keeping you classroom a fun, learning and enyoyable
always keep your classrooms positive and uplifting for the students and the retention and learning will always be high
It is my goal to have the students enjoy the conetnt of what is being presented so much that they forget that they are actually learning. This does not always work for me though; I think the challenge comes in the fact that I have so much material to cover to satisfy the course requirements and the couses is once a week for five hours. I try to vary the activities to break the time.
Fun also becomes a subjective term. I taught the same course for years, and one of students will love the material and another will be somewhat bored. I am constantly trying to access which group I have been given, to keep the interest high.
Hi Bryan,
I treat these students the same as other behavioral problems. I talk with the student individually and indicate what my behavior expectations are and why I expect such behavior. I ask for the student's support in complying to such behavior. I have found that this is really effective. On occasion the student will forget him or herself and I can look at the student and they will "bring it down" and we are able to move on.
Gary
Indeed, there is a time and place for everything! I tend to love comedy and bring it into the classroom whenever possible, and generally it goes over very well. One has to be sensitive to what students will consider appropriate and inappropriate, of course, but generally I haven't had trouble with this.
Where I do occasionally have trouble is when the class-cown type of personality ends up in my class. In cultural diversity I use humor in particular to shift the mood to something lighter when things get too heady, but some students constantly take us in comedic directions, to the point that it's difficult for students to focus on the content. What strategies would you suggest for dealing with students who, through comedy, frequently draw attention to themselves rather than to the material?
Students often asked why I am always smiling. I laugh and make comments like, well if I was frowning or anrgy looking I couldnt get close enough to kick you in the shin if I wanted to.
Hi Alyson,
You make a good point about younger students. We instructors have to help them understand those boundaries because they will need to understand and observe them when they are in the work world if they are going to be successful.
Gary
This is so true! Even though the work we do is very challenging in a very competetive industry it must be fun! I love making my students laugh and have even developed a "routine" of catch phrases many of which they take away with them into their following modules. I know this because they tell me!! I stress though that there is time to have fun and time to be serious. Sometimes with younger students it takes a bit longer to understand that as opposed to fun all the time without boundaries.
Every student has to understand that their opinion matters, and even if they offer something that is completely off base, it is worth discussing and exploring.
I also find that if the class has a light positive atmosphere the students are more willing to share and to ask valuable questions.
Crystal
Hi Darryl,
The idea is to present yourself as a professional each and every day you meet the class. Your point about being such is a good one. We never know when that bit of encouragement is enough to keep the student coming back for another day.
Gary
yes, I concur with that thought. However, sometimes this is hard to do daily and it does require much effort. For some students, it just doesn't happen and you might not have much control over it, but being able to uplift the class daily does have a major positive impact on the majority of students that will look forward to a "day in the life of ...." and that might just be the switch to turn someone, who just doesn't have it to "on" .
