{"id":829,"date":"2023-09-20T14:59:10","date_gmt":"2023-09-20T18:59:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/baldwin-clt-teaching-times\/?p=829"},"modified":"2023-09-20T14:59:10","modified_gmt":"2023-09-20T18:59:10","slug":"3-ways-to-keep-your-students-attention-by-matt-abrahams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/baldwin-clt-teaching-times\/teaching\/3-ways-to-keep-your-students-attention-by-matt-abrahams\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Ways to Keep Your Students\u2019 Attention\u00a0 by Matt Abrahams"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"MihirInsights from \u201c3 Ways to Keep Your Audience Focused During a Presentation<\/a>\u201d by Matt Abrahams<\/a>, lecturer in organizational behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business and author of Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You\u2019re Put on the Spot<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
 1. Find opportunities for physical engagement \u201cWhere the body goes, the brain will follow,\u201d says Abrahams. Anything that gets your students doing something with their bodies will create engagement. So whether you are teaching in person or virtually, think about how you can include physical engagement in your class\u2014and, of course, always consider your students with limited mobility. For example, you can have your class click something on their screens, raise their hands, or use virtual reactions. All of these require students to become participants in your communication, not just observers, says Abrahams. \u201cA simple invitation to \u2018Turn to the person next to you and greet them\u2019 or \u2018Read what is on the slide and share your thoughts\u2019 can get them involved,\u201d he says. Read more about physical engagement<\/strong><\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
 2. Foster consistent mental stimulation Our students have a lot on their minds<\/a>, so it\u2019s easy for them to zone out or multitask during class time. We must foster cognitive engagement to overcome this. Abrahams recommends these simple approaches: Ask questions throughout class.<\/strong> \u201cWhen you ask a question, people almost automatically start to consider their answer, thereby moving them from passive listening to active participation,\u201d he says.Incorporate provocative statements and data.<\/strong> \u201cProvocative statements or compelling data<\/a> ignite curiosity and encourage your audience to internally ask their own questions,\u201d he says. When introducing an idea to your class, try leading with a story that is personal or has engrossing details.Introduce smart analogies.<\/strong> \u201cAnalogies are where we compare what we know to what we don\u2019t know; in other words, we use the familiar to explain the unfamiliar,\u201d he says. \u201cInvoking analogies invites involvement by making us actively think.\u201d Just make sure to use analogies that your students can relate to or understand. Read more about the power of good storytelling<\/strong><\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
 3. Use compelling language Linguistic engagement is when you use inclusive words, language that conjures the past or future, and references to shared perspectives or experiences, says Abrahams. Let\u2019s examine all three: Inclusive wording<\/strong> means inviting people into your communication. \u201cFor instance, we\u2019re hardwired to perk up when we hear our own name, as well as when we hear the word \u2018you,\u2019\u201d says Abrahams. Mention students\u2019 names, \u201cand use phrases like \u2018As you know\u2026\u2019 or \u2018You may be wondering\u2026\u2019 or \u2018Today, you will learn\u2026\u2019\u201dTime-traveling language<\/strong> takes people from the present into the future or the past. \u201cYou can use phrases like \u2018Imagine\u2026\u2019 or \u2018What if you could\u2026\u2019 or \u2018Picture this\u2026\u2019 to take people into the future,\u201d says Abrahams. \u201c\u2018Remember when\u2026\u2019 or \u2018Think back to when\u2026\u2019 will take people into the past.\u201dShared experiences or beliefs<\/strong> create common ground with students. For instance, highlighting your own personal values<\/a> or referencing a past shared experience can draw students in, much like when you and your friends or family share old stories and jokes, says Abrahams. Read more about engaging students through language<\/strong><\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
 Combine these techniques for better engagement If you combine these three techniques in your classroom, it\u2019ll enhance their effect. Using polls<\/a> is a prime example, says Abrahams. \u201cPolling is a great way to get both brains and bodies involved with a triple-whammy of activity,\u201d he says. \u201cIt works with a poll question as simple as \u2018By show of hands, which of the following do you believe is the most important element of XYZ?\u2019 The synergy of the physical, mental, and linguistic engagement techniques deployed in this one question gets attendees out of neutral and in the flow with you.\u201d Abrahams notes that when polling, it\u2019s imperative to do the following: Tell your students how to respond (e.g., \u201cBy show of hands\u2026\u201d or \u201cType into the chat\u2026\u201d).Comment on the responses you get (e.g., \u201cThat\u2019s what I expected . . . about half of you,\u201d or \u201cWow, that is everyone\u201d). If you fail to comment, your class \u201cmight feel tricked into complying, or worse, that you did not care about the answer and were just using the poll as a gimmick.\u201d<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
 Conveying your message in the most compelling way Our work and our words are important; we\u2019re training the next generation of leaders. So we must make an effort to ensure that our teachings are not just heard, but also resonate. These physical, mental, and linguistic engagement techniques will help you gain your students\u2019 attention\u2014and sustain it.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Insights from \u201c3 Ways to Keep Your Audience Focused During a Presentation\u201d by Matt Abrahams, lecturer in organizational behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business and author of Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You\u2019re Put on the Spot  1. Find opportunities for physical engagement \u201cWhere the body goes, the brain will follow,\u201d says Abrahams. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":104,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-featured","category-teaching"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Kathryn Byrnes","author_link":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/baldwin-clt-teaching-times\/author\/kbyrnes\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/baldwin-clt-teaching-times\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/baldwin-clt-teaching-times\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/baldwin-clt-teaching-times\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/baldwin-clt-teaching-times\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/104"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/baldwin-clt-teaching-times\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=829"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/baldwin-clt-teaching-times\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/829\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/baldwin-clt-teaching-times\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/baldwin-clt-teaching-times\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/baldwin-clt-teaching-times\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}