cause of inattentive students in class.
I think is when thet are boring with the instructor's lectures
Perhaps they can be motivated to pay attention and to be committed to the class if there are regular breaks for checking cell phones and leg stretching. I think people check their cell phones when they are not engaged or lose interest in the immediate content.
I agree with the point you made regarding students in career colleges most likely having done poorly in public schools. That is why it is so important for us to help them understand that they really need to be engaged in what's going on in the classroom this time around and not waste the opportunity and resources (tuition, etc.) of being here. As educators, it is our responsibility to show the importance of what we are teaching them and how they can use it to become more successful in life. We have to find out what motivates the innatentive students and use that to bring their attention back into the classroom.
I set my standards from the first day...cell phones must be turned off - if you need to have it on vibrate for some reason - you cannot answer it in class - you must take it out in the hall.
As for sleeping students, I find it very effective to ask someone next to them to wake them up. I also tell them that if they are that tired, maybe they need to leave class so they can get some good sleep.
I hope to implement some of your ideas in my first day of lecture.
Sleeping and cell phone/texting use are two of my largest pet peeves from my students. I do understand being tired in class and sometime the material isn't the most captivating. I try to engage my students as much as possible, to keep them alert and actively participating. I do not allow anyone to sit in the back row of the classroom, I try to keep them as close to the front as possible and if I see someone struggling with staying awake, I make them get up and stand. If it continues to be a problem, then I dismiss them from my class.
Hi Scott,
You've mentioned some great ways to utilize with inattentive students. It is super to know that you have overcome allowing students to sleep in your class. I certainly don't tolerate sleepers. The sleepers get one warning, and any further violations, I remove them from my class.
Patricia
I can agree that many are bored. These students are the classic sleepers from the back row. I was challenged with this in my first classroom and I overcame part of it by walking the aisles and making eye contact, asking questions of the students, and giving demonstrations. I finally discovered another big reason. I teach in a trade school and in this environment many students enroll because they performed poorly in public school, do not read anything more than billboards, and are often illiterate. This causes more need for making the course interesting.
