Teachers Guide – Handle Absent Minded Students in Classroom

Absent minded students in classroom are of a great concern for teachers as well as parents. Such students find it difficult to score high in exams and this behavior also affects their work life in the longer term. However, removing this habit of absent-minded students is possible by using some strategies.

What is Absent-Mindedness?

Lack of attention in a classroom is termed as absent-mindedness. Either this means that the student is interested in something happening outside the classroom or he is not taking any interest in the classroom activities. There are a number of ways through which absent mind students can be handled. Some of them are discussed below:

• Make the student realize the importance of lecture

A student will never be encouraged to pay attention in the class lecture until he realizes the importance of it. Starting a lecture all of a sudden is one of the biggest mistakes done by teachers. It is therefore imperative to discuss the importance of lecture before starting it. For instance, letting the students know about the benefits of gardening will let them pay more attention in the gardening lecture.

• Positive reinforcement

Another great strategy is to use positive reinforcement. The term “positive reinforcement” is used to describe rewards that can compel a student to take a positive action in future. For instance, teachers can give rewards to students who pay attention during the class lecture. This reward can be in shape of extra marks, a small gift or just words of appreciation in front of the class.

• Giving individual attention

In comparison to those students who actively participate in every class activity, absent minded students need more attention. Teachers should therefore pay individual attention to such students. Asking random questions in between lectures is one way to let the students participate in the lecture. Besides this, teachers can arrange surprise quiz competitions to let the students know that their active participation matters in the class.

In short, dealing with absent minded students in classroom is not that difficult. However, if proper attention is not given to such students from the primary level, they will eventually develop a habit of being absent minded in classroom, which will affect their higher studies. Creating an appealing learning environment, letting the students enjoy what they learn and developing a friendly relationship with them are some strategies to remove this habit.

Check out this video as an example of Positive reinforcement.

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