Despite the unsurprising nature of this opening line, here at Glisser we are going to arm you with 5 ways to give your student’s a surprising kick-start to the term. No matter the subject you teach, everyone is conscious of ensuring their students are engaged throughout their lecture. In an ideal world, one would like to believe their classes resulted in 100% student engagement, but the harsh reality is that if you don’t get your students engaged from the get-go then you’ve got an uphill battle ahead!
#1 – Use your voice as a compelling didactic tool
As a teacher, you ultimately have total control of your class (even if it doesn’t always feel like it) so don’t forget one of the most simplest Student Engagement tips at your disposal….your voice! Mixing up the tone, expression and volume of your voice in line with a change of direction in your lesson will be a sure fire way of grabbing your students attention with minimal effort. For example, if introducing a new piece of content or theory by lowering the volume of your voice it will suggest secrecy and intrigue, sparking a genuine interest and curiosity from your class. Plus if you’re about to cover a topic you are extremely passionate about, then don’t shy away from using your voice to demonstrate this excitement. Trust us, you will even reach out to those students sat on the back row through an authentic display of emotion.
#2 – Incorporate humour into your lesson
‘At the height of laughter, the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities’ – Jean Houston. Incorporating humour into your lessons can never be a bad thing. Students will appreciate the personal touch to your lecture as it will encourage a connection and genuine interaction between the two parties. Don’t just take our word for it either…take a look at this EDUTOPIA blog on #StudentEngagement from the students perspective!
#3 – Test out the 10:2 Method
This one is a really simple but effective way of not only ensuring your student’s have kept up to speed with your funny and engaging lesson, but that they have thoroughly understood and digested your instruction through into their own words. Try pausing after every 10 minutes or so of you giving out instructions/information in order to allow the students time to absorb their notes. You could even ask them to ‘talk amongst themselves’ which will allow informal discussions to take place and also bring to light any questions/queries for information which may not have been clear.
#4 – Tried & Tested 3-2-1 Method to summarise every lecture
At the end of your lesson encourage your students to use the 3-2-1 method for summarising their notes. This can be done by asking them to record three things they will be taking away from your lesson – two which they have found interesting or thought-provoking, and then one which they would like clarified in more detail. Obviously, it goes without saying for this one – ensure you leave adequate time at the end of your lesson to provide the answers to your students’ questions!
#5 – Make your lecture or presentation as interactive as possible…
Here at Glisser we are on a mission to rid the world of boring presentations and create a more engaging learning experience in Education. We understand that due to the fast turnaround of each term you can be forced to recycle your old PowerPoint presentations, usually resulting in a quick change of date and maybe a few updated stats thrown in for good measure…..Well, what if we told you that by using our simple PowerPoint alternative platform you could upload your pre-existing presentations and create a powerful and engaging new benchmark for Student Engagement?
So what are you waiting for….take a look at Glisser and start your term the right way!
