like to write questions on the board and then have each student come up to the board and choose a question to answer. If they do not know the answer it becomes a group involvement. It seems to really work.
I agree with the last contributor that there are a few of these in every class. Sometimes the ones who are extremely talkative one on one with me never want to participate in class discussions (I assume out of fear of being judged by their classmates). I occasionally call on students who never participate, but if they seem very shy I am more reluctant to put them on the spot. Any suggestions?
Breaking down into smaller groups or pairing up 2 quiet students together, rather than putting them with other vocal students helps the quiet ones find his/her voice.
Hi Elizabeth,
I agree that being shy about talking in front of others is part of a student’s personality. Getting the silent student involved as much as possible is very important for the silent student’s development. I also like the idea of forming small groups and assigning the silent student to the group. The will allow the silent student to get to know the other students and feel comfortable with the members of the group. This being comfortable with the smaller group will help the silent student to be more comfortable with the whole class.
Hi Elizabeth,
I've encountered this as well. Some students simply will not open up, it is truly their personality. I continue to involve these students as much as possible, and I make it a point to have small talk with them daily.
Patricia
I use the small group technique and give every student authority as a topic expert when they bring in experiences. I also use fun ice breaking activities that also have an element of introducing perspectives differently. I try to introduce and teach that just because you don't agree with something, it doesn't make it wrong. It is okay to agree to disagree.
I do not encounter a quiet student often. However, one of my past students was VERY quiet and I struggled with ways to get her to be involved. When working in groups, she was still quiet. Only participating when her peers would give her a task or say “Jane, what do you think?â€. She didn’t seem to enjoy working in groups either. When working independently, she was still very quiet but she was right on task and her answers where usually correct. So I wasn’t sure what to do next. I finally talked to her before class one evening and asked her how the class was going for her. I guess it was a closed-ended question because she replied “Goodâ€. I continue to struggle to get her open up and be more interactive but before I knew it the term was over and she was still not saying much during class. She earned a 92% in my class so I know she got the material. Any more suggestions?
Silent students sometimes feel insecure when they have to talk to other students they don’t know. Assigning the silent student to a discussion group can help. The silent student can gain confidence by working in the small group. This experience will help the student become more comfortable with talking in front of the whole class.
I have had experience with 2 techniques:
1. Learn a little about the quiet student's knowledge, experience or personal experiences, then draw them out by the use of relay questions.
2. Engage all the students, including the quiet student, through course related gaming and simulations.
Ihave tried multiple strategies. I have spoken to the student and explained the need to be able to speak with their patients, I have called on them individually which seemed to embarass them and I have ignored them. The group assignment has helped because it allows them to be able to grow and become more comfortable with discussions with their classmates and then that transfers to being able to converse with patients. It does seem to allow the growth of communication skills and empowers the student via confidence.
Hi Kevin,
I really make a great effort to spend some office time with my silent students so that I can offer more one-on-one, thus establishing a rapport. A relationship with a silent student really helps the student come out of their shell.
Patricia
There are a number of ways to help silent students become involved including: creating small teams and assigning it a task, moving around the room, establishing eye contact with the student, asking him questions, asking him to summarize the material covered or to present the results from the team effort.
Hi Brandon,
I involve all students in my question/answer session daily. The silent students know they will be called upon, and they respond willingly.
Patricia
Talking to a student one on one in the begining and end of the class can make them feel more comfortable with an instructor. Which in turn will hopefully open them up a bit more in class.
Hi David,
Not funny at all, I fully understand. I have done the same thing, and it has proven to be very effective. On-on-one works well with the silent student.
Patricia
Usually I talk to the students on break, before or after class and get to know them. Once they feel comfortable with you I have seen them open up more in class.
Funny, as it sounds, I have sat next to them or close to them, and pretended to have a one on one coversation to get them involved and vocal.
One of the methods in my class to not only involve the quite students, but also reduce the class time taken by the "expert" or "talkative" studnets is to tell the students (on day one) that I will ask questions in the following format:
I ask a question to the class and then randomly select a student, by name, to answer it. Though they think it is random I keep note of whom I have selected and work my way through the entire class before I call onthat student again. It involves everyone and they all have the expectation that it will happen so there are few difficulties when selecting students to respond.
Involving quiet students in group work often helps them relax and speak freely. These students are often shy and have a difficult time speaking before larger groups; however,in a small group setting,they have an easier time engaging with others. Further, I often ask a shy student to take notes summarzing the group's conclusions. When they "report" to the class, they are still seated in the comfort of their group circle, yet are speaking before the enter class. As instructors, I think we must not simply create environments in which shy students feel "safe." Doing so, does them a disservice. In the professional world, effectivly communicating with others is essential to success. Therefore,I slowly work with the silent/shy students to help them overcome some of their angst about speaking before others. I use several methods, but I doubt this is the proper forum to discuss them, at least at this time. Still, I would like to make one additional point.
Although not mentioned in your training, I think some students are silent because they are fearful of giving a wrong answer. Some students write they fear "saying something dumb."
Building confidence in our students often motivates many students, including silent students, to participate in class discussion and activities.
I make sure I never ask any specific student a "fact" question--one that has an absolute answer of "Yes" or "No", or a specific name, date, etc. Asking "gray" questions--those with answers that are often ambiguous, deem almost any reasonable answer initially "acceptable", and open up discussion, prompting critical and analytical thinking. By the end of the discussion, the shy student's response might be found to be less "right" than other possible responses; however by this time, the students have forgotten about the shy student's remark, and he/she does not feel "dumb."
Finally, as mentioned in your training, praising students for engaging in mature and intelligent discussion is especially important. I never forget to thank my students for contributing to "their" class!
Sincerely,
Nancy Kroeten
