Enthusiasm is the key
Teaching about cars typically will hold attention for a while, but as students start to drift away, I will increase the enthusiasm with a personal experience and that will help reel their attention back on topic.
Todd,
Good point. What are some ways you do this with your students?
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Enthusiasm for the content does not have to be manged internally. External enthusiasm can be drawn form your student bodies, exspecially if you know their backgrounds in advanced.
Pam,
I think this is very important because by sharing such stories you are connecting the course content with application for the students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I like to add my own personal experiences to my lesson plan, so that everything is not just about the text book
Adriana,
Sharing stories like this help to make the content come alive for the students. By sharing examples of things that went well as well as those that didn't helps the students to get a realistic picture of the career they are preparing to enter.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
One way I have found to keep the attention of the students is to relate real world frustrations and challenges I have experienced working as professional. For example, when I am teaching the workflow for developing a website I like to recount the monetary lost I experience when I skipped a step of the workflow. It helps to illustrate how a small step that might seem unimportant can have it's effect. I find that it reinforces that I as an instructor understand and care and that I am presenting relevant information that they can put to use.
Carlos,
Sharing a laugh and using humor in the classroom is a good way to help the students settle into the class and get comfortable with the instructor.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
We as intructors have to use every single way to get the attention of the students, keep them engaged. Some times good humor works perfectly to keep them that way.
Lance,
Good way to keep your students connected. You are first capturing their attention with the general concept of cars and then personalizing it in relation to their own interest in cars and how that interest can work for them. This is what keeps them coming back.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
