Hi Scott,
Sometimes a statement can get students really excited and interested.
Patricia
Typically, all I need to do is point out that the processes and strategies they will learn in their new course will help them obtain better performance and/or fuel economy from their own vehicle. Often, the blood has rushed to their ears before they even hear the part about benefits to their future customers and I am bombarded with "What if I..." questions.
Hi Dee Dee,
You're right, several people come in to play to share real life application. Students automatically become excited when they understand the full benefit of taking a course.
Patricia
I think real life application is the most important factor in drawing students into a class. They are sacrificing a lot of time and money to take your class, and knowing why and how they can use the knowledge later in life will help with motivation. This application can be drawn from the instructor's experience, a guest speaker, and even from the student's own experiences.
Hi Michael,
What a great way to get the students accustom to each other.
Patricia
Hi Rodney,
Anytime you mention money, especially if they can see money mentioned in writing, students automatically become really interested.
Patricia
One of the things, that I did was to show the students an article in Money Magazine. I teach Project Managment and it was recently ranked 2nd or 3rd as far as one of the best careers. I also told them what the article stated about average salary. That made them all sit up in their seats, and they are all very interested from then on.
I begin with various ice breakers and also ask for students to provide a little background about him/herself. This helps the students connect with one another and lightens the mood while alos letting them see that there are other students who have similar lifestyles, jobs, fears, etc. I also make sure that when discussing the terminal course objectives, I illustrate how the material we will be covering is directly connected to their personal and professional lives.
Learning what excites them and using that in the planning of each and every segment or cycle of the lesson plan is how I get them excited about course content.
I am a very animated and dramatical person so often times I use this to get my students excited about class. I become very animated when lectureing especial since this is usually the most boring part for students. I also realize that if I always enter class with a smile this sets the tone for students. If they see that I am excited about the topic being taught or introduced they usually jump on board.
I find that always coming into the classroom with a smile on my face, no matter how I'm really feeling that day, sets a positive tone for the class session. Humor works well for me, too.
Hi Andrew,
What a great idea. It is always exciting to show/tell students how a mathematical concept applies to the real world. Students normally get it.
Patricia
I have students talk about how math influences their personal life, while also asking them to be forward thinkers about these applications. A weekly e-mail discussion question is sent out to the students for feedback. In this e-mail we discuss numbers and specific labels as they relate to the student's day to day world. I try to tie their interests back into the course content. We'll discuss hot topics in the media and develop word story problems that speak to the course content. These assignments personalize the information and design the framework for their attitudes in the class.
Hi John,
How have you used your tone of voice to make a difference?
Patricia
Hi Mark,
I am an optimist too. I've been told I can find good in everything and everybody!
Patricia
I am an optimist, and despite the sometimes dire messages about the environment, I explain to my students (during my first impression), that "many optimists become wealthy by buying out pessimists" (Robert Allen). So, using quotes about optimism has inspired many of my students, I suspect because they know about positive thinking.
In one of the forums, I said something about tone of voice, it makes a big difference. In the courses that I teach there are projects (with teams) required. I give them the responsibly of electing their Group Project Leader (GPL) and assistant. I press them to communicate often. In their other assignments, I discuss with them the requirments, but try to easy thier concerns by trying to 'deminish' stessors. I avail myself to them on anything about the course.
