dealing with unfocused students
In this case we have to make them participate in the class where they can involved.
Hi Daniel,
Some students will ignore this polite directive. What would you do if the directive is ignored?
Patricia
I would ask them to please stop doing what they were doing. To stimulate the students it might be a good idea to incorporate some type of group discussion or activity.
Hi Daniel,
How would you have handled the two students if this was not applicable to the course?
Patricia
One day I had a couple of students singing and dancing to some music at their desks in my kinesiology class. I decided to let the students come up in front of the class and do a little performance. After the two had finished and everyone had a good laugh, I asked the class to describe the movements the two students had used to dance in front of the class. The students had provided a fun way to learn the various movements I had been discussing. Everyone was very involved in the discussion.
I teach Math and many of the students are there physically, but not mentally. I've noticed that it helps to assign them problems to work on in class where they work on getting the right answers before they leave class. It helps to get them more involved in the class. Games seem fun as well.
Hi Michael,
You are right; it is rare. I would get the DOE involved to help determine if the student is really interested in the major they are pursuing, and I would move forward from that point.
Patricia
How do you do this with a singular skill class like intermediate accounting? Group work is a little tougher for this type of class. It is rare that you have unfocused students in such an upper level class, but it does happen with transfers sometimes.
The instructor should try to get the student more involve with the class activities. One method is to form groups or teams to complete assignments. By using this method it will enable each team member to recognize and utilize each team member's strengths. i can attest to the fact that this method does work. I n my present class I have a student who at the beginning of the module was very quiet. But now she takes an active role in reading and respnonding to any questions or comments made during our lectures.
Hi Thomas,
I have known instructors to play jeopardy and bingo. Competition is just that, someone has to win and someone has to lose, that's life.
Patricia
Hi Neal,
Perhaps you do not have to stop competitions totally. Speak with the ED and the two of you can go over your rules together to make sure everything is fine. Students love playing games. Games are fun and students are learning at the same time. As the ED, I encourage games at my institution.
Patricia
I agree with you when I would run competitions in my classes you would always seem to have at least one student on the losing team that goes to the ED. office to complain about the game or the rules or the group they were in something in the class was against them and I was to blame. On top of that what ever little bonus the winning team got some how the ed. office would find out ( a losing student maybe) and I would be told that the bonus was against school sops. So I to have stoped competitions.
I have noted the same thing with competition. There is a winning team and a losing team; the losing team left with shaken confidence. I feel competition is still healthy though. I still want to add competition to the class for healthy growth.
-Does anyone have examples of quick fun games?
Thank You!
Small group projects are really good.
While it may appear that your students excel during competition, I have learned the hard way my students do not! They get competitive at first, and try to win the competition or game, whatever the situation might be, but the downside of competition is there will always be a winning team and a losing team. Even though I try to let my students know they are all winners for trying the competition, it seems they are left feeling bad about themselves and with a shaken confidence. I try to not do competitions anymore!
In addition to the group project, I often incorporate some competition. Students seem to really excel if they know they are competing against others.
I try to have a lot of questions for the students. In my Introduction to Information Technology class, I always try to tie the course content to their chosen fields and in some cases their personal life. A good class discussion really helps to get the unfocused students more attentive. Some good humor also helps to bring them around, but for the most part, making them appreciate the value of the information been learned is key.
I find that interesting/meaningful group projects are a good way to keep students engaged (versus lecture). They are also more likely to participate when teamed up with other students.
Hi Evens,
How do you go about making them participate?
Patricia
