Its important to move around the class so the whole class knows they are apart of what you are saying but it also keeps down texting and other things distracting to students.
You are absolutely right. By moving around, we instructors are not giving the students the chance to drift away from class to do their own thing.
In addition to my earlier post, an instructor who stays behind a podium or his/her desk makes even the entire class feel that he/she does not want to be approached, thus, students feel discouraged to participate or even ask questions.
You are right. An instructor who just stays in front of the class makes those who sit in the back feel that they are aliented. Their tendency is then to form their own world where they have their own thing and talk about something else.
To keep students attention and also it helps the instructor to weed out the ones that have a hard time staying focus. Moving around I tend to ask particular students questions, that otherwise their particpation in the classroom would be very limited, not because they do not know the content, but because in the front of the room someone else will answer. It also has helped for students not to be on their phones during my lectures(have very strong rules R/T the phones in my classroom setting).
Ever since I started teaching, I always found myself moving around the classroom, even though I didn't totally realize all of the benefits to this. Moving around, whether it is side-to-side or up & back the aisles not only helps to get more attention from students, but it also requires them to continuously re-focus their attention to you as the instructor (improving attention span). Movement also helps the students to see you as more enthusiastic & excited about teaching, and it allows you to show more expression through your body language. I already have a lot of energy, so movement helps me to use that energy in a positive way for the benefit of the students.
The closer you get to students, the more engaged they can be, which is especially important for those students that may either be un-attentive, or actually being a distraction (i.e. talking, on cell phone, etc.). I have only had 1 student complain about my moving around. They said it distracted them, but I think it still benefited them since he was a student with a short attention span to begin with. Other than that, every student of mine has appreciated my energy & enthusiasm, starting with the physical side of movement, but also through the vocal side of tone, inflection, & enthusiasm!
I love moving around the classromm during my lecture and PowerPoint presentation. It also helps to get all the students more involved with the lecture.
You need to be physically involved in the students. By this, I mean that you need to encompass the entire physical environment of the classroom. If you stand or sit at the front of the room you become just another talking head and with students that like to sit in the back of the classroom, it is as though you have no connection with them. I have often wondered about why instructors will sit on a tall stool in the front of a classroom with all of the students clustered in the back three rows. It seems as though both the students and the instructor are there because they have to be and they really do not want to engage each other. I see this as a form of really bad classroom management.
Hello Sara, Thomas and Renaldo!
Each of you made excellent comments about why and what the outcomes of locating yourself in the classroom can be for students.
Clearly - engaging students in classroom activities is key. It really is another form of communicating with students. Instructors are telling students that they are genuinely interested in their learning outcomes.
A comment that I have for Thomas about the distractions from cellphones, ipods, etc. Have you given any thought to using those tools to your advantage particularly the phone. You could play learning games, provide quiz/test reviews. Give it some thought how to use them for the class not against the class.
To each - Keep up the good work~!
Jane Davis
ED106 facilitator
I find that it keeps the students alert and awake when you stroll around the room. And it also keeps them on task. Now days there is alot of distractions like cell phone i-pods ect. By walking around the students are not likley to use these devices.
Tom
Because that allows to instructor to involve all students in the class. The instructor can reach students on the back and makes them participate. Also by moving around the students pay more attention to the instructor. Gives students more opportunities to become involved
If an instructor is sitting idle then then all students are not actively engaged. Moving around keeps the attention of the whole class.
I agree with you Diane, I love walking around the room too and in my understanding, and experience, this action from the instructor help a lot to maintain the attention and concentration in the topic you discuss in that moment. Several times I catch problems before start with the only action to walk around, because we are active part in the classroom and the student perception is "you are there for them"
Moving around the room helps keep the whole class engaged in my lecture
I think that it is important to move about the class, particularly in a computer lab. Not only to give students individual attention,but to keep them from being distracted from other things such as the internet.
Hi Shari!
It reduces boredom for students as well as for the instructor creating a more interactive classroom.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 facilitator
Being a chef instructor, I am always moving around the kitchen and classroom working with the students one on one. In the class room, it is good to walk around the class room because it also makes the students focus more. you can always tell when a student is not paying attention, but when you get close to them they seem to perk up more.
This is a concept I will have to work on. I pace behind the lecturn, but after this module I will try to stop that. I think "baby steps." first, I will stop pacing, even if I have to tie myself down! Then I will devise ways to make myself feel more comfortable floating around the room.
It pulls the entire classroom together and keeps even the students in the back of the classroom involved.
I belive it's good to located yourself throughout the entire classroom. The students can see that the instructor wants them to be successful and make sure that they understand the point at hand. The students, even those in the back of the classroom, may ask questions while you are moving around the room. The instructor can be on a personal level with the entire class using "real world" experience stories and the student can discuss theirs as well with the information at hand.
