Hi Joyce- Thanks for your post to the forum. Getting students to particpate is always a challenge but you seem to have a good handle on it! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Ask the students question that are discussion and require participation on their behalf. Open ended questions are good to get the class going about a subject. Allow them to chime in with feedback and give them praise. Maybe no wrong or right answer to start.
Joyce Brown
I always try to put students in hypothetical scenarios in which they may eventually find themselves. I find this raises interest and they can eralte on a personal level.
Kirk, I teach accounting which requires on-the-board problems and discussions to walk through the process and get the answer to the equation. In Accounting, I encourage class discussions to see if the students are using repetition and memorization to understand the accounting concepts. I applaude your teaching methods and welcome the use of real life scenarios in the teaching field.
Putting forth questions that directly include the content of the lecture, and also the information from the written text. Asking questions in a way that the students do not feel embarassed or threatened works also. You as an instructor can convey to the class that the students will not always known how to answer some of the questions , but let them know that it is alright. They are not expected to know everything. This is always a learning experience and that is established through interactive participation in the classroom. Being engaged in a discussion regarding questions that reinforce content will help students on all levels. You may have a student that is either afraid to answer, or does not know how to answer, but through discussion that takes place in the classroom they may then become engaged and feel more confident to take the chance to answer, even if they are not sure that they have the right answer
Asking open ended questions to see where their understanding is of the course content. Usually open ended questions will solicit group discussions or more questions on course content
Hi Lori- Thanks for your post to the forum. I agree; when our students feel comfortable with us and each other, participation always improves.
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
As a math teacher I find myself asking my students “what is your thought process on this topic?†For example: we might be given 2x = 10 and I could ask what is the answer and the process you went through to find it? If the student doesn’t give me enough of the process I simply follow up with “what do you mean?†or “could you give me more?†Soon enough the replies in my class for the given problem evolve from just “5†to “I divided both sides of the equation by 2 to solve for the unknown number x.â€
I think the key to getting good student participation in a classroom is to get the students talking to each other from day one. I spend some time in my first session with students doing ice breakers and helping them make connections. I also pair students or group them for activities and then sharing seems to flow more naturally.
Hi Chrissy- Thanks for your post to the forum. You are obviously running a fun and interactive classroom! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
lots of praise,candy,making it into a game,and extra points on homework. these have all worked really well for me.
This is an excellent technique, Kurt! While I'm sure that it takes extra effort, the results are certainly worth it - great work! Susan
One of the most useful techniques I have used also requires me to know my students pretty well. I try to formulate questions that draw on each student's background and interests. This helps draw the students out and also allows them to see the connection between experiences they already have and the material they are learning.
Kurt
Some of the questioning techniques that I have used in my classrooms that are effective are as follows:
1. Begin the question with a statement of a problem and then ask the students the question seeking to gather their input and understanding of the problem or course content.
2. Utilize reinforcement and reward/praise for students who ask questions. I often state "Great Question" or "Thank you for asking or thank you for bringing up that point." It is important that the classroom is open to discussion.
I teach Math, which most students don't like. The first night of class we talk about what they dislike or what "bad" experiences they with Math. Then we discuss positive experiences and what they like about Math. Then throughout the lecture I try to show them how the material will help them in their field. I ask them to come up with some ideas of how the material will help them.
Hi Joseph - Thanks for your post to the forum. Asking your students how they arrived at an answer requires thm to use higher order thinking - excellent! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Responding to students with curiousity as to how the answer was derrived. Being interested as to the learners thought process denotes an interest in how he or she is receiving the information
I also use questions to confirm understanding before I move on with the lecture
Open ended questions are a great way to engage students. Another way is to have them answer the question and then ask how they they could use this item in day to day life.
I always ask questions at the beginning of class that most of the students will not know the answer to. I also let them know that they may not know. I keep a list on the board of the questions and I use the lecture and other questions to the students to lead them in the direction of finding the answer. This allows them to answer the questions during class and also keeps them focused on what they need to learn during that class. Towards the end of the lecture, I ask them to come up with the questions they want answered next time we meet. I will use some, but not all of them for the next lecture.
