5 Ways To Promote Attentiveness In A Student (FACTOR: Teaching Learning Process)

 

Attentiveness is the major issue which a teacher faces on a regular basis with their student while delivering their lessons in the classroom. As a teacher we usually find students feeling restless, get up frequently to visit the washroom or else, put their head down, scribble some comic designs in their book, tapping pen or pencil on the desk Or yawns most often while we conduct lectures in the classroom. But have we ever wondered, Why do such things happen? Why do our students react in this way? Why are they not able to be attentive in the classroom and to what the teacher is saying? 

Students are students irrespective of which age group they belong too. Distractions are bound to happen. But it is truly on a teacher's teaching methodology that these variables of attentiveness are depended on. The change in teachers' teaching methodology is bound to add wonders to your classroom achievement. 

The implementation of the following methodologies will definitely help a teacher to grab the attention of a student:

Students are hardly energized and motivated with the basic chalk and talk method, they just want something new to happen inside the classroom in order to keep them motivated for learning. Cognitive skills of a student are sharpened when a teacher presents the content in a unique unforgettable way. The following ways will not only help a student to be motivated to learn new concepts but also keep them attentive throughout the lecture with a special curiosity to know what more the teacher has in the treasure box today. 

The passive lecture method adopted by teachers today is found to be very monotonous and lacks student interaction and engagement. Adopting the following methods in the teaching learning process greatly enhances students retention and promotes ease of understanding with better clarity. 

1. Activity Based Learning

Activity-Based Learning (ABL) is the process of learning by doing. As opposed to asking kids to simply listen and take notes, activity-based learning encourages students to actively participate in their own learning experience through practical activities such as problem-solving and independent investigation etc. Activity Based Learning provides rich and varied experiences to the pupils, thereby building their knowledge, enhancing creativity skills and increasing cognitive skills which also additionally boosts the self-confidence of learners as they explore both familiar and unfamiliar concepts in creative ways.

For Example: Songs and Poems Make the Language Class more Effective and Communicative instead of mere reading line by line from the textbook. 

2. Game Based Learning

Game based learning (GBL) is a type of game play that has defined learning outcomes. In general, game based learning is designed to balance subject matter with gameplay and the ability of the player to retain and apply said subject matter to the real world. Game based learning describes an approach to teaching, where students explore relevant aspects of games in a learning context designed by teachers. Within an effective game-based learning environment, we work toward a goal. We make mistakes in a risk-free setting, and through experimentation, we actively learn and practice the right way to do things. This keeps us highly engaged in practicing behaviours and thought processes that we can easily transfer from the simulated environment to real life.

For Example: The different educational games available virtually (ABC kids) ,  card games, board games, puzzles, flash cards etc 

3. Demonstration Based Learning

Demonstration Based Learning is a teaching method used to communicate an idea with the aid of visuals such as flip charts, posters, power point, apparatus, materials etc. A Demonstration is basically the process of teaching someone how to make or do something in a step-by-step process. It helps the students to become more familiar with the content and retain the concept for a longer duration. 

For Example: Demonstrating the formation of Carbon dioxide gas in the laboratories. 

4. Role - Play Based Learning

Role-play is a technique that allows students to explore realistic situations by interacting with other people in a managed way in order to develop experience in a supported environment. Depending on the intention of the activity, participants might play a role similar to their own (or their likely one in the future) or could play the opposite part of the conversation or interaction. Both options provide the possibility of significant learning, with the former allowing experience to be gained and the latter encouraging the student to develop an understanding of the situation from the ‘opposite’ point of view.

For Example: Portraying the story of 'Life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj' by allowing students to enact as different characters known. 

5. Nature Based Learning

Nature-based learning, or learning through exposure to nature and nature-based activities, occurs in natural settings and where elements of nature have been brought into built environments, such as plants, animals, and water.  It encompasses the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, attitudes, and behaviours in realms including, but not limited to, academic achievement, personal development, and environmental stewardship. It includes learning about the natural world, but extends to engagement in any subject, skill or interest while in natural surroundings. Children develop skills and learn according to their own natural rhythms. 

For Example: Teaching and showing the different types of leaves and plants directly taking the students to the natural park and botanical Gardens. 

Though there are plenty of effective teaching  methods available, the Judicious implementation of the above listed methods of learning is found to be very effective in bringing better learning outcomes and promoting attentiveness in school students. 

Happy Learning!!! 

Enjoy Learning!!! 

By Shobha Joy Gaddam

(Academician & Educator)