How to increase students' participation in classrooms?

School and educational institutions have always been students' favourite places to be. Enjoying with peers, learning new subjects and participating in extracurricular activities, schools provide students with a healthy atmosphere. Teachers work extremely hard to cultivate a learning environment in classrooms. However, at times, it is hard to retain students' attention for a long time because of various distractions.

During this hour, to ensure that students stay attentive and focused in the class, teachers need to implement classroom management techniques. Some students feel distracted in the classroom because their mind is not being engaged during the session. Although retaining attention can be challenging, there are a few ways to grab their attention.

4 Best ways to increase student engagement

1. Set expectations for the course

Before teaching the subject, expectations of the course should be communicated with the students. Let them have an understanding of the topics that will be covered in the subject and assessments related to it. Having open discussions about their ideas and views will increase classroom participation. Ask students questions to get an idea about their thoughts on the subject and grading methodologies. By communicating with them beforehand and setting appropriate expectations for the course, students tend to prepare better for their tests and stay attentive in class.

2. Assigning responsibilities to students

While setting up a framework for the subject, plan to delegate a few topics to students to make learning interesting. Assign them project work in pairs or groups to inculcate teamwork. Talk to the students and clear their doubts beforehand. Give them a topic with two to three questions that they can answer through a presentation. Further, class quizzes are another fun way to improve learning and participation.

3. Encourage participation

The only way to retain the attention of students is by increasing their participation in classroom activities. By using a flexible teaching methodology, teachers create a healthy dynamic in the classroom that keeps students interested. While planning the coursework for weekly classes, try including open forums and discussions to grab students’ attention. Furthermore, the way teachers interact and communicate with students also impacts the participation level in the classroom. Positive feedback and motivating words encourage students to speak up and become a part of class activities. Encouraging positive behaviour in the class can help students feel free and more engaged. Taking part in project work and team-based activities will make the students feel like they are a part of the course, and make the classroom more interactive.

4. Continuous assessments

Another way to encourage participation and engagement in class is to have continuous assessments. Divide the grading schedule over the entire term to have continuous assessments. Instead of having repetitive and monotonous written exams, mix it up a bit. Opt for presentations, project work and case studies to grade the students on their learning. These methods help in keeping the students on track during the term.

Conclusion

Teachers not only need to implement the right learning and teaching strategies but certain behavioural strategies too to ensure maximum participation of students in the classrooms. The focus of educators should be on interactive learning to make students active listeners in the class.

Sometimes, a teacher can be excellent in the line of her subject, yet might fail to keep the students interested. It happens because even after having ample knowledge in their domain they face a lack of classroom management. To upgrade themselves, many teachers opt for online management of class dynamic courses offered by some well-known and trustworthy learning platforms like Suraasa.

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