Keeping one student interested
Recently I had a night class with just one student. It was much more difficult to keep him interested in the class because all the responses fell on him and there was no one else to bounce ideas off of. Towards the end of the term, I started having him browse through the chapter we were discussing first so he could be more engaged in the lesson as we talked about it.
This helped, but it was definitely more difficult than a group atmosphere.
Valerie,
One key I try to remember is the old "WIIFM", or "what's in it for me?". When we relate our instruction to job topics, students are generally more interested, pay attention, stay engaged, participate, and are more willing to be involved.
Barry Westling
wow, that is crazy but good job on keep them their and their retention in the class, great motivation on your part. I have a diffcult student that just doesn't seem interested in her classes at all but I keep trying to motivation them.
Cathryn,
This is certainly a special situation. I have tutored and remediated students on a long term basis in the past, and although the circumstances are a bit different, there are similarities. The uniqueness of one-on-one does afford some benefits, such as zeroing in on what areas the student may need extra attention, relating situations both have encountered that are associated with the topic, and customizing the lesson plan (as you did) to facilitate the best student outcomes. There are probably dozens of other customized activities and stategies that could be explored with this special instructional arrangement.
Barry Westling
