3 Ways to Keep Students Motivated During the Holidays

As unbelievable as it may be, the holidays are upon us (is summer really over?!) and that means keeping your students engaged is going to become a struggle.

1. Don’t lecture. Keeping your students attention at this time is going to be very difficult and standing in front of them lecturing isn’t going to do anyone any good. To avoid this, have your students do one-on-one activities, conduct experiments, play games, etc. This will require that they participate and pay attention. It will also be easier for you to ensure they are remaining active and alert, which is harder to gauge when you’re standing at the front of the room talking at them. It is also a great way to identify those students who do not participate.
2. Take advantage of technology. Blogs, wiki pages, and other online classroom tools are meant to make staying in constant contact with your students easier. Use these tools to make sure your students are keeping their minds active over the breaks, especially with their writing. Student writing skills have been on a sharp decline since texting, emailing and social media have begun to take over how this generation communicates. Give them short writing assignments on easy topics (i.e., their favorite course at Thanksgiving, a story about their favorite winter sport, what they love most about the holidays) and have them submit it via the web to an online learning platform. They might have fun reading each other’s posts and it will keep them writing, even if the topic isn’t entirely educational.
3. “I’m watching you.” Check in with your students frequently. Don’t allow them to slack off and get behind at all. If you notice someone is not handing in their assignments or is participating less, take them aside and ask them what challenges they are facing. By letting your students know that you notice when they are disengaged, as opposed to letting them coast along, they are more likely to step up, participate, and finish the year strong.