Introduction
It is a general belief that teachers are to serve as good role models to students. They are expected to train them, pamper them and nurture them to become a good fit for society. Let us see how to get students attention without yelling in this article.
Teachers Frustration
Teachers are constantly faced with frustrations from issues at school or in their homes. There are so many triggers that make a lot of them yell, with exception of those who have self-control. Some of them divert these frustrations to their students by yelling when they didn’t pay attention.
Records show that there is a decline in the attention of students during lectures. When their minds are stretched for a long time without a break for hours, they tend to lose focus.
Reasons Why Students Lose Focus
Here are some of the reasons why students lose focus. They are:
The class is boring:
The truth is, no one loves to be in a boring place. There is a popular belief that school is boring, as they keep on following the same routine every day. A teacher who comes to the class with his textbooks, and begins reading directly from his textbooks without any form of energy, or passion towards what he is teaching tends to lose the attention of his student. Teachers should try to make the class lively.
Difficulty in understanding what is taught:
There is a general belief that some courses are more difficult to understand than others. Some of these courses are Mathematics, Physics, and History amongst others. Some teachers simplify it in such a way that students fall in love with it. Teachers should try their best to simplify the course they are taking. This is the essence of the job. In situations where the teacher keeps reading without necessarily giving explanations, students might avoid attending such classes.
What Yelling Does?
Research has shown that students who are constantly being yelled at are likely to be stressed, anxious and face other behavioral problems. Highlighted below are some of the things yelling does to both the teachers and students.
Yelling causes pain:
Constant yelling can cause chronic conditions such as constant headaches, and back and neck problems amongst others.
It makes the teacher less of a role model:
The truth is no one likes a person who yells at every little thing. Humans love people they can always interact with, not one who yells at them always. A teacher who yells at their students continually might end up losing the trust of their students.
It gives you less respect:
Some teachers yell because they believe it makes students fear and respect them. It is the other way around. Yelling makes a teacher lose his / her respect. It only proves that the teacher has no control over his temperaments.
It makes students anxious:
Yelling changes the feel of a room. L.R Knost said, “Yelling silences your message, your words might be heard, but your words won’t be heard”. Teachers need to speak gently so that they can communicate with their students. The teacher-student relationship is important.
How do you capture students attention without yelling?
Be Clear and Loud but polite:
I had a lecturer whose teaching was in the form of ” whispers”. He was never bothered about whether the class followed his teachings or not. With time, students either miss class, sleep during their lessons or play games. The class was always disorganized. A teacher needs to command respect by earning it, make your teaching very clear, and try to be as loud as possible so everyone can follow. There’s a difference between clarity and yelling. Be loud but speak gently.
Be Patient:
Teachers need to be patient with their students. Patience is a very important virtue that a teacher should emulate. Teachers must try out new ways to help their students succeed, they should try not to yell at them when things don’t get done. Instead, give some more time or help them out. This will make them understand you better
Be creative:
Be creative, and view things from a different perspective. Do not keep on using the same methods for your teachings. Adopt new ideas. It captures the attention of your students and makes them eager to learn. Think of new ways of teaching. For example, you might decide to apply visual images to your teaching today, and the next time you might decide to try another method by spicing it up with games.
Adopt Game-playing in the classroom:
Games help increase student participation in class, foster learning and boost scores. Teachers can introduce games that will keep the student-focused. Examples are Word formation, word definition, Studying context or Charade activity. Think of a game that can drive home your teachings.
Try “Call” and “Response”:
While teaching, a teacher might pause and call on anyone to repeat the last sentence he made. This way, he was able to capture the attention of the student throughout his teaching. When teachers notice that the attention of students has begun to wane, they can use “call” and “response” to get their attention once again. This will make the students alert as they will never know who will be called upon next.
Keep the teachings Short:
This is very important. The attention span of an average student tends to wane with long teaching hours. Teachers must try to keep their teachings short and interesting. If possible, teachers can give breaks in between teachings so the student’s brain can be refreshed once again, and ready for a new intake of knowledge.
Peer-to-peer explanations:
Some of my classmates understand teachings better only when their fellow student explains them. Some students are believed to understand classroom works better when their peers explain it to them. After teaching, teachers can ask a student to explain the day’s work to their classmate. This way, they can easily recollect what was learnt.
Try Using Humor:
Generally, humans love to interact with people who have a great sense of humor. Students enjoy the lectures of a teacher who uses humor in between his teachings. Teachers can use a sarcastic tone at some point in their teaching.
Conclusion
Teachers need to learn how to manage and coordinate their students attention without yelling. They need to understand the value of “patience” in trying out new strategies until they find the one that works well for them.
Frequently Asked Question:
- What can I do about a student who never listens, and discourages others from listening?
Answer: After several warnings, such students can be excused from the classroom. Yelling is not an option, take other kind of action
- How can I stop myself from yelling?
Answer: Try to work on your self-control. Take in deep breaths and pauses and try to be calm. Yelling doesn’t solve all issues, it makes some issues worse.