First and last ten
I have found that the first part and last part of a lesson is very important to relay information to the students.
lol! If I tell too much I begin changing the story!
Andrew,
Great idea. State changes work well for keeping interest in the classroom. Sometimes a simple discussion or group work works as a state change; it don't have to be a trip to the lab or another classroom.
I try to do state changes around the middle of the lesson, when the attention begins to slip. Trips to the lab, another classroom where other equipment is set up, or the lab are all good diversions that get us back on track.
It's TELL-TELL-TELL. TELL them what you are going to tell them, TELL them and then TELL them what you told them.
I make it a point to give a brief overview of what we are going to be learning at the start of class with some of the real important highlights, and then at the end of class i always keep about 10 minutes to review what we went over. it's a great time to stress the key material that they need to retain.
I also tell them on day one that the last 10 - 15 minutes of class everyday is there review for the tests and quizzes. This get more students to pay better attention.
a sense of continuity is the greatest skill any presenter can possess. Having the meta-cognition to experience, from the student's perspective, how the information is presented and make changes to ensure a most effective transfer is one of the most highly specialized forms of communication in human existence.
MOST OFTEN THAT IS THE TIME THEY ARE REALLY PAYING ATTENTION
