“Synchronized, real-time interaction is precious. It creates magic. We shouldn’t waste it on bureaucracy or displays of false control–it’s better saved for moments of connection and possibility.”
One of the things I like about attending meetings on Zoom is that we can introduce ourselves in the chat window instead of going to each person and doing it one at a time. I think this really saves a lot of time and allows the meeting to move into the “meat” of why we are meeting. I hate wasting time and many times I feel like I could skip the first 10 minutes of a meeting because they go around and introduce themselves. Everyone giving their location and job title in the chat really moves things along. Another way to get this information is by taking a poll. This keeps everyone engaged at the same time.
Recently I attended a webinar and the presenter started her presentation. The first presentation slide was jam-packed with bullet points and words. There were so many words that I could barely read because the font was so small. I confess that I inwardly groaned. Then she started to read every word off the slide and I instantly shut down. I also confess that I left the meeting. I did not want to waste 50 more minutes with this person if this is how she began the meeting because I didn’t see the rest of the time being any more productive.
I need to treat my students with the same kind of respect. Their time is as valuable as my time. Instead of expecting my students to sit there and just listen to everything I want to say, I need to get them engaged. I need to make sure they want to stay engaged.
I like to put students in teams and team members have different roles like a Leader, a Collector, a Reporter, a Closer. I don’t want to waste precious class time taking care of attendance or collecting homework. The team leader can tell me if everyone in their group is there or who is absent. The collector can collect homework for the group and put it in a designated folder for me. I can also have the collector pick up materials to give to the team. During the lesson, the reporter can fill out any forms to turn in or prepare a presentation share. Before the class ends, I can have the Closer collect materials and put them back in a designated area. This cuts out a lot of wasted time.
One way to get my students engaged is by hooking them into the lesson. I want them to ask questions and want to know more. I want them to feel they have some control over what information we can find out. I want them to feel like the lesson is worth learning and not a waste of time because my students don’t have the option of leaving the class. They can mentally shut down and still be physically there but that will end up being frustrating for both of them. I need to make sure that this real-time interaction is meaningful to them.
How do you avoid wasting time in your class? Please share.
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
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