Hi James,
Good strategies and you are right about needing to watch that students that knows he/she knows more than you and can't believe you are teaching the course instead of them. They make me smile and I work hard to show them that everyone can learn something if they try.
Gary
I find that conducting discussions is helpful to keep students engaged. As i ask open ended questions, I move about the room so student will follow me with their eyes, and not get lulled to sleep.
Making sure all students participate is improtant. Watch out for the one student who"knows it all", and takes over the class. It is valuble to always addres the students by name when calling on them.
You must first be aware of the different learning styles of the students within your classroom and make sure that your lesson plans include all three of the main learning styles. Incorporating enthusiasm into the topic as an instructor also helps phenomenally.
My students really enjoy demonstrations,field trips,playing educational games and open discussions!
Have them give personal testimony in regard to class subject and seek out comments. Engaging them with something personal, helps them feel valued and they tend to open up and share about what they know.
Since most of our learners are visual learners and hands on learners, I often provide visual aids such as power points, hand outs and dvd supplements. I have even taken my students into the computer lab where I have had them go online and do some research in regards to different subject topics
Mix it up. I will play DVD's that are related to the subject material, have open discussions in regards to material, have lecture, etc. Keep each and every class alittle different then the one before.
I use visual learning and repitition to help my students stay focused.
I agree those are all great ways of engaging students
I also like to ask students questions during lecture, it seems to keep the attention in class at a higher level when the student thinks they may be called upon.
As we learned in the course, mini lectures lasting from about 8-13 mins and then an activitiy to reinforce the lession and then another mini lecture. Breaking up the activities into shorter sessions helps the student retain the information longer.
The module offered some strategies for help keeping students engaged throughout the class session. These include case studies, demonstrations, problem-based learning, videos, powerpoints, short lecture formats, and computer activies (cd-roms, internet, ect.)
I have noticed most new textbooks come with a student learning web based program. Sometimes I will assign quizes out of this learning program. I do this for a couple of reasons, it can show students that there are different roads to learning other than me or the text, and it saves time in the class with having to take time to do a dreaded quiz; they just do it online and send me the results.
I also try to keep the students active in the learning process. I don't spoon feed students, I want them to engage in the process. Activities, and interactive lectures work best in some types of courses.
I do have a problem with keeping students interested in a keyboarding class for 5 hours. I know that it drove me nuts, but I had a teacher who was able to teach the class rather than a program. I have some students who can get through the assignments, effecitenly, in no time flat and they are stuck in the room for another 3-4 hours; while others it takes them a little longer.
I could use some suggestions for helping my keyboarding classes engaged for the entire class session.
Hi Gregrey,
I wish you much success in your teaching career. I know you are going to enjoy sharing your knowledge and experience while impacting the lives of your students. Keep expanding your expertise and always keep your students first in your planning and you will do a great job.
Gary
Questioning to start a discusion and get them envolve in the lecture. Keep the lecture real and entertaining. Move around the class and use voice deflection. Show that you are interrested and excited about the subject being taught
As a new instructor I find this thread full of good information and would like to say thank you to all that posted. I have got a better idea of how to keep my personality and keep the students engaged.
Hi Jaimie,
Great way of bringing variety of learning experiences into your classroom. I am sure you keep the students engaged throughout the class periods as a result of using these different strategies.
Gary
Hi Robby,
This is a great way to get more involvement from students, even the shy ones because everyone brings something to the class. The key is to tease out what experiences they have had in relation to the course content.
One of the fun parts of teaching for me is to find out the experiences my students have had. Each time I start a new course I am amazed at the diversity of experiences that come through the classroom door.
Gary
I call on all students, ask them for ideas, suggestions, answers. I have students do classroom exercises, and group activities, and share what they have learned. I have them come up with alternative answers or approaches to solving a problem. I use games in the classroom so students can come up with the answers.
Having students give their own input or real life story about the topic being discussed.
Especially when teaching in the evening, it's important to mix things up - I add videos and music sometimes to add to the lecture to make a point. The other night, just before giving an exam, we got a game going where teams had to be the first to write an answer on the correct chart hung on the wall. This got all up and moving and awake as we closed out the last subject matter before test taking.
I agree as well, plus this method gives a variety of ways of learning for students who might learn a subject different than others. I'm big with hands-on and motivate my students to not be afraid to make mistakes as that's what I am there for - to show them the right way to do things and how to fix mistakes.
Getting everyone involved is always hard due to different likes and interests, but within the classroom environment, it is imperative to get students to contribute in any way they can to feel like they're not only part of the class, but also one of the key members of the class as well.
