"Am I Supposed to Be Listening?"

Theresa Scheiderer Dodson

But why do you, as a teacher, need to gain the students' attention? The answer is a simple one - if students do not pay attention, they will not learn. If the students are not attentive to the lesson, they will not make an effort to remember what is taught; worse yet, they will not even hear the lesson. She what can you do?

Familiarize yourself with many different methods of teaching. Students will appreciate new and interesting approaches to "old subjects." A varied use of the following teaching methods will help you to gain - and maintain - your students' attention:

1. Lecturing is a useful method, not one to be discarded. Yet other methods can be employed with lecturing so that students will not become bored. When lecturing, use voice inflections at appropriate moments, keep eye contact with students, and use gestures. Obviously, do not overdo it. Also be sure your language is clear and appropriate for the age level you are teaching.
2. Question-and-answer sessions can be used with lecturing. Students will remember more if they are active participants in class. During these sessions many teachers are frustrated when students are reluctant to ask questions. This is not an unusual phenomenon. You may have to ask lead questions to get students to join in.
3. Class discussion can be an effective method; it can, however, get out of hand. With this method you must keep a tight rein on the direction of the discussion. This does not mean that you should discourage students from coming up with novel ideas or creative suggestions; just be sure to put the students' comments in the proper perspective for the class.
4. Visual aids can be of great use to you, especially for teaching younger children. Students like pictures, bulletin boards, charts, models, and other aids, all of which help the student visualize ideas. A student who cannot understand a concept from a verbal explanation can often understand it when shown a visual aid.
5. Make the subject interesting to students by relating it to their hobbies and interests. Students will listen if they think you have something important to say, something that applies to their lives at that moment. As adults, we can see how a subject might help us in the future, but students often cannot see past their present situation. Practical applications to their lives make a subject much more interesting.
6. Approach a subject from a new perspective. For example, instead of telling the students about history, have them imagine what they would do in an historical situation. Then tell what really happened and explain why it happened.

When using any of these methods, be enthusiastic about your subject. Pupils are keenly aware of your attitude toward the subject matter. If you are excited about the topic, the students will tend to be excited too.

Varying the teaching methodology pays dividends to you and the student alike. A variety of teaching approaches will not only keep the student's attention but also actually help him to learn and to enjoy school.

Reprinted from Balance, a publication of the School of Education, Bob Jones University. Used with permission of Bob Jones University. Please write BJU Press, for permission to reproduce this article.