Hi Bonnie,
I have found that quiet students do a lot better in a smaller setting.
Patricia Scales
After talking to the student one on one to make sure they are up with the rest of class I try to get them involved more with the class. This maybe easier for me as I have small classes to begin with.
It is interesting to learn the reccomendation to arrange a panel for students where the silent students may participate and encouraged to speak because of his support from the other participating panelists, and his lack of being singled out or a lone featured individual.
How I get silent students involve is to and approach them and make them feel at ease. I ask them how their is going and how they feel. This usually get them talking and they get into the discussion we are having in class>
We use several methods in our classes to involve all of our students. During facilitated discussions the instructors monitor who the quiet ones are and ask them to share their opinions or experiences on topics known to that student or related to their past. Small group projects where each student has a role keeps everyone engaged for the success of the group and it becomes obvious when a person does not contribute. Students are also required to give multiple presentations ranging from 5 minutes to 30 minutes in support of learning outcomes.
Patricia,
I can answer this question from experience. I was once one of those students. What helped me the most is being assigned to a small group. Even though, I knew the day would come for me to stand on my own two feet. I really appreciated the Instructor seeing that I needed that group environment. Today, I can honestly say that I still have those moments when I feel shy and nervous. Then I think about my students and the information I have for them to help them on their way. I like asking my students questions and getting their opinions, that eases the stress too.
Jacqueline Coleman
Hi Anna,
Yes, let students express themselves. Sometimes all you have to do is ask, and they will begin to really open up.
Patricia Scales
All my classes require small group projects and presenting in front of the class. Some students are quiet and reserved. My job is to find out if the quiet is due to confidence, lack of knowledge, or care. Once I have established the cause, I can address the need of that particular student.
Most frequently I encounter students who are not quiet because they don't know but usually are drowned out by a louder, more enthusiastic student. Sometimes just asking them their thoughts directly is helpful to get them out of their shell.
I think you can help silent students become more involved by identifying them as soon as possible and take measures that they are put in a positions to participate without making them uncomfortable. If I sense, a student is likely a silent student, I will spend extra time during introductions with informal banter in an attempt to make them more comfortable from the start of the term.
Those students that are quiet and open up and decide to get involved tend to be the most rewarding. I have had one that dealt with depression with his hands over his face so others can not see the crying. I asked him alone without any one knowing and he told me the problem. I then asked him to collect himself and wrote down a few key points and told him, to go home and study them, and I would excuse him for the time out that day. Yes I went one on one with him though labs, schematics, mechanical and designs. He was the most challenging but his determination was there. He struggled a bit with another instructor but did graduate. The reward from it was he made it through has a skill for life and will never forget at least me as his instructor.
Hi DOUGLAS,
Some students just will not open up to you! Rapport building is a way to try to get silent students to open up. When a student feels as though he or she has a relationship with you, they tend to open up more.
Patricia Scales
There are always students that are not open as much as others. Sometimes it is their personality. Other times it is they will not come forward and be open about not understanding a part of the subject. You need to recognise it if possible. They usually are the students that do not want to come up to the white board for schematic drawings. When noticed you try to bring them in like wading in a cold lake. Suggest certain tasks that get them involved with other more advanced students or working one on one with them. After that they usually will express their situation to you on why they are silent in the class participation. They do have the skills, or so far I have seen they do. It is a situation to be effective with to have them involved, I have had great luck with the students that see the value in education while others not so quite like to find easier ways to get around class work.
I have broken my class into smaller group and by doing this it has encourage the student to be more vocal. Also, our school has incorporated a once a week blended learning course which forces the silent student to express themselves in writting or they will not receive a grade for their post.
Hi Jennifer,
Great tactics to utilize to help the shy student interact with others.
Patricia Scales
It is always important to get to know your students, including the silent one. The reasons for a student to be silent may be many and varied. Some students may feel that by participating orally, they can be disrupting the class. I have had some very capable students who turned out to be more knowledgeable than the rest; therefore, building a rapport with them can work well for the student as well as for the entire class, since their contribution can be valuable. Putting them in a small-group setting is a great idea.
Out of my class of 13 probably only half of them really speak up under their own initiative. Some of the ways that I try to get the silent ones more involved is by: making a new seating chart each term and putting an interactive student next to them; assigning small group projects; playing team-based academic games; calling upon them for answers to questions or using them as examples. I do the latter to help them see that attention isn't a negative thing and try to help them get past being uncomfortable around a group of people that they will be spending almost every day with for about a year.
Group activities are helpful for silent students. They may feel more comfortable working with a small groups vs. speaking up in class. Also any activity that requires demonstration of a skill mastered may be delegated to a quiet student. Often, these students excel in clinic or lab and are great at demonstrating how to perform an activity.
Hi Kevin,
It is always good to ease the silent student into a very nonintimidating environment. Silent students open up more when the setting is small.
Patricia Scales
I like to have silent students do what I call "Vannaing". They take direction from the class pointing out item on the board and writing down the answers given to them. This allows them to be involved with the class but not always having to come up with the answers. I do find that they are more likely to correct the wrong answers given by the class.
