Use the REFOCUS acronyn to keep the students engaged. Great acronym!!!
Use the REFOCUS acronyn to keep the students engaged especailly when hitting the mid-term slump
One key takeaway from this module is the importance of clear communication and professionalism in student advisement. I learned how to deliver policy reminders in a way that’s respectful, firm, and constructive—balancing authority with empathy.
It is important to keep students engaged in the leaning process.
It's important to keep students engaged through the use of different strategies.
I learned that learning is not just about acquiring knowledge but also an emotional and cognitive process that relies heavily on motivation, memory, and engagement. The brain prefers novelty and meaningful connections, which is why rote memorization often feels frustrating and ineffective. As an instructor, it is important to design learning experiences that stimulate curiosity, integrate new knowledge with what students already know, and provide opportunities for them to apply concepts in relevant ways.
I also learned that memory plays a central role in the success of learners. Since every lesson involves imparting new information, how students receive, store, and retrieve that information will determine their academic progress. While instructors are not responsible for teaching basic literacy skills, they can still support learners by offering strategies in critical areas such as note-taking, report writing, and summarization to strengthen memory retention and application.
Finally, I learned that participation and engagement can be fostered through simple yet powerful instructional strategies. Using verbal cues, opinion-based questions, and quick writing exercises such as 3x5 cards or 60-second term papers helps students feel more comfortable and involved in class. These methods not only reduce the fear of being wrong but also give students ownership of their learning. At the same time, instructors gain valuable insight into what students are understanding, allowing them to adjust their teaching accordingly.
Ways to enhance memory. Give application tips, illustrations, work in groups, work sheets, hands on work- multiple ways to learn and to enable recalling material more easily.
Learning that being the biggest cheerleader is with the learners in need making sure that the enthusiasm is always showcase felt through every lesson through every demonstration
Stay engaged and encourage interaction
I've learned different ways to keep myself engaged as well as the class. I will try to encourage the students by relating the information there receiving with the chosen career path. Also try to relate my personal experiences with a well told story regarding the subjects at hand.
Get the student involved. Ask questions that make them think and give answers that can become the road. Someone asks a question that others were afraid to ask themselves can open a discussion that will take their learning to the next level. The student may give the teacher the right course of action to continue the training in a better direction. Maybe they are not understanding the information and their questions can help you see what's holding them back.
Mid course evals are great for the instructor which benefits the students.
The concepts in REFOCUS are spot on for judging the effectiveness of the class and the instructor. I enjoyed the Learnativity terminology as it really puts the concepts of the learning into the practice of mastering a task. Most of all it is the enthusiasm and energy that the instructor is able to build with the class, it is like a team sport. The seasons can feel long, and adjustments are required to keep up the energy levels and the enthusiasm.
Engagement!!!!! Have them tell you it back, have them explain it, have them do it. Be entertaining enough to make them engage, do your best to always make sure to ask the same questions in different ways to show them how there's going to be 10 ways to do something you will find the way you're the best at such activity or assignment .
In this topic I've learned, to maintain students focused and we must have several different ideas or solutions to resolve certain situations (talkers) and (non-talkers).
I'll set clear expectations early, using time limits, structure the class format or groups and providing private positive feedback.
The refocus strategy seems it would be helpful to keep both the instructor and students inspired to want to come back to class each day. In the field I've had to refocus many times and re prioritize to be able to achieve the main goal at hand.
Engage with students. Focus on them so that they don't feel left out. Keep lectures within 15 min so that they don't loose interest.
The REFOCUS strategy was dead on. I have over 20 years in technical training and this really hit home. I was reminded that taking the time to evaluate your class from the students, trainer, and course curriculum point of view is critical to keeping the class motivated, keeping ourselves focused on the student experience, staying on track with the course material and avoiding the "slump" we can fall into. Great advice there.
In this Module, I learned about the concept of Learnativity. I also learned the importance of REFOCUS; I appreciated the reading about not being perfect and how to unburden oneself. I agree with the literature about student engagement. Like students, I want to feel appreciated and valued too! It is relatively easy for me to engage students and demonstrate that they are valued members of the class.
