Jeffrey Yazwa points out that one of the most difficult tasks that a
teacher faces when in the classroom is keeping their students engaged
throughout the course of the lesson. This can be particularly difficult
when teaching a group of younger students who have lower attention
spans, so he offers a number of handy pointers that should ensure your
class stays engaged for the duration of the lesson.
Relate Things To Real Life
One
of the biggest issues that many young students have with their classes
is that they are unable to relate what they are learning to their lives,
which can make them feel as though there is no point to the lesson. As
such, if you can provide any examples about how what you are teaching
can be used in real-life scenarios or set homework tasks that
incorporate aspects of life your students are familiar with, you should
be able to hold their attention for longer.
No Distractions
You
need to have a strong policy in place for dealing with students who can
act as a distraction to the class. Make sure that students understand
when they can and can’t talk and quell and discussions that aren’t
related to the topic at hand. Keep an eye out for cellphones as well, as
they are capable of quickly drawing a student’s attention away from the
lesson.
Have Fun
Jeffrey Yazwa notes that if students see their
teacher enjoying the subject matter, they are more likely to engage with
it themselves. Have fun while teaching and approach every subject with a
high level of enthusiasm.
