Engaging students that don't want to participate
In every class we will meet a student that isn’t engaging or participating in the content. No classroom is perfect, but you have a whole class of students who do want to learn, so what does this matter? Wrong! Teachers are inherently caring and want to reach every student that walks through their door and because of this we will always do our very best to reach out to that student and try to figure out what's going on.
Time to try and turn things around! Reflection plays a large part in this, firstly, to look at the current set up of the classroom and how you are delivering the content. Are all of these factors working for the whole class? Are there things that you could change to make the learning more accessible for a few?
Finding out what interests your students helps you to create bonds and allows teachers to incorporate these interests in their planning. Little hooks at the beginning of a class can make all the difference. Introduce topics with related videos and games where possible. Gain their interest from the offset and get them thinking using topics that are of interest to them.
Extend an olive branch, ask for their assistance in everyday classroom tasks. If they feel like they are a valued and trusted member of the classroom they will develop a sense of purpose.
If all else fails, take them aside and simply talk. Try and get to the root of the problem. We are all only humans at the end of the day who crave acceptance. It's a tricky path to walk for our students, school is a minefield. A quick chat can lead to a new beginning for both you and your student.
We’d love to hear about any teaching strategies that you use with your students. Please share what works well for you with @aquilaeducation on Twitter or Facebook.
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