7 ways to capture and hold their attention
Photo from Photos.comA second-grade teacher once gave a marvelous lesson on the Eucharist. Sadly, it was wasted on half the children because they continued to work on an activity sheet distributed before class. As this teacher soon learned, it is imperative to have the children’s attention during a lesson. Here are seven ways to accomplish this.
1. When beginning a lesson, insist that desks are cleared and all eyes are on you or on the current task. Make sure you can see the children’s hands. Don’t distribute materials until it is time to use them.
2. Only speak when the room is completely silent. Never try to talk over the children’s voices. Give directions only once, briefly and clearly. Ask questions only once too.
3. Plan intriguing lessons that fascinate the children so they aren’t tempted to do other things. This requires careful preparation. A catechist who cares plans carefully. In your lessons, weave in news items, parish events, and happenings in the students’ lives. That will make the class relevant. Tell personal stories and give examples. Include at least one activity the children will consider fun.
4. Vary the activities in the lesson, remembering that children’s attention spans are short. A rule of thumb is that children’s ages match their attention spans. For instance, a 5-year-old has a five-minute attention span. Also, different learning styles need different types of activities.
5. Throw in surprises. Award special prizes; celebrate odd events such as “reaching page 100;” spring something unexpected on the students: a magic trick, a joke, or a guest speaker. And show enthusiasm for the subject, for it is contagious.
6. Involve the students in the lesson. Never do things for them that they can do. For example, let them write on the board, read material, summarize a lesson, and give reports. As the book is read, have the students underline, star, and number concepts. Let them do group work, “buddy study,” or simply turn to a partner to answer a question.
7. Keep the lesson moving. Maintain a sure, brisk pace and don’t let your voice put the children to sleep. Make quick transitions between activities, allowing no time for students to get into trouble. Again, this calls for good preparation. It also means having your materials organized and ready to use. Otherwise, while you are fumbling for a page, Joey is gluing together the pages of someone’s book. Set goals and time limits. For example, “See if you can answer all ten questions in five minutes.”
When Jesus the Master Teacher taught, people hung on his words. They even went without eating! You teach in the name of Jesus and with his mandate. You may not be as impressive as he was, but with time and effort you will be able to hold your class’ attention for an hour or so.
is a pastoral associate at St. Dominic Parish in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Her latest books are Teaching Catechists to Pray and The Catholic Way to Pray (Twenty-Third Publications). Her website is sisterkathleen.com
