Center-stage-students
The lesson on this subject is probably a very powerful strategy!!! I wish I had thought of it! I encounter this challenge often and have been "scratching my head" wondering how to properly remedy this. The "observer" and "use-it-wisely" techniques are brilliant!
Thank you!
Hi Alixe,
Have you tried the "5 card limit" and it failed?
I have a student that definitely wants to be center stage whether we are in the classroom or the skills lab; she loves to try and change the direction of the discussions.
Maybe the center stage student will not feel punished if everyone was given two cards and they all had to ask two questions per class. Maybe that way everyone will be encouraged to participate and the center stager will have to wait their turn.
Good luck,
Carole Ray
To handle this, I have had some success by sharing a story with the class early on in the course. The story is of a center-stage student who raised his hand in class one day and when I called on him, he sighed and said, "Nevermind. It was neither important nor relevant." After I tell the story, I comment on how impressively self-aware that student was. Student love this story. This is a round-about way for me to encourage them to share comments only if they are important and/or relevant.
I would have to disagree with the flashcard question strategy. I'm sure this would be helpful in some classes, however I want students to answer as many questions as needed.
I'm not sure if the Use-it-Wisely is appropriate for all classroom settings. I teach in a lab setting, so we aren't always able to control a "5 card limit". I like the concept, but does anyone have a recommendation for something similar that would work in a non-desk-setup classroom?
I also like the "use it wisely" technique. Another benefit is that if everyone gets 5 "speaking cards" per class, then not only are the center stage students kept in check, but the inattentive students are forced to participate. This approach will even the playing field in a naturally uneven class.
