A study in the Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning revealed that approximately 49% of students are distracted in the classroom. The use of technology and digital apps for non-educational purposes significantly contributes to these findings. However, some students generally believe that technology in class is necessary for an enhanced learning process.
Besides, students lose concentration and gaze outside the classroom window to watch activities happening outdoors. Other times, they absent-mindedly doodle a recreation of a poster on the wall. Whatever the form of distraction, they all significantly undermine learning and student engagement. As such, a teacher must develop creative ways to get students involved in the class.
This post looks at five effective teaching strategies you can apply to enhance the student learning experience.
1. Incorporate Digital Signage in Teaching and Learning
While technology was cited as a distraction in the classroom, it can be a creative platform for active learning. Digital signage in schools, when used creatively, can boost instructional strategies and improve student participation.
As an ever-present method of engaging students, here’s how to use digital signage to get students involved in class:
- Deliver assignment instructions: Share instructions for an activity or writing assignments on a classroom display instead of answering the same questions repeatedly.
- Display the daily schedule: Let the whole class know what to expect throughout the day to help them prepare for each activity.
- Make announcements: Digital signage displays are excellent platforms for important notifications and reminders. Therefore, use them for visual reminders for homework, exams, upcoming parent-teacher conferences, or school events.
- Recognize good performance: Are there student achievements you want to highlight? Then use digital displays instead of the bulletin board.
- Showcase student work: Whether it’s for an open house or small groups, displaying recent science projects or artwork is an excellent way to make students feel recognized. In turn, they feel motivated to remain as active learners.
2. Connect The Lesson to Real-Life Examples
It would help to ensure the material you use while teaching speaks to your students. In other words, consider:
- Using specific real-world examples: Teach students how to apply the lesson in real life. For example, show them how to use math concepts to manage their nutrition, finance, and daily schedule.
- Choosing culturally relevant learning materials: The National Council of Teachers of English reports that students who don’t find representations of their cultures in their learning environments or materials lose focus very fast. An excellent approach is to have the students complete a short survey about their interests and use the findings to build lesson plans.
- Linking routines to learning: When teaching children how to wash hands during a bathroom break, link that practice to science concepts (hygiene and disease, water conservation, body parts), reading (bathroom signs), and math (the 15-second hand wash count).
3. Use Movement to Bring the Students to Focus
Sitting in the same position for long hours during class time can make students lose concentration fast. So, ask them to stand behind their desks every few hours. Then, they can join in some simple choreographed movement to awaken their senses. Children find the activity invigorating. At the same time, you can easily monitor active participation. Eventually, it may become one of your students’ favorite ways to get involved in class.
4. Plan for Short Attention Spans
Studies show that younger students have a relatively short attention span. To illustrate:
- Children 5-6 years can focus for 10-30 minutes on an exciting task
- First-grade children (6-7 years) have a focus span of 12-35 minutes
- Second-grade learners (7-8 years) can focus for 14-40 minutes
Planning your lessons around these attention spans is an excellent way to get students involved in the class.
5. Use Signaling to Let Everyone Answer Questions
Attention signals are classroom management actions you complete, and the students meet them with a reaction. For example, a simple call-and-response signal is “1-2-3, all eyes on me!” Signaling can be an excellent way to begin a transition or encourage class participation during learning activities.
Further, classroom signals fall into various categories, including:
- Verbal, for example, a teacher says, “If you can hear me, clap once.” The students respond, and all their attention goes to the teacher.
- Objects, for example, bells or music to alert students when it’s time to transition.
- Gestures like clapping rhythms or hand signals
Ensure you explicitly teach your students the meaning of the signals you introduce to them for the most incredible efficiency. After all, they’ll only be able to cooperate when they know what you expect of them.
Final Thoughts
It can be frustrating for a teacher when students lose concentration in class discussions or assignments. Fortunately, the above tips are just a few strategies you may want to employ to get students involved in the class. Additionally, always remember to let them wiggle out whenever the need arises before trying to re-engage them.
