You have had it happen more times than you would like. There you are preaching away to a room full of students, when all-of-a-sudden, there is a group of three students to your right who are completely disconnected from your message and carrying on a mini-conversation of their own. You feel your blood begin to boil. Not only are they distracting each other, they are begging to distract those around them. What do you do?
Recently, I was having this coaching discussion with a couple of speakers. We were giving feedback regarding a talk that had been given by one if them, and brainstorming some different ways of handling the "distracting student" situation. Here are three different techniques we discussed:
1. Awkward Eye Contact
Make direct eye contact with the student(s) who are being distracting. Speak directly to them for an uncomfortable, awkwardly-extended period of time.
2. Involve them.
Ask them a direct question requiring their input and feedback. This should pull them into the discussion. If they are completely disengaged with the topic at hand, there will be a tinge of embarrassment involved and you will have positive peer-pressure working in your favor.
3. Call them out.
If implementing the first two ideas doesn't work, call them out directly for the distraction they are causing the rest of the group.
How do you involve students who are distracted during your talk?
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