students who don't talk enough
I thought it might be helpful to use the "use it wisely cards" in a different way. Give students a set number and they have to use so many during the class period. Would help me not to just randomly call on them if they know talking is "required"
I have never used the card approach but am seriously considering it for future classes. I teach patient care and it is difficult to engage the set of students I have right now. I have found that the more interactive sessions we have had the more people are engaged with each other. For example, we did a session where the students broke into groups and took vital signs on each other. Was the most I have heard from most certain quiet students
I really would like to try this I have had a student or two that did not like to participate within the class. She was very shy but really smart, she questioned herself to much but putting them in small groups might her with her self-esteem.
Hi Marshall,
Great points made! I like the idea of individual work turning into group work! Introverts have more to offer when things are done this way.
Patricia Scales
One of the courses I teach is Presentation Speaking. I use a lot of Ted Talks in this class as examples of public speaking today. One of the speakers talked about introverts and how much they truly offer a team. The speaker suggested when working on a team project for a company, that often the team would meet immediately to discuss and come up with plans etc. This did not help the introvert thrive and work to their greatest potential. She suggested that team leaders should postpone this for a short time in order to allow people individually to work alone. Then bring them to the group. this she said would allow the introvert the needed alone time for them to come up with ideas etc, and then offer them to the group.
I realized that my quiet students were just introverted, and that I was also asking them to work in situations that were not comfortable for them: but most importantly, never did I have situations that help them thrive. I adapted the speaker's idea for office team projects to group class work. What I do now is assign the group work, but start with "Individual activity". This has helped these quite students speak more in the class.
During my first year as a dental assisting instructor I used what we called a "touch" chart. It was a copy of the seating arrangement with all the students name on it. If I spoke to the student, if they participated in class conversation during lecture, if I called on them for a question....no matter what kind of conversation it was, I made it a point to TOUCH each student every day. I felt some of the students came from very sad places and sometimes my "touch" was the only evidence to them that they were not invisible. I found this technique really pulled some of the more intraverted students out of their shell. Once they began to know that I "see" them every day their attitudes improved and their participation increased and amazingly some of them even enjoyed being there! Again, they dont care how much you know until they know how much you care!!! Christina
Hi Debbie,
This is certainly a way to handle this! This tactic enourages/forces participation from shyers.
Patricia Scales
