what should we do when we see students being too comfortable
what should we do when the students are too comfortable in the class room and sleep?
Ryan,
Students like change of pace and variety in the learning process. You are doing both with your approach so keep up the good work.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I think that is a great question and as for me being a new instructor I have asked myself that same question a lot. I'm very fortunate because most of our training is hands on but even yet the students get very comfortable. I've learned to mix things up and when I see this happen start a hands on demonstration and get that blood flowing again
Hi Lee,
Thank you for this great example of how a teacher can be an inspiration to students as well engage the students in learning.
Gary
I must respond by asking a question of my own. If an instructor has students sleeping in his/her class, where did s/he fail in lowering the bar of classroom expectations to the point where a student feels they can get away with it?
One of my favorite teachers was Ms. Jordan. She had a gift for teaching children of all types and backgrounds. All students loved her classes. She taught Geometry, Trig, and Calculus. All of her students loved her, and regardless of how you acted outside of her classroom, you wanted to be in her class every day. We didn't have sleepers or other distractions for three reasons:
- She was always prepared and taught with clarity.
- She had an excitement about the subject she was teaching.
- She had the gift of unsaid expectations.
Unsaid expectations is a gift that allows a person to be able to set the tone for what is acceptable in their room without having to say a word. I'm learning that having the first two reasons under lock and key really allows the third to take place all on its own.
So to actually answer the question, I would address it with the student. I would also try to find out of there are some outside contributing factors. However, this question implies that the student chose to do this and was not just simply ill or sleepy.
Hi Srinivas,
When the students get too comfortable I would change lecture around, make it interactive for the students. Possibly do something tactile, or an interactive group project.
Hi Katrina,
I like your approach. We do all like to have fun and take a bit of a break in learning. These kinds of breaks also help reinforce learning more than if we just keep plodding along. Keep up the good work.
Gary
That's a great idea to get students engaged and do something together, even if the activity may seem "silly." I think all students enjoy acting a little silly once in a while. It allows them to use a different part of their brain and to move around.
So often our teaching styles only cater to one or two learning styles so I like to incorporate different methods as much as possible, such as group work or anything that will get students to move around and interact with others.
Hi Srinivas,
You can do several things to remove them from their comfort zones. Example; raise the bars for the class activities. They may be bored because they are challenged. Ask open ended questions randomly. Incorporate role plays in your class activities. Reduce lecture time. Even students who stay up long to do their home work will start dosing off when lectures take too long and they already know the material. Give them breaks even if the break should last just10 minutes.
Hi Fran,
Good comments in the forum. You are "reading" your students and then responding with the needed delivery flow. I teach from 4 until 10 pm. I know what you are talking about. I have to work very hard to keep the interest of my students throughout the evening. The key as you mentioned is to mix up the activities and offer a change of pace frequently.
Gary
With adult students this is common because of work, lack of rest or lack of nutrition, they get relaxed and doze.
I like to mix up the activities to allow for movement and discussion. Sometimes an extra break helps them get back in learning mode.
I should do:
-Set up lession plan,demo and lecture not too long will make students borring.
-Fun to teach make students more engage.
Hi Jody-joan,
In large classes (100-300) I will use something as simple and silly as the wave to give the students a break. I create some reason for the wave and we do it two or three times. It gets the students moving and talking, raises the energy level and lets their brains wonder for a while. Then I call them back to order and we go on. Some of the students think this is silly and I tell them they are right. Then I ask them to come up with a reason for doing the wave and before long they are handing me pieces of paper on which they have written a reason for doing the wave. Like "I found a parking place that was close to the building today, yeah!" We do the wave.
The key is to show students how to relax a bit, have a laugh and then get back to the topic.
Gary
I have been in classes where they provide a strech break or 5 minutes of inplace yoga. I have not tried this but should.- it is hard to do in a large class in an auditorium tho.
Hi Jason,
Plus, this is a touch of reality when a student isn't successful on a project. By coaching and supporting the student you will be giving him/her additional insight into what it takes to solve the situation and that information will be retained.
Gary
I often give the student a challenge that has the possibility of failure. Often an over comfortable student, is actually a insecure student. The success can lead to more confidence. A failure gives me a good non confrontational excuse to spend one on one time speaking to the student about how to complete the challenge.
Hi Susan,
Movement is the key word for afternoon and evening classes. Since these are all that I teach I am constantly looking at ways of keeping the students engaged in learning while moving about with hands on or group work.
Gary
This is a great question! I think that afternoon classes can be especially bad!
I will usually use the time in the afternoon for hands on training or something that keeps them up and out of the chair!
Hi Srinivas,
Change the pace of the class. Get the students up and moving into work or study groups. Assign them to different corners of the room so the have to physically move before doing the cognitive work. This will get them awake, the blood flowing and their minds refocused.
Call on students to answer questions or explain concepts will get them involved as well.
Gary
