When I taught high school, I would often put papers up on the board if they were especially interesting. Learning names is very important. If you know some family background, mention something so that the student knows he/she has a connection with you. I used to wait in the hallway for students to come by so that I could speak with them one on one. Most students are afraid of letting their classmates see them give a wrong answer. Therefore, when I ask difficult questions, I always say first..."Who is willing to sacrifice himself for the good of the class?" Even if an answer is totally wrong, try to find a positive comment like "I see you have been thinking about this." That way, no one has been fun of or criticized for making an attempt.
Hi Joanna,
Great job of making sure all students feel included in the learning process. Through recognition you are helping them to see the value they have in the class. This really helps with retention.
Gary
I start with introductions on the first day and have them get other names and numbers from other students. Then each class each one participates either with the board work or in discussions. Some classes have small group work (depending on the type of class). I try to find ways to include each and every student during each 4-5 hour class session.
Some strategies for making students feel a part of the class is to make them feel that they are wanted and respected. Also as an instructor encourage the students as well as show them support. You want the students to feel as an instructor that you care about them and their success.
I like to have the students discuss the chapters to the class themselves. They then tend to place value on what they do and relate the chapter and terms to their personal experiences.
I include everyone in the discussions by calling on them in class.
I relate information they've shared with me to the current topics.
I listen, which is key!
Treat them with caring and respect. Bring them into the discussions of the class and allow them to share their own experiences that apply to the discussion. Allow and encourage them to share what they have learned with others through teams.
A strategy I like is to use information I learn from the student outside of class to make the connection to what I am teaching. For example, If I spoke with a student and they told me that they were promoted recently, I would tie that into the computer application that we are working with: ( Resume' usage in word, Schedule and tracking in Excel, or training using PowerPoint). I also poll the class at that point to see how many students are already using these programs.
On the first day, I have a discussion with the class so each student, as well as myself, take part in stating their background.
Hi Douglas,
Good way to help get your students settled into the course and familiar with both their classmates and you. Student rapport is important to establish as quickly as possible and you are doing that in an effective manner.
Gary
I try to get a very brief background on each. It is amazing when all share on how many similarities they might have but did not know without sharing. I think this routinely fosters a "collectivity" among us all and enhances the learning environment. It can backfire a bit if one tries to take over, but that is a much easier fix than non-participation. While I often come from a different world than many of my students, I find considerable synergies when one peels the surface back...I focus on these throughout the course and this collectivity empowers them to really take off in the course and do great things.
Hi Kevin,
I like your approach for getting a class started. You have a supportive and enjoyable way of getting the students feeling comfortable about what is going to occur in the course.
Gary
I encourage them to actively participate in the lecture by asking questions and giving examples from their daily lives.
I tend to treat all the students the same regardless of age. I make the connections on day one by meeting individually with each student
Getting to know you activites, learning their names and something about them. You want to keep the ice breakers fairly mild so students do not embaress themselves. When I teach I also believe that I should be the first one in the room to greet all students and the last one to leave making sure I say good job or thank you to everyone in the class
Hi Sandy,
Anything like this gets the energy up and helps to focus the attention of the students on the upcoming course content. Good strategy.
Gary
Hi Sandy,
These are all good strategies for getting the students contributing and engaging in the learning process. Thanks for sharing them with us.
Gary
This mindmapping sounds very interesting and kind of entertaining at the same time. I am looking for something new to introduce and I will look for this on you tube.
Thank you for sharing.
I know of an instructor that plays music at the beginning of class an ask the students, "To Name That Tune", this is a very good ice breaker, if you are good at recalling song titles.
I think if you allow time at the beginning of class and plan an activity as a quick review before the test, helps the students focus on the subject.
I encourage all the students in the class to be activity members during every schedule class time. I encourage students to participate by giving them hints; an example of a hint maybe, if you do not know the answer to the next question volunteer to read it and someone else can answer the question, or usually the first question is the easy to answer so the first to volunteer may have the easiest question to answer during today's class. I also like to ask students to explain exercises on the board, usually I will walk around while the students are working on an in-class assignment an check their answers or comment on the neatness of their paper and ask the student to write their answer on the board. Another method is to team two students together one to write the problem on the board and the other student explains the problem to everyone in the class.
