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Attention-getting methods for beginning a lesson:
n Focus on the importance of the subject.
n Use startling statistics.
n Ask rhetorical questions. A rhetorical question is one you direct at the students but do
not really expect them to answer. (Have you ever . . . ? Can you imagine . . . ?)
n Use quotations.
A striking quotation will arouse interest, particularly one by a
well--known
person.
i Ask overhead questions. An overhead question is an interest-arousing question directed
to the entire class.
n Tell a story. A story is an interesting way of introducing a lesson, especially when it
relates to experiences students have had. While humor may be appropriate, don’t tell
irrelevant stories, jokes, or incidents that distract from the lesson.
All of these attention--getting devices are potentially useful during the lesson introduction.
However, decide which ones to use based solely on the subject and the students. Your primary
concern is to focus student attention on the subject. The introduction to a lesson, no matter
what form the lesson plan takes, must accomplish certain goals:
n Develop students’ interest.
n State the lesson objectives and their significance.
n Direct student thinking along desired lines.
n Outline the scope of the lesson.
n Show students the value of the subject matter.
n Explain the method or methods you will use.
n Let the students know what you expect of them.
After you have won the attention of the students, you must direct them to the subject of the
lesson.
LESSON PRESENTATION
To maintain student interest, do not read a lesson plan verbatim. Make sure you are
thoroughly familiar with the material you are presenting. Know your lesson plan as well as the
information in the references from which you will teach. To meet the specific objectives of the
lesson, you must know exactly what you are going to teach and how you are going to teach it.
Further, you must be careful not to overteach; that is, to provide extraneous information
merely because you are knowledgeable in a particular area.
Present the material in a logical sequence beginning with the known and moving to the
unknown. Although slight variations and excursions off the main line of a lesson can promote
interest, keep them to a minimum. During the presentation, one of the best motivators is the
use of training aids.
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