Hi Frank, Thanks for your post to the forum. as you note, creating a relaxed environment is key to good discussions! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
Often i will sit on my desk facing the class and begin with an open discussion first . Usually crack a few jokes and get everyone engaged in conversation . Then i can start asking questions.
Hi William, Thanks for your post to the forum. Students really like when we demonstrate relevance of what they are learning through stories. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
Hi Jaclyn, That review at class start is an excellent strategy. It prompts recall and also gives you valuable information.
Susan Polick
My favorite is to reference a personal little life story about myself, it could be about electrical, magnetism , or flying lessons. Last week I told them how to create a magnetic north compass, my student asked me if I was a boy scout ?
My favorite is to reference a personal little life story about myself, it could be about electrical, magnetism , or flying lessons. Last week I told them how to create a magnetic north compass, my student asked me if I was a boy scout ?
I always begin class with a review of what we learned the day or week before. It gives them a chance to throw out information that they understand and allows for me to know what needs more discussion and what is solid in their understanding. If a student answers i may also probe them a little more. It really becomes a game of who can remember the most from the previous lecture and the students feel more comfortable answering even if they don't know it completely because we will all work together to rebuild the previous covered information.
I start off with easy questions that anyone can answer and progress from there. this gives the students confidence and know that I reqlly enjoy class participation and encourage it. Praises also help.
I find group work is very useful. Right now, I have the luxury of teaching a very small class, so we are always a "small group" and the temptation is to see further subdivisions as unnecessary. However, the real point of group work for me is both to give the groups questions to think about with plenty of time to answer, and to overcome both shyness and "teacher fear" by having students talk among themselves. I circulate from group to group to act a moderator, make sure everyone is contributing and that the discussion hasn't wandered off point. Groups then feed back to the class - sometimes on the same topic, sometimes on different topics. The downside with a big class tends to be the logistics for the teacher - it takes a lot of time to join each group in turn and try to keep everyone going, everything on point. Like spinning plates, sometimes. However, if the question(s) the students are considering are well-chosen - interesting and at the right level, discussions really take off.
Hi Laura, Thanks for your post to the forum. I also use current events in my Ethics, Social Probelms, Cultural Diversity and Business classes. It is an ideal way to demonstrate the relevance of what students are learning! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
I like to have the students respond to and discuss each others projects, and I direct the discussion as needed by asking questions related to information that they need to know. Making the questions about the work brings more students into the discussion.
One techinque I use is to use current events in the business world and apply it to our class discussion. During this, I ask them how they would handle the situation. This allows for practical application in the "real" world.
Hi Quinn, Thanks for your post to the forum. I agree that demonstrating the relevancy of what students are learning really makes them more engaged. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
I try and relate my questions to real world experiences.
Making them comfortable and asking them how they feel about the topic.
Just work from student to student in a line asking questions. No one likes to feel left out or put on the spot
To get student participation I usually ask the students if they have experienced anything we are discussing. If not, I will tell some of my experiences and break the ice.
Hi Bruce, Thanks for your post to the forum. Students certainly become more engaged in their learning when we demonstrate the relevance. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
When possible I try to ask a student 'what about' questions related to their employment field. This obviously requires remembering the students current career path and role, but it is an effective way to get someone's input when you relate it to their specific field or life experiences. I find that many times this will empower students with the feeling of subject matter expertise because it is specific to them.
Hi Monique, Thanks for sharing a great use of technology in your classroom! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
