Class discussions prompt students to listen to another's point of view and adjust their thinking accordingly. Research has demonstrated that engaging students in the learning process increases their attention and focus, motivates them to practice higher-level critical thinking skills and promotes meaningful learning experiences. Teachers who adopt a student-centered approach to instruction increase opportunities for student engagement, which then helps students more successfully achieve the course’s learning objectives.

There are so many different ways to get students’ attention because there are so many different types of students. However, here are a few ways that can really make a difference in the class.

#1: Assess Students’ prior knowledge

This could be as simple as asking students, “What do you know about (topic)?” and writing their responses on the board. In classroom, students' prior knowledge is a key factor in students overall achievement and performances. When students have prior knowledge about a topic, they are able to make connections to new content more easily, and can understand and remember information more successfully. Both the teacher and the students benefit when teachers assess their students' prior knowledge. Teachers are able to form instruction based on what students know and need to know, and students learn what is necessary to succeed.

#2: Learn Students’ Names

Students will be more engaged if they believe that the teacher perceive them as individuals, rather than as anonymous members of a group. A teacher that doesn't take the time to learn their students’ names is often perceived as disinterested and unapproachable. By calling on a student by name, it gives the impression that the teacher cares about their success and develops a sense of trust. It also has an effect on student interactions. Knowing the names of peers by either activities in which they learn each other’s names or by hearing the teacher address them promotes interaction between students. Calling students by name communicates respect, helps them feel recognized as individuals, and helps to draw out and include shy students in class discussions. 

#3: Effectively Communicate with Visual Aids

Most students need something to focus their eyes on (besides the teacher) when they are trying to learn a new concept. The use of visual aids (e.g., pictures, animation videos, projectors and films) is a motivational tool in enhancing students’ attention in the classroom. The teacher use different approaches and substantial to teach their students and their active learning. Visual aids arouse the interest of learners and help the teachers to explain the concepts easily. Visual aids are those instructional aids which are used in the classroom to encourage students learning process.

#4: Divide Your Class into Groups

Small-group discussions of developing strategy can be effective way to provide reflective learners and shy students a means ideas that they can then contribute to the class discussion. Especially good when reviewing before a test: divide the class into groups and give each group a topic. Set some guidelines and then let them teach each other. Groups of students with mixed learning styles promote greater collaboration.

Group work can be an effective method to motivate students, encourage active learning, and develop key critical-thinking, communication, and decision-making skills. 

#5: Listen and Respond Appropriately

Give students 5-10 seconds to think and formulate a response. Be comfortable with silence! Eventually someone will speak up. There are many ways to hint to students that their initial answer might not be quite right without making them feel like they made a mistake. Make eye contact with students while they are speaking, and also use eye contact to encourage the quiet students. You will probably have several talkative students who tend to dominate the conversation so try to draw others in by asking them what they think. You may also need to gently ask the more vocal students to hold back occasionally to let other people have an opportunity to speak.

#6: Teach with technology

The term “technology” refers to advancements in the methods and tools we use to solve problems or achieve a goal. However, it can be challenging to select the “best” tech tools for student learning. When technology integration in the classroom is seamless and thoughtful, students not only become more engaged, they begin to take more control over their own learning, too. In the classroom, technology can encompass all kinds of tools from low-tech pencil, paper, and chalkboard, to the use of presentation software, or high-tech tablets, online collaboration and conferencing tools, and more. The newest technologies allow us to try things in physical and virtual classrooms that were not possible before. What you use depends fundamentally on what you are trying to accomplish.

#7: Debrief

The act of debriefing means to carefully examine and analyze upon completion, providing succinctness and summary of learning. Once class is over, review which students actively participated in the classroom. Consider if there are students who need more encouragement to interact in future classes, and make a point to draw them into the discussion in the next class. This can be done by asking them a direct question or in the case of extremely shy students, mentioning to them before or after class that you’d like to hear what they have to say. These routines not only ask students to summarize and justify what they have learned, but also to explore new topics and raise additional questions from what occurred during their classroom experience.



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