Student Motivation
any good ideas for keeping students motivated during theory? today two of my students were sleeping =/ the rest of the class was fine and fully involved in the conversations and topics.
Paula, physical activity is a great tool for enhancing the learning process. The more students can actually engage and act out proper outcomes based on a lesson plan, the better the student will retain and be able to make use of what they have learned. Thanks for sharing.
James Jackson
When I present muscles, I have the students stand and perform the action of the contractile tissue. This is reiterated in lab through palpation and models.
This method also for simulation in real world settings - directing the exercises of one while determining that the style of another is not beneficial while noticing that another is about to faint (all in a day's activities)
I agree, I like the term "event" for each class because it sets the stage for complete involvment. I also like inspirational stories or themes prior to presenting information that is relevant to the topic presented
laura, have you explored other methods of teaching that do not involve lecture? Instead of moving in and out of lectures, consider more active learning methods that continually keep students engaged and interacting with each other as well as the instructor. I highly encourage you to review the latest literature on teaching and learning and some of the best practices that have emerged. Lecture is no longer a preferred teaching methodology.
James Jackson
Helen, the more active your students and interactive the lesson plan the more your students will learn. The human brain is not built to simply receive audio broadcasts. Students need to be active, engaged, and interact. These are the traits that have proven to be most effective in the various studies on teaching and learning.
James Jackson
Howard, the more your students can be active and engaged the better. I for one cannot imagine sitting through a 4 hour lecture. What are some of the techniques you use to get students moving around and interacting with each other as they intake your materials? Thanks for anything you can share.
James Jackson
Make sure you are starting your presentations with getting the students to buy into why this topic is important, how this topic will change their life’s or how this topic will make them more money. Somehow the student has to understand that the topic has meaning or importance to their life or career.
Think of every class as not just another class but an event, with a beginning a middle and an end. With activities, a wow factor if possible or just do things different to shake things up.
But at the end of the day if a student is a consistent sleeper ,one of those students that walk into class a don’t doze off but immediately put his/her head down and tries to go to sleep. I would call the student to the side and have a talk with them.
My classes are typically 2.5 hours long. I typically break lecture with classroom activities or lab exercises then move back into lecture.
It can be difficult to keep some students motivated. I will have lecture and mix it with an activity to keep students motivated.
I find in my class when we have long theory. case studies from real life seam to work best for my 4hr lecture days. asking leading questions and redirecting to another student keeps them involved.
try to assign group projects that are specific, yet allow the students input.
Single or group learning allows the students to refocus their time during class.
