Some students come to my class with stiff pre-judgements that they aren’t going to have it easy. To make the student feel eased in class, I always start the class with questions and they open up pretty fast when they are familiar with the topics. I am almost always successful to get students participate in class discussions.
I like "describe for me please, ____ " or "what do you think about ___ " or "have you encountered ___ ". Our school is very technique driven so a flat out "what is ____ technique" works wonders as well. As far as getting every student envolved, I enjoy standing directly next to a student (in their personal space) and quietly prodding them for more information. I can get them to respond/participate and develop a secure relationship with them.
Hi John - good idea! The more we can make our students feel a part of the learning process-the better they will learn.
Over the years I have been an instructor, I have found that the most effective tool was wait time. It can be hard for some teachers to initially do this. Silence can sometimes be very uncomfortable but after you do it a few times it gets easier.
Wait time is very important in receiving the most out of a student's response. Another technique that I have used occasionally is having students ask questions of other students about the subject matter, with some guidance from myself. This adds sometimes a bit of humor to the class, also involves a broad range of students and can reinforce the learning through yet another facet of questioning. John Eliassen
I ask a lot of questions. Also I do many demos. Students watch me and ask me questions too. we have a lot of fun. Question and demo. It is good idea.
Hi, Bill.
Excellent suggestion. Sometimes using another type of question we can get the answer we need, especially when we are teaching the class new techniques and terminology - things we are familiar with due to years of training...but it's all new to them.
Sometimes I ask a question and the class hasn't a clue what the answer is. I wait for a few moments and ask a differnt question that connect to the main question. By doing this I try to show the conection between my main question other aspects we have dicussed in class. You see in thier eye that moments when they make the connection.
Redirecting questions has been most effective in promoting student participation in my classes. By presenting a question or questions to students in groups and having each student respond to a part of the question, the students feel more comfortable about participating in class.
Another technique that I have noticed that has encouraged participation in my classes is to wait a few seconds for students to give their responses, and to give credit to answers that are partially correct.
I try and ask questions to the student that pertain to their life experience. The are more apt to answer and discuss subjects that they feel are familiar.
Hi Amy - repeating the question is also good to pull in the student who may have been "tuned out" when the question was originally asked!
Hi Mica- As I know I mention often, teaching our students to think critically is so important. As you mention, being able to back up an answer with evidence is almost as important as whether they have the right answer! In their careers, being able to demonstrate that they have researched a marketing plan, or an event plan, or a new menu etc. gives them credibility that will make them stand out as professionals!
I find that repeating the question often helps to provide "wait time" and can relieve the silence that is at time awkward for students. I also find that this allows the students who think through their answers to have the time, and allows those who have the answers quickly to reflect and hone their ideas.
Although it is not fool-proof, you can certainly preface the easier questions by saying, "This is an easy one" or the ones that have no right or wrong answer by saying, "There is no right or wrong answer to this one"--this can sometimes make a student a little more brave. Too, make certain that students know that some interpretive questions are just that--interpretive. That is to say, your answer isn't really that critical, but being able to back up your position with material from the reading or class discussion is.
Wait time is such a simple concept, yet I find I still consciously work to apply it on a consistent and regular basis. As several others mentioned, I also like games. another thing I like to do is ask very open ended, opinion type questions where there is no way a shy or less confident student has to worry about their answer not being good enough. Crystal Berntson
I try different techniques in order to get all students involve, including the shy ones. For homework I usually have the class read on a required chapter, the next session I will open a discussion without calling anybody in particular but asking: Who has found any points of interest withing the chapter? The response is great, just about every student has something to say. I find that if there is no pressure they are more willing to volunteer and want to get engage in a discussion.
Then I take it from there and I start taking the class in the direction that will be the most beneficial.
I asked what is the first step to solve this problem. Then, I asked what's the next step such as how to add, subtract, multiple or divide this number with the other number. Lastly, I asked what's the answer for this question.
I have a class that pairs students up in teams. When a question is asked I allow the teams to discuss the question for 30 seconds then call on them to respond with one team building on the first teams' answers. If I do not have volunteers I allow the first answerer to choose a number (1-15) and count down from their name on the roster and ask for an answer or possibly a demo on the board from that person. This has worked well, and because they work in groups of two - no one is totally alone.
Hi Carol- Yes, as you mention, students do enjoy talking about their own experiences. It's also good to try to remember some of your students experiences or interests so that you can mention them occasionally where they may fit in your lessons.
Hello,
Wait time is important, but some students are so uncomfortable with silence that they just want to fill the void. However, it gets the discussion going, and questions can always be rephrased or redirected.
