How to communicate with your students...
How do you communicate with your students...?
I like to walk around the classroom as well. I'll start with a topic and as I wonder around I find that the students are more willing to get involved and contribute to the topic
Hi Krista,
You are right that having the students engaged is the key to having a class going in the right direction.
Gary
I have found that there is more effective communication when the students are actively participating in class. I feel that there are true open lines of communication at that time instead of me just standing up and talking.
Hi Scott,
You are right about all of the things that moving around the classroom does for your students. Another thing it does is gives the a mental break when they look up from their notes to find where you are at in the classroom. Even though it takes one a second this gives their brains a tiny relaxation time before they have to focus back on the course content. Another break you can give your students is a pause. A three to five second pause while lecturing also gives a mental break. It may not seen like enough time but research has shown that it is. All of these strategies contribute to keeping the students focused on the targeted content.
Gary
I frequently leave the podium and walk the aisles, making eye contact with different students as I go along. This seems to break the monotony of a "dry lecture" from the front of the room to a more personal action. It also helps to liven up the sleepers in the back.
Communicating with my students takes many forms. From email alerts to White board discussions to class debates on various topics. getting the students involved in different ways makes them think more about the various methods of communication in the class room
Make sure communicate, planning and prepraration.
Hi Margo,
Through electronic forms to keep them informed. Post daily objectives on the board. Talk with each student each day to see if they are understanding all of the course requirements, expectations and polices.
Gary
