When students don't know the answer
When I do my demo (usually of meat fabrication that sometimes takes a bit of idol time) I ask questions about what they were suppose to read last night and bring up points that I know will be on the test(s).
Occassionally I'll get the deer in headlights look from them so I'll say ok "let's start at the beginning"
So instead of just telling them the answer, or telling them they need to go read about it, I go back to a point that I know they know (backtrack basically)and start asking them questions that they know/ can figure out and let them lead themselves to answer my original question (with a little help from me if needed).
Hi Anthony, A perfect summary of why we need to get that feedback before proceeding! Susan
Susan Polick
I agree with you. It's important to back track to see where they left the track, making sure they understand that information before going further, especially if the course keeps building on the information already presented. It may be one of those things where everyone didn't follow, but they were all afraid to ask for fear of being ridiculed, thinking they were the only ones who didn't get it.
HI Araceli- Thanks for your post to the forum. You are exactly correct, our students retain so much mors if they play an active role in acquiring the information. Great work! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I believe that when you gide the student back to the books. Then gide them into finding the answer they where looking for, helps them retain that information easier that if they where just given the answere.
I also teach in the visula arts/art history and if a paticular student doesn't get the answer totally correct, then I will ask more questions until I get the answer that I anm looking for.
I'll start back-tracking to find where in the chain they fell off. Since most education is progressive building upon previous knowledge I can usually nail down where I lost them.
Also digging around and trying to find some other analogy or metaphor to help make sense of the material, trying to draw in something I know about the students work or hobby life can help
In the visual arts the questions are often related and so are the answers. When there is no reaction to a question I move to a related question or technique or principle of design and come in from a different angle. That usually works. Plan C is to restate the original question and acknowledge they have had time to think. By this time someone starts the answer and the class self-extends the answer.
In one of my more technical classes, Digital Prepress, I would get the "deer in the headlights" look every day. The students didn't do their assigned reading. I would simply smile and say "I know you read this material last night" and then proceed as if they had answered my questions and lecture on the content.
