Engaging students in the classroom is one of the most tedious tasks.
Most of the time, students start feeling bored or get distracted due to 'n' number of reasons in the classroom.
If you are a teacher, then you must have witnessed several such situations around you.
But, have you ever thought about the ways to engage them?
Well, there are several reasons why students are not at all actively participating in the classroom. If you try to work on the root cause of their engagement, then you can witness amazing results.
But, the HOW remains the same?
Have you ever heard about brainstorming? Or how it can be used in the classroom to revitalize the interest of students in the classroom?
Either you have a bit idea about it or you are completely unaware of it, just stay glued to this blog till the end and see what brainstorming has in store for your classroom?
So, without delaying much let's have a deeper insight into it.
What is brainstorming?
Before knowing how to implement brainstorming in the classroom, it is very essential to have a thorough idea about this method.
If you are well-versed with it then only you can implement it in the classroom for the betterment of the students.
Brainstorming is a strategy in which you give a topic or a title to the students in which they are asked to present their point of view.
By doing this, you engage all the students in the classroom or at least get maximum participation from the students.
This will allow the students to put forward their thought processes or the ideas in front of the class that would otherwise have been impossible.
When you perform such a technique in the classroom then most of the students will find it interesting and innovative which will help them actively engage with it.
Keep on reading further to drill down more into it!!
Types of brainstorming
Brainstorming is not something rigid that should be performed in a specific way. There are two major types of brainstorming that you can use in your classroom.
Once you have a clear understanding of both of them then only you can understand which one is best suited for your classroom needs.
1. Traditional brainstorming
In traditional brainstorming, you can gather all the students in a room and ask them to put forward their ideas regarding the topic given.
Ask the students to not fall prey to any judgments of what others will think about their idea.
The major reason why students feel uncomfortable coming out of their shells is the fear of being judged.
You should encourage them to think that no matter what their ideas are they should always express them because there is nothing like right or wrong in the ideas.
2. Advanced brainstorming
Advanced brainstorming is an extension of traditional brainstorming.
In this approach, you use the technique of brainstorming but in addition to that, you use it in a very effective and easier manner.
Like, you can make use of technology to make it more creative. This will make the students feel more comfortable and they can easily put forward their ideas.
To implement this approach in your classroom, you can use any brainstorming software or use any recording or simulation ideas for the same.
You can use the type of brainstorming technique that you find easier to use with the students.
Because only you know the exact analysis of the learning level of the students. So, make a judicious decision while choosing the type of approach that you will follow.
How to implement brainstorming in the classroom?
Now comes the section that you have been eagerly waiting for. After, having an understanding of the brainstorming, it's time to put it into reality for your classroom.
You can follow these easy steps to implement this technique in your classroom.
Step 1: The very first step to using brainstorming involves the formation of a small group of students.
You should make small groups and allot a particular topic to each group in the classroom.
While making the groups, make sure that they are neither too big nor too small. A medium-sized group is best preferred for this activity to successfully take place.
Step 2: Now, being the head of each group, you should ask every group to discuss the allotted topic without criticizing anyone.
For example, you allot a topic “Is Internet Boon Or Bane?” to one group.
Now, you should teach the students to come up with their thoughts about the topic.
Everyone in the group should understand others' opinions without making fun of them or criticizing them.
This will not only boost the morale of the students. But, they will also get an opportunity to understand what others think and how they process their thoughts.
In this whole process, you will see that some students will even come up with out-of-the-box ideas that will put you awestruck.
These ideas will eventually help every person in the group and they get room to learn from each other. This will even build the teamwork skills that will help them in the long run.
Step 3: It’s time that you should take the feedback from the students and welcome their ideas. Don’t judge anyone based upon their ideas because it can lead to disastrous results.
This can even make the students reluctant to be a part of any such activity in the future.
By using this easy-to-follow approach, you can use the brainstorming in your classroom and see how it brainstorms the students around you with phenomenal results.
Advantages of using brainstorming
You must be wondering, you have gone through every bit of this technique. But, does it show any results?
This is a major concern that every teacher will face before implementing this in the classroom.
To shoo away your worries on this aspect, we have come up with some of the advantages that brainstorming has in store for your students.
1. Brainstorming helps in motivating the students to take part in classroom activities
2. It gives them a room for creativity and innovation so they can know their maximum potential
3. Once students get involved with the activity, they develop an uninterrupted focus for the tasks
4. It allows the students to take the ownership of their ideas and proudly speak in front of everyone without any hesitation
5. It is very efficient and easy to follow the approach that keeps the students aligned with the work
Final Thoughts
Brainstorming is an amazing technique to be followed in the classroom.
Once you start using it and see its results, there is no going back either for you or for the students.
It will immensely help the students with their studies and you will also find it interesting to implement in your class.
Do write us in the comment section about what you feel about it!!
ALL THE BEST!
