I've tried many things, one thing that really helped was a quick story break to wake them up.
I am a new instructor and I appreciate all the ideas that have been brought up on how to refocus students. It seems paritally tied into the plan B scenerio, where a instructor will have something on hand to "change things up" when necessary. I imagine over time an instructor will get to know their material and it will be easier to supply different activities.
I like the use of impromptu group projects in small groups that engage the entire class. Working on a related topic in small groups re-engages the students and add some change of pace to the class.
Sometimes just telling a story and getting there attention can help. Use them as an example in something. Last quarter I had a boy in my class who drifted off a lot so I would pull his name into my stories. When we were learning the muscles of the the shoulder and arm I used him as an example a lot. I knew he had played ball back in high school so when I would explain actions of each muscle I would have him stand up and do an action for the class. "If you were out there on the field and you only had 3 seconds left on the clock what would you do?" I asked him. "I would throw a Hail Mary!" he responded and showed everyone the action. From there I had him tell me 7 muscles he would use in doing that motion. He answered with no problem. It would always get him back into the class.
Hi Michael:
Another effective technique may be just to have the instructor walk around the room when they lecture bringing themselves in closer proximity to the students.
Regards, Barry
Hi Rosalie:
Another idea is (if possible), have the instructor walk around in closer proximity to the students while they lecture. Some have found this helps keep the students focused engaged compared to just standing at the front of the room.
Regards, Barry
I change gears and move to a hands on group activity, often splitting up into smaller groups. It gets the class re-focused and back on track.
I like to talk to the student that is having a problem to determine just what the problem is. I have found many with learning diasabilities and have found ways to help them understand the training.
Hi Barabara:
Another thing we can do on a regular basis is to walk around the learning environment (if possible) bring our person in closer proximity to the student.
Regards, Barry
I like to alter the pace of class by having them get up and move around, such as putting a short question on the board and having them group by birth month or something else to discuss the question for 10 minutes before having each group report their conclusions.
Some parts of class are a bit long, so I add "big hints," times when I stomp my foot and make it obvious that the next point will be a quiz or exam question. I time them randomly to encourage focus.
Strategies to reengage off-task students might include introduction of a PP, video, or other electronic media for that learning thread or content section. Also, dividing the class into groups for discussion, introducing a content specific puzzle, game or fun activity might be helpful.
making them work as a team but will also carry through into the feild. working as a service technician you are always working together in the feild even if its asking a question from another technician they might as well learn that while in school because just as fast as the other techs will help you they will cut you off if you are not willing to help them out.we all know this we have this in our own offices to some extent the guy that doesn't want to help anyone and is only there for them selves team work is everything.
Hi Matt:
Another idea is to walk around while lecturing, bringing yourself in closer proximity to the student.
Regards, Barry
Hi Cathy:
Another idea is to walk around while lecturing bringing yourself closer in proximity to the student.
Regards, Barry
Several people have already commented that shifting to plan B, and engaging students in "real world" activities, can help. These off-task students may also be those who would benefit from the pretest, since they may not have the requisite skills for the material being presented... leading them to feel left behind and inferior. It's a good idea to re-engage them quickly using some other method in your bag of tricks.
Agreed. There is nothing like bringing the classroom lesson into a daily application like the workplace. It not only reminds many of them why they are back in class to begin with, but also gives focus on what they are to take away from the class as new skills or knowledge they did not have when they enterred.
Meeting them via eye to eye contact. Asking for their assistance in an activity. Call on them to provide input in the discussion.
If I know the student's personal interests, I will try to relate course material to those interests. Other students may not realize what I am doing, but it alerts the off-task student, who realized that I am really talking directly to him/her.
If I am lecturing or using PP I really like to switch to something more hands on. Either a game or another activity I have come up with. This forces the students to use the knowledge they have just learned.
Hi Karen:
I like your ideas. Sometimes reengaging is as simple as a break in tone, media, or presentation mode. Other times, more action is needed such as a break, transitioning to another topic, or media variation. Physical activity is always well received, so lab activities (if applicable) are a good change up.
Regards, Barry
