Dealing with these students can be very exhausting and I have to admit, at times, I have just wanted to give up because it seems that nothing I was doing was helping. Some ways that I battle this is with projects so they do not just have to sit and listen or looking things up in a book. This seemed to help my inattentive and center-stage kids last year.
Great strategies for how to deal with inattentive, unprepared, ready to quit and center stage students.
It is important to address the concern and get the attention of those who appear bored in class.
I have learned some great lessons in how to keep inattentive students engaged.
I think I have had each type of student before. To me the center stage students are the ones who are the hardest to deal with. They like to be the center of attention. I like the use it wisely cards-what a great idea
I have learned in this unit a new way to approach disruptive/disengaged students by using the minute papers technique. This causes the student to have to pay attention for fear they will get called on to reflect what they learned in the lesson.
When dealing with challenging students, make sure to take a look at yourself first.
I think the idea of giving cards to students to use up talking points is a wonderful idea. I also think it would be great to have a quick, even verbal, summary of the day given by students so they know they need to be more attentive during the day.
Learn how to deal with the differing personalities of students
I like the idea of focusing on the inattentive students. Randomly call on students to summarize the lesson. So, all students know I might call on them.
I tend to walk right next to the inattentive students and make it known that I want to hear what great ideas they have that could contribute to the whole group. I also utilize small table talks that work well for collaboration.
Sitting down and having a safe and open conversation with a student can teach you a lot about what is going on. I had a student tell me how her husband got shot and is paralized at home. And I had NO idea and it happened months ago. It was such a eye opening conversation. She was working full time and trying to take care of him and go to school full time. With two kids. I have many more stories from talking to students.
I like the idea of walking around the class during lecture to keep student's attention on me and what I am saying while I observe their behavior to make sure it is appropriate for class. Calling on students who are less vocal/verbal to answer questions keeps them engaged and on their toes. I also like the idea of calling names out of a hat or from the attendance roll for students to stay prepared to answer questions.
Students may often disengage when they feel lost or like they aren't understanding. This also happens when a student doesn't see the relevance of the information, or thinks it's not important. I like to simply ask the students, "why do you think this information is important for you to know?". This gives them a chance to reflect and identify the value of the information.
Students who are inattentive in class are generally those students who typically lack understanding of the course requirements. As an instructor, reevaluate my approach, tone, and expectations.
Using colored cards is a great way to limit over talkers.
All ambiguous behavior is interpreted negatively. Make sure students feel valued and respected.
I have had some students that were trying very hard at running the class and some were more difficult to get under control. It takes thought on the instructor to not allow that person to run the class without causing a situation.
Overall, it was an informative session and I learnt various ways on how to deal with inattentive students, students who feel overwhelmed and are ready to quit, student who would blame others or find excuses for their unfinished tasks.
very informative to involve and engage all different personalities.
