You Gotta Have a Gimmick!

 Sometimes students just arent interested in listening or learning. So what do you as a teacher do?

- Figure out what students want to know and find out how to work that into the curriculum (Vantiy, thy name is  student), often they want real life examples that relate to them.
Big word of the day -> anthropocentric......okay not really but any way....

Livingston and Darwin

- Get a Gimmick! Find an odd way to teach, use prop, get a costume. Anything that will draw their attention! Try a Dr. Holtman approach and walk in with a black bag, and keep pretending like you are going to open, but never actually do. OR find a cute gimmicking song about the topic, like the photosynthesis song. If you are teaching evolution maybe come in a with stuffed dog (HMS Beagle) and a beard (Charles Darwin)

- Use technology. Make them write blogs or take cellphone pics of objects that they have seen outside of class that relates to the subject. This is relatively easy in Biology but i think learners might have a problem with taking a picture of grammar...but then again think out of the box (PCK all the way :P)

- Use controversial issues to draw them into a debate about the topic i.e. religion and science, viruses and sexual health etc.

- Try to find examples that are local, subrban or provincial. Often examples given are not tangebile to the student and they don't understand the concept.

Personally my favourite is get a gimmick, both the students and teacher have a great amount of fun!! I'l let these.........dancers, yes, dancers explain it better...