How much is lost to kids who are not actively engaged in learning? If you're communicating, but some receivers are off, those kids may not understand the lesson, or they won't know the instructions.
Three Ways to Keep Students Engaged in Learning
One: Keep your message short.
Keeping lessons short and to the point will usually result in more effective communication. Just think of yourself listening to a speaker go on and on. Do you lose the thread every so often? Most students will. Would you feel bombarded receiving a lot of new information all at once on an unfamiliar topic? To avoid overwhelming your students, stick to one or two teaching points per lesson. As in the adage, "Less is more," it is well known that students will learn more if you say less.
Two: Tell them why your lesson is important.
Remind your kids often that their education has great value and provides great benefits to them. Tell them that you care about their learning. Say that their brains will grow stronger and smarter the more they try. Tell them why what you're teaching matters.
Three: Pull Names
This third pointer might be somewhat controversial, and is given to being misused. I will explain 1) why it's important, 2) how to use it to nudge kids to learn, and 3) how to avoid embarrassing a student.
Why It's Important to Call on Students Randomly
First, it is important to pull names during a lesson or discussion because if you only call on students whose hands are raised, you will only be teaching part of your class. The rest of the kids might let others do the learning. I tell the students this:
"All of you are important. You are all my students and I want all of you to learn.
Don't let others do your thinking for you. Do your own thinking so your brain will grow strong, too! Since all of you are important to me, I will give all of you an equal chance to share your thinking."
Regarding that final point, pulling names gives all your students equal opportunities. As we all know, some students are more outspoken and energetic than others. Inadvertently, we as teachers may call on some personalities more consistently than on others. Some studies have shown that teachers call on boys more than on girls. There may be subtle favoritism that we are not aware of when choosing students. It's human nature. And it's something I try to avoid at all costs. Use wait time. Then give everyone an equal chance to respond, even the quiet ones.
In summary, the two important reasons to pull names during class lessons are 1) to encourage every student to learn and engage with the topic, and 2) to avoid being the chooser by giving every student an equal chance every time.
How to Use This Strategy To Help Students Learn
First and foremost, tell the students ahead of time that you expect all of them to pay attention and think. Don't ever surprise an unsuspecting student. If a teacher deliberately chooses a student who is obviously inattentive in order to "teach them to pay attention next time," that teacher will have damaged their relationship with that child, and thereby will not have effectively taught the child to pay attention. So, above all, tell your students that you will be pulling names because they are all your students and it's important for each and every one of them to learn.
Secondly, praise the students who are engaged and raising their hands. Tell them you appreciate their enthusiasm and their willingness to share. Thank them for participating but mention that you are pulling names to encourage everyone to participate. Sometimes, when you pull a name, you will call a student whose hand is up; sometimes you will call a student who is only minimally engaged.
Thirdly, consider calling on someone who really wants to speak, after you have given everyone a chance by pulling a name. Using the name-pulling strategy doesn't preclude you choosing a student once in a while.
Respecting Students
It is vitally important for a teacher to avoid embarrassing students when using this name pulling strategy. This is the difference between using the strategy to the benefit of the kids, or to the detriment of kids. You've communicated that all of them are important to you; you've encouraged all of them to think about the question. Now, continue the learning and the positive relationship by respecting each student who is called upon, whether or not they are engaged and prepared.
Scenario 1: The student was inattentive and doesn't even know the question.
How to Respond: Simply repeat the question without making a deal out of it.
Scenario 2: The student doesn't know the answer to the question, or is too shy to answer.
How to Respond: Say, "Choose a friend to help you." It is paramount that the student, not the teacher, chooses who will help answer the question. This means that someone whom the student likes will help them, and this is a positive experience. After the student calls on a friend, require that the student whose name was first picked repeat the answer. In this way, the inattentive or shy child gets a chance to learn and engage with the topic.
Scenario 3: The student was called upon to read and doesn't know the place.
How to Respond: Say, "Someone please point to the place." A nearby student will rush to point to the spot. Avoid making a negative comment, and do not use a disapproving tone. Simply give the inattentive child the opportunity to take part in the lesson and read. (If the child is a non-reader, poor reader, or has a speech difficulty, this is a separate case. They should never be called upon to read. If their name gets pulled, pick another stick or say another name.)
Scenario 4: The student gives the wrong response.
How to Respond: Say, "Good try. Now call on a friend to help you." It is paramount that the student, not the teacher, chooses who will help answer the question. This means that someone whom the student likes will help them, and this is a positive experience. After the student calls on a friend, require that the student whose name was first picked repeat the answer. This helps them listen and learn.
Scenario 5: The student is too shy to speak out.
How to Respond: Tell the student to whisper their response to a nearby student who will say it out loud for them.
Pulling Names at Random Will Engage Students
In conclusion, by using a combination of respectfulness and pulling names at random, you can keep a majority of your students engaged in any lesson or discussion. How do I know? After years of teaching in the elementary classroom, after trying many different approaches and strategies, this is what I settled on as an effective approach. It became a daily routine that my students always expected, so engagement became a habit. In addition, I recommend always keeping lessons short and focused. Thirdly, remember that pulling names doesn't preclude calling on students who really want to speak.
I hope you have success implementing this routine. Message me with questions and comments!
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