Back on track
What do you find to be a good way to redirect students to get them back on task in a lab environment?
DAVID,
Most careers require some level of critical thinking and you are helping your students to develop skill in this area with your methods. This will move them forward in their career development as well as give them a competitive edge when seeking employment.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I agree with removing them from their stations to get a fresh perspective. When I do this it's typically after forming an idea where they are as group in their work so I can customize a lesson intended to help facilitate getting them past some possible road blocks. The lesson will usually entail posing the problem to the students and asking them to suggest solutions, then demonstrate their suggestions to confirm if they work. If they don't, I ask the group to tell me why that method failed. Eventually as a group we come up with the answer and students feel the confidence they need to work through any other issues they encounter using this systematic approach. Doing this allows them to use critical thinking and makes me the facilitator rather than the teacher.
Michael,
When my students start to get off track I call them together and give them a short demo or a 2-3 minute lecture and then send them back to work. This way I get them to move from their work stations to gather around me for the information and then move back to their work stations. This movement generally gets them refocused and back on the tasks that they are working on.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
