Hi Patricia,
It is good to let our students know that we are there from them, and they are not on this journey alone. Our students need us to help them become successful.
Patricia Scales
Hi Carl,
I love to capture my students attention by making it known how helpful the course is going to benefit them in their career!
Patricia Scales
I sometimes bring up current events that involve celebrities and that are relevant to what we're going to discuss in class that day.
Typically I find inattentive students have distractions from outside of school that preoccupy their time and attention. Talking to them about their interests and asking about life 'outside' of school usually gets them to open up and once the student understands you care about how they are doing both in life and at school you can bridge the attention gap.
I lecture using power points, afterwards I engage them with questions on the material we just covered.If this student is still inattentive, I will speak with them one on one to reassure them as I'm available for help everyday for 2 hours for extra help or just to talk.
Have them work in groups so other students can help with there attention problum
When I have inattentive students I often ask their opinion of class topics or ask them to provide an experience that illustrates the topic. I also create a class activity that forces them to participate - even if it is just a little bit.
Breaking up the kind of instruction being presented can be helpful in gaining attention. Spliting into discussion groups, projects, interactive games, talking about real-job experiences can spark interest.
I teach Basic Machining. Our first week is largely concerned with safety. I share personal experiences of injuries and near misses. That does capture attention.
I also find that splitting the class into small groups provides excellent involvement/attention. The students work together, sharing information, acquiring answers, and beginning to form the "community" that I have seen develop again and again.
There are many ways to capture students' attention such as provide an array of teaching strategies; role-playing, hands-on activities, various lecturing methods, etc.
One way that I capture the attention of inattentive students is to try and connect with the student. I will try to talk to the student before or after class to see if there is anything that is going on, or if there is anything that I can do to alter my lecture to make it more interesting. Most of the time, the students will admit to me that they do not fully understand the information and that they start to zone out.
I agree. I also stop every 15-20 minutes and do an activity. The students seem to be able to pay attention better during the lecture periods when they know they are getting a "break" to do an activity. Often this is an activity that requires review of what we just covered. They tend to pay attention because they know they will be expected to try to remember what we just covered.
Tell students that one student at each table will be called on during class at some point to answer a question. There is a bit of randomness to this approach and gets the students to pay better attention in case they are the ones called on.
I always try and make the topic as interesting as possible. I also try and use life examples from my experience in the profession which usually is interesting to most students.
When I am trying to capture an inattentive students attention I try to recall an interesting situation I encountered through my career experience and make it
relevant to the material I am covering. Most students love to hear my experiences in the field and how it will help them in the same situations they will encounter.
Hi James,
Students need to know that we have practical experience in the field of study, and we really know what we are talking about. Students enjoying hearing stories that are applicable to course content.
Patricia Scales
I introduce my professional industry experiences as they relate to my course content and discuss how to relate them.
Hi Rosalyn,
Vets with PTSD can certainly be a challenge. I too have experienced this type of student. I have found that this type of student does better with hands-on activities and staying busy. Of course you have to have lecture, but the more busy this type of student is, the better.
Patricia Scales
I have to agree that connection with the student is the key to their engagement,as well as a clear understanding of the What's in it for me? philosophy.
I have had several returning Vets in my classes, some presenting symptoms of PTSD. Having had personal experience with this issue is one thing and there have been times where I have found it challenging to engage a student who mentally is disengaged from the day to day. I am open to learning techniques to engage these particular individuals.
I try to help students realize that it's up to them to pay attention. Doh! Seems logical but how many realize where the locus of responsibility is housed? I help them see that they are free to choose to pay attention or not -- however, they are not free of the consequences of either choice. When students realize that they are in direct control of their thoughts and that everything else indirectly influences them, they are then empowered to take charge of their learning and their lives. In short, I don't "get them" to pay attention; I indirectly influence them make that choice or not to make that choice They directly decide within their brains and live with the consequences either way.
