When to draw the line.
When your students fall asleep during lecture, despite all of your attempts to keep the conversation interesting and active, then you know that it is time to draw the line. How would you approach that student to let them know that what they have done is wrong, without letting your frustration get the best of you?
Hi Paul,
Well said. Using that gently reminder, like the speed limit posting. If ignored then the nice police officer may have to help with understanding what slow down means, just the same as with your students understanding that the class policies will be followed.
Gary
I also agree with setting the boundaries early. I would also make it a point to continually remind the class of the rules and how you intend to keep them enforced on a regular basis. Just as a constant reminder. Not like screaming Drill Sgt. but more like a speed limit posting.
Hi Michael,
You make a number of very good points about expectations and student behavior. You are right about always acting professional and expecting professional behavior from students. After all that is why they are enrolled in the program--professional training. Sometimes they seem to forget that.
Gary
Assuming all other attempts to keep the content intersting have failed, the instructor should speak with the student after class or off to the side, and ask the student if there is anything that may help make the course more interesting. This informs the student (in a non-threating way) that you are aware of it and that you expect the behavior to change. This may open the student up to discussion and will help the instructor understand what the cause may be. Of course, it should not be allowed to continue. It should be mentioned the first day of class as part of the professional expectation, explaining acceptable recourse on the studnets' part including standing up, etc. Then if it becomes a repeated problem, the student will not be supprised when the instructor upholds the expectation and askes the student to leave the class (off to the side). It is just as unprofessional as an instructor dosing off during a video.
I would ask the student to stay after class and simply telling that student that sleeping in class during class lectures is unacceptable. I would have to bring it to their attention, but I would not be frustrated by it as long as it does not interrupt the class. If it becomes a constant problem, I would tell the student that if he/she is planning to sleep during class, to just stay home.
I have had this problem, too. I usually take the student aside after class and explain how important it is to his or her career to pay attention and learn as much as possible. Then I tell the student if he or she continues to fall asleep he or she is, for all ractical purposes, absent and will be counted as such. Since absences are limited in our school, that usually takes care of the problem.
Hi Steve,
Thank you for the comments and suggestions about working with students. You gave a number of strategies that will help other instructors.
Gary
I agree with Misty, it is very important to give clear expectations at the beginning of every class with clear cause and effect of failure to meet those expectations. However I also believe that it is equally as important that the facilitator be aware of the class condition. One or two students are falling asleep, maybe they had a rough night or other external conditions are affecting them. Several students are falling asleep, I am afraid that is on us, the facilitators and how we are presenting the curriculum. The facilitator needs to see the loss of student engagement and as necessary get the students involved. It can be getting them up to view a live component of the lesson, using proper questioning, have the students research a component of the lesson and present it to their group or class or any number of other activities that have action to engage the students. A facilitator needs to have a "tool box" of items they can use as necessary at the drop of a hat, and this "tool box" should continue to grow as the facilitator gains experience and faces different challenges.
Hi Misty,
Good strategy. If they are sleeping they are for all intents absent. After several reminders they will start to see the reason for their needing to remain awake. I would do this after trying the in class efforts of movement, activities and group projects to get them engaged.
Gary
I found that explaining to the students at the beginning of the course that sleeping is counted as an absense is the best way to set the stage and keep your frustrations down later on. Once that expectation is made, follow through with marking time out is important. At the end of class giving that student documentation that the absense was recorded sends a clear message.
Hi Douglas,
Tough time to teach a class. Mine are all at night-4 until 10. Both ends of the time scale requires that we be creative in our teaching. You are on the right track with your movement strategy. You have to do something to get the blood flowing and the muscles twitching a bit so they will stay awake.
Gary
I teach a morning class from 6:30 to 12:45 AM,and it's hard to keep everybody awake sometimes. I often change stats by taking them to lab, or just on a short walk. If I have to warn a student twicethey need to go home.
Hi Edward,
Students that sleep in class always amaze me since they are receiving training that will enable them to enhance their lives and they can't stay focused long enough to learn. That being said you have a good idea of outlining student behavior expectations in you syllabus. That way there are no surprises for anyone.
Gary
This is always a challenge, I agree with the idea of moving toward the student to wake them up. I try to move around the room when lecturing for this reason. I also have an outlined policy on sleeping in my syllabus . . .
Hi TJ,
Well said about sleeping at home, at least there the student can lay down and stretch out.
There are a number of strategies you can use with sleeping students, one of which you already mentioned. Talking with the student. Others can include activities every few minutes (mini-lecture of 10-15 minutes) then an application activity. This keeps both the mind and the body engaged. Group work is another way to go. Anything that will keep the student focused. If they are sleeping they are cheating themselves since they are not going to taking in the content needed for career success. Sometimes students forget that there is a day of accounting and that it occurs when they are out in the work place. There they have to have the skill sets required for success and sleeping is not one of them.
Gary
The school I work at attendance is part of the students grade and to me it is not fair that a sleeping student will get credit for being there when really he or she isn't. I would talk to the student after class to find out if there is something going on to cause this. Offer assistance if possible and then explain to the them that you will not allow them to continue to sleep as it is not fair to the other students in class. I had an instructor that once told me that if you need to sleep go home, your quality of sleep would be much better.
Hi Richard,
Good suggestion. Should draw him/her out of a deep sleep when they hear their name called. Also, lets the other students know it could be them that will be called on.
Gary
Sometimes simply working a question, directed at the sleeping student, into your lecture will get the student involved enough to stay awake.
Hi Scott,
Good strategy. You might also want to have an activity if you see students start to drift off. This way you can get them moving around and wake them up a bit. Mini-lectures help also. 10-15 minutes of lecture and then an activity will help keep them focused on the class.
Gary
