It is known that the key to classroom success is participation which means that students should be engaged in open discussions and they have to feel involved. This participation can be maintained by asking questions and also by anticipating the content of the lesson. Nevertheless, sometimes it is hard to pay attention during the whole class-session; here, we can put the blame on boredom, on the distractors or on the instructor’s style. So, how do we overcome such a difficulty? And what are the tips for focusing in class?
Sometimes, in class, I spend my time thinking about futile things that come to my mind rather than focusing on what is taught in class. It is a short time distraction that affects our long term goals in a way that it disturbs our concentration. For example, I’m holding a pen in my hand and I’m playing with it, so here, my mind is concentrating on the pen’s pivot, the professor’s voice seems to be far from where I’m standing and her words sound meaningless. In this case, I’ve pushed myself to lose attention by occupying myself with a pen. Having said that, there woul...
Engagement in classroom discussions influences positive engagement in the workplace by allowing the individual to be more social and attentive when put in the environment, and to also makes the environment a great place to work. The first thing everyone learns is listening and acknowledging what you have learned which is used in any setting. Classroom engagement can help develop someone’s communication skills, time management and self awareness. Being in the classroom teaches you how to communicate with people, and speak to people positively. This type of
For some students, the time they have in the classroom is not enough for them to grasp the topic. While teachers usually offer a period for students to see them for extra help, some students do not have time for this. Most students have commitments outside of the classroom, such as m...
More courses should try to incorporate 5 minutes of the class to get students focused and ready to learn. Sometimes students are too preoccupied with other problems that they do not focus on the present moment; making them less likely to focus on the course.
Stated by Palloff, R., & Pratt, K. (2007), instructor often establish guidelines for minimal participation, making it more likely that students will engage with their colleague and to facilitate the community-building process. This expectation of participation differs significantly from the face-to-face classroom, where the discussion can be dominated by one or more extroverted students, giving an illusion that the class is engaged.
This one being your first year in college, you may have trouble concentrating while you study. Some techniques that can help your concentration are being selective, relaxing, and over learning. Being selective means to make choices about what is most important to learn. When you are studying, you should be able to know what may or may not be on the test, your notes for the week can be helpful. In addition, pay attention to charts, tables, and illustrations that you think may appear on the test. Relaxing is a good technique to use because when you are relaxed you are able to absorb more information. One way to relax is to use a breathing technique (inhale, count from one to ten, and exhale, and count from one to ten, and so on). Over learning can help you fight mental vagueness. When you are struggling in a class, it is best for you to learn more than you need to know about the subject. You can use these techniques every time you are studying or when you cannot concentrate.
One of the most difficult situations that teachers find themselves is ensuring that students pay maximum attention during classes. According to researchers, maintaining focus is one of the important aspects of successful learning. Researchers say that environment plays a huge role in the way kids pay attention while in class. There is a strong link between kids’ cognitive skills and the attention they pay during classrooms. Off-task behaviors also contribute hugely to this problem of losing attention during class time. Observers argue that they end up having negative impact on kids’ learning( Rainwater & Rainwater, 2008).
The key is to listen and participate. When you listen you can absorb all the things that are important for you to learn, and when you participate it shows the teacher that you understand and are engaged in the lesson. If you want to show your teacher that an assignment is important then don’t procrastinate, which means don’t wait until the last minute. It is also very important to be respectful to your teachers. To be respectful to your teachers you should not argue with them, and restrain from talking with friends at the wrong times. It is very important to not be stressed about your work load because that affects your grades and attitude
In class, again we discussed what a boring vs interactive class looks like. Mr. Marin’s class seems to be the engaging classroom we talked about in class. A lot of are class discussion is on engaging students. He doesn’t really use videos to engage students but we did talk about that being a thing. We talked about how being distracted could be very disengaging for the students. There is a no phone policy in the classroom which we talked about in class and was in the weekly reading response. What we could do about cell phones in the classroom. His approach is to have a complete ban as he was talking to staff about it in the film. There are other distractions in the classroom. Well each other. They distract each other which could be disengaging.
Studying has been extraordinary for me for many years now. I define studying by sitting on the bed (Indian sit) and slouching my back against the wall with the notes positioned near my crossed legs. After a few minutes, I began to lie down which eventually forces me to stop studying and just rest. I would wake up after two hours of rest since I’m unconscious of the time; only to think that I wasted a lot of time. Therefore, I wasn’t able to finish studying and get things done. What I did was an improper way of studying – Studying on the bed. Our level of concentration depends on our studying position. We are unable to focus if we are in an awkward position like lying supine on the bed which makes me feel sleepy and lazy. This has been my problem regarding my study habits.
Distractions such as friends can have a major impact on a high school student’s ability to concentrate.
It worked for me to an extinct like I had to basically form an alliance or network of people who were in my classes to get myself to stay focused and sometimes help them stay focused. I used to think i needed a small pill in order to get through a tough test or stay up all night cramming all the information I need for the test the next day. But I learned if instead of cramming i studied at the library for an hour a day I would do a lot better than cramming. Although we have spended a handful of nights staying up till studying and going over our study guides. In my opinion the skills we learned in this course are skills we will know and use for years to
Did you know that the first few minutes of class is the only time a student listens to their teacher? A student listens to a 60-90 minute lectures from classroom to classroom for 200 school days. But a student cannot focus their attention for that long so they ended up losing their attention somewhere else. Someday, this may be a trouble to their parents. Students lacking concentration may cause failure in planning for their future.
way that can be a distraction, will be set aside and focus only on what is important.
The first step to good listening skills in lectures is to be prepared. By reading the chapter being covered, or re-reading notes it is easier to listen. Because the content is not being introduced for the first time, it is easier to comprehend it. Also by avoiding distractions, and picking a seat that is easy to pay attention in, the chances of listening well are increased, even before the teacher begins to speak. (Wells 1)
Active involvement in class discussions and incorporating technology are techniques that could be used when trying to engage student’s interests. Interactive based learning provides an opportunity to become actively involved in the discussion instead of just listening to an instructor throw huge amounts of information their way. Using technology is a way for students to become active in their learning. Tools such as interactive white boards enable children to engage in classroom games, view websites, and review problems step by step. As technology is advancing students rely on teachers integrating technology into their lessons more frequently. In traditional lectures the teacher gives a large quantity of material, but if the student is not paying attention, does learning occur? By incorporating learner response devices where students can electronic...