mooving around the class
show the student that you are here for them and able to provide them help at any time during class
I think it's great that you are all active in your classrooms. I also feel it's importance for maintaining the students interest and keeping them alert. Besides, it adds a great personal touch to the class time.
I also teach a kitchen so I have to move around-- from stove, to oven, to mixer, to cooler. I also find that it's good for the students to move around as well.
I typically teach a class that starts aat 5:30am. I find that moving around the classroom helps keep my students from sleeping without calling attention to them individually. Also, I try to plan several activities to break up the lecture.
Yes, moving around the classroom shows the students that you are there for them. It also helps the instructor maintain control in the classroom. The instructor can't possibly know what's going on in the classroom by staying in front of the class. It is also a good way to have 'individual' contact with the students
I enjoy floating around when the room allows for it. My problem is I teach in a building that sometime has very small, tightly packed rooms with large desks. These desks can't be moved and I often have very large classes of over 23 students. I try to float as best as I can, but the back tables and corner tables I can never really get to --- these are where the students with laptops sit. They are allowed to bring in their laptops, but I know they do more than just "take notes" on them. However, I can't walk over to them to engage, ask questions individually, or check and see what they are typing. What would you suggest for these large rooms?
Hi Hector!
Sounds like you are doing the right things! I'm not sure that we can completely eliminate all distractions. You know under the best circumstances, people are often distracted and there is not way to engage them.
When I have found a student to be distracted, I have touched their desk/table, touched their shoulder ( have to be careful with this - not everyone likes to be touched), I've called their name asking for their help.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
Ed106 Facilitator
I move around the classroom and still have students distracted on different material, what would you suggest?
I'm terriby tempted to say something about people who COWer behind a lectern rather than MOOving around the classroom....
Moving around the class comes easily for me because my classroom is a kitchen. By necessity I have to move around-- from stove, to oven, to mixer, to cooler. I find, however, that it's good for the students to move around a little too. They need to move up closer to see the demo more clearly, or go to the mixer to look at a dough. It keeps us all engaged a little more.
My classroom is a kitchen, so moving around is easy for me. I am constantly moving from stovetop to oven, to cooler, to demo table. I think it helps-- in my specific case, at least-- to keep the students moving a little, too. They move closer to see something up close, move to the mixers to see how the dough should look, etc. It keeps us all engaged.
As important as moving around the class is, showing that you are here and able to provide for them should occur even without movement.
