College students' behavior in class
College students behave differently during a class they are not interested in; maybe it for the reasons that most of them are still in the adolescent's stages. Poor or late class attendances are among the activities that show students are not excited to show up for the lecture. Also, students can attend class on time, but the teacher loses their attention within the first 15 minutes (Zahorik 551). A teacher in such a class should find a way to make the course exciting and also effective. The following are some of the ways a teacher can enhance the total concentration of students.
Using audiovisual technologies and materials
The biggest task a teacher can face beside catching students’ attention is retaining that attention. How attention is caught and retained depends on the development of a stage common to the majority of the students in the class. Using audiovisual technologies and materials in class not only help to get the student’s attention but also ensure the major points are retained in the long-term memory (Crossan et al. 522). The materials can be videos, pictures or things like drones. For instance, anthropology course, the use of pictures it will make the students attentive and also eager to see more or a physic class, the availability of experimental materials can attract many students. It is, however, important to note that too much use of such materials can be the source of distraction (Crossan et al. 522).
Engaging the students in discussions
Furthermore, engaging the students in discussions and answering questions will provoke an excitement. Engagement can involve welcoming the students to ask questions, or invoking a topic that will arise different opinions in the class (Crossan et al. 530). For instance, in a history course, the teacher can state a quote and ask the students if they believe it. Through this, the students’ views will differ, and debate might be conceived. For courses that are not as engaging as math, the involvement of debates and invitation for questions will catch everyone’s attention and hopefully, they will learn a lot (Park et al. 750). Additionally, a teacher can use real-life examples to enable good connection of students and the subject being taught.
Performing refreshing activities
Ultimately, it is not possible for students to retain everything taught the whole day (Crossan et al. 532). Sometimes a class is scheduled for odd hours, and the students are just bored, tired and in bad moods (Park et al. 754). It will be advisable to perform refreshing activities like teaching a small topic and then ask questions about the topic. Most of the time, the learned information is stored in the sensory memory and will probably be lost (Crossan et al. 534). The small questions and task at the end of the lesson will not only enhance attention but will increase the probability of the students to remember what is taught. I would employ metacognitive strategies.
Discipline techniques in college
Students’ behavior affects the environment of learning. Therefore, it is good to appreciate the students for the small achievements they make. The most effective way of restoring discipline in students is by either reinforcement or punishment. Mostly punishment in college involves deduction of marks or grades or being recorded as busy for being late. The discipline techniques involved in reinforcement include encouraging good behaviors by use of material appreciation or any other form of appreciation while punishment mostly involves confiscating the most vital things like a phone (Crossan et al. 536). Discipline in students who are troubled might discourage and make them feel like they do not have a winning chance (Crossan et al. 536).
Works Cited
Crossan, Mary M., Henry W. Lane, and Roderick E. White. "An organizational learning framework: From intuition to institution." Academy of management review
24.3 (1999): 522-537.
Park, Elisa L., and Bo Keum Choi. "Transformation of classroom spaces: Traditional versus active learning classroom in colleges." Higher Education 68.5 (2014): 749-771.
Zahorik, John A. "Elementary and secondary teachers' reports of how they make learning interesting." The Elementary School Journal 96.5 (1996): 551-564.
