keeping the students attention
sometimes I find it hard to keep the attention of my students during lecture
i like to talk about my experience in the field.
VALERIE,
I like to use this strategy as well. Students like to do different things throughout a class session so the more variety we can introduce the more engagement we will have.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I find it helpful to introduce a group activity or sometimes offer extra credit to students for asking questions that tie in with the lecture.
Julie,
I try to scan the classroom about every five minutes to count how many students seem disengaged in the lecture. This doesn't mean they are asleep, rather just doing other things than being involved in the specific lecture. If this count is over 2-3 (depending on the size of the class), this is a good indicator that I need to stop, reassess, and try something different. This oculs be as subtle as changing the pace and tone of my voice, or introducing an actitity or classroom assessemtn technique to test their comprehension.
Julie,
Try mini-lectures of 15-20 minutes then do an activity such as a discussion, case study, role play, etc.. Learners like change of pace and variety. By introducing these activities you can get them involved and then deliver another mini-lecture for 15-20 minutes. This will help you in getting and holding the attention of your students. In addition they will look forward to the activities so they will stay focused.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
