How to attract the attention of students in class?

Teachers spend more time managing discipline and getting students' attention than explaining subject content. Indeed, getting students' attention is an essential first step for any lesson. There are different strategies to arouse their interest. So why aren't students participating in class? and how to attract students' attention and retain it for the duration of the lesson?

Effective Strategies for Getting Students' Attention:

How to increase students' attention? Here are some strategies that will help you capture your students' attention during lessons:

Non-verbal communication in class:

Michael Grinder, American teacher and educational consultant has noted the behaviors of teachers whose classes are well managed. He discovered that non-verbal messages are essential for effective classroom management. Here are some tools of this communication:

Stand still:

For this non-verbal signal, the teacher freezes his body and remains still. He sends a clear and consistent message that he's ready to go. Think about it – when a teacher gives directions while moving, the non-verbal message (move) contradicts the verbal message (stop, look and listen) and many students go back to what they were doing before. By simply standing still when students are meant to be, there is a dramatic difference in readiness to learn.

 

Whisper break:

Another strategy that catches students' attention is adjusting the volume of the voice. When requesting the student's attention to change direction or to begin next steps, the teacher:

• sets her voice volume just above the band volume 
• pauses for a few seconds 
• lowers the volume of his voice to a whisper for the following instructions.
•  while keeping his body still  

After the presentation of the lesson, students often have to complete a task. Either way, teachers will give instructions – often only verbally. By only receiving auditory instructions, students have to remember a lot of information.

Visual exit instructions:

Visual instructions free up space in the student's mind to focus on learning rather than trying to remember management steps.

And...another benefit: students will spend much less time questioning their trainer if they forget what they are supposed to do. Using graphics with fewer words helps all students succeed in their learning milestones. 

Color hints:

Use colors as cues to move, learn and collaborate. It's stimulating to see how the teacher can positively influence his students without having to choose the right words! Bravo for the power of non-verbal communication! 

Curiosity:

Using curiosity, which all students have to encourage them to follow, is also a good strategy. And it's as simple as possible. Easy does not mean less efficient. You can use this strategy several times a day and it will never lose its shine to attract attention.

The curiosity strategy starts with a promise. The teacher asks the students to be very attentive, to mentally engage throughout the early stages of the lesson because if they do, there will be a payoff at the end.

By saving the part of the lesson that is most interesting or appealing to students until the end and using it as bait, you give them a compelling reason to pay attention.

When you stop and look around before revealing the one thing they've been waiting for, you'll see the anticipation on their faces. And they will remember everything leading up to this moment? Spot on.

Exercise breaks:

Before you begin your lesson, ask your students to stand up and join you for two minutes of light exercise. Anything that increases heart rate will do.

Studies show that exercise can boost brain function, improve mood as well as learning. I have found it eliminates mental clutter and provides the energy boost students need to be their best.

Back in their seats, your students will be refreshed, restarted, and ready for learning. Use exercise breaks throughout the day and you will notice a difference in your students' attention and performance.

Tell stories:

To capture the attention of students effectively nothing better than narration, a powerful way to introduce lessons. For example, tell a five-minute story about your first ride up a mountain, and by the time you bring up the subject of potential energy, every student will be attached and following.

The mystery inherent in stories draws students into the world you create for them. And that keeps them there because they turn your descriptions into moving images in their heads.

Stories also provide a deeply layered context for students, connecting their memories, emotions, and perspectives to your lesson objectives. Like potential energy, it makes complex ideas easier to understand and remember.

How to capture the attention of kindergarten students?

Teachers use many techniques to capture the attention of preschoolers. So, how to attract the attention of kindergartens?

Here are some effective solutions to interest them:

Walk:

 When you need to get the attention of a single child or a small group of children playing together, it's always more effective to just walk up, lean in at eye level, and talk warmly to them. What's not working well? Scream across the room. Kids learn to sort this out pretty quickly.

Contact lenses:

If you don't have eye contact, you really don't have the child's attention. If you need the kids to stop and listen to your words for a few seconds, you can use a creative technique to get their attention first, then pause to get eye contact.

wait too long:

Waiting too long is like putting out fires. As soon as you have a pair of eyes, you will lose another. So go with the majority of eyes on you and move on to what you needed in the first place.

The child who won't look at you:

For this child, you will often walk around talking to all the other children and gently take their hand and have them walk with you as you continue to talk to everyone. It is best to avoid yelling at the child in front of everyone. No need for humiliation and the truth is, yelling or harshness isn't that effective – it just creates stress and stress leads to an unhappy learning environment.

The observant child:

Have you ever watched an adult lecture to a child and just watching you start to feel uncomfortable? When you have decided to yell at a child, the other children may very well yell as if they are being punished too. A little girl said to me, "I don't like preschool...my teacher is yelling at Nathan..."