Announcing that a Question is Coming
When I want to encourage a shy responder to address a question, I will let him/her know a few minutes in advance that a question is coming to that student. I then prep the student on hnow to answer the question. I then call on the student to promote his/her answering a question and since the student was pre-warned of the question and the answer, he/she is well-prepared to answer. This fosters more participation in coming lessons.
That is a great idea. I think having the notice will help them develop questions while they listen.
Colleen
I also like this suggestion! My class starts at 7AM. It's not so much a question of shy students but those that function well in the morning and those who don't. If a student is shy AND not a morning person, the energy in the class is very flat. I find questions help wake up the group as a whole. Simple yet effective. Thanks
I also try and let them know that I will be questioning them later in the discussion, however, I try and not make it so individual. I feel that by letting them know the most important points that I am making and then asking about those points later, it fosters a slight bit of competition in the class and therefore more students feel that by responding they are "winning". Also I try and allow multiple students to answer different part of the same question, opening up the discussion and allowing even the more shy students a chance to speak up in class.
I really like this suggestion. I have alot of students who are shy and when I ask a question to the class only the same few students will attempt to answer. I use a clapper when someone gets an answer right or is showing evidence of critical thinking. And the shy ones would really like to get the reward of the clapper but are really afraid of not answering correctly. So I like the idea of setting them up ahead of time so they can get the positive reinforcement! Thanks for the input
As we move through the material I often hint that some of the information will be used for questions and/or testing. This helps focus the student's attention on the material.
Hi Bruce- Thanks for your post to the forum. You are definitely fostering self-confidence in your students! This is so important in our classes and also in their careers. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
