Students of all ages need to be actively engaged in the learning process. Active methodology refers to physical activity but also mental. The younger the students, more physically active types of methods should be used. The older the students, more mentally active types of methods should be used. Where does that leave teenagers?
Teens have gotten to where the activity should be more mental with some physical. As students move into their teenage years, they still need some physically active methodology but not near so much of it as when younger.
Methodology Good to Use with Teens:
Physically active methods still matter, but need to be appropriate for teenagers. You may find teens complaining when you ask them to get up and move, but once they start, they’re usually good with it. Do not let their initial reactions keep you from incorporating these types of methods. They still need to be physically active in the learning process.
Since they are capable of going to higher levels of thinking, teens are at a point where they can learn with mentally active methodology.
Also think about using more group-oriented activities at this age level as peer becomes increasingly more important.
While you can incorporate some lecture into the lesson, you most certainly should keep it short and break it up with other activities.
You will find this article with a list of some of the methods that fit the above criteria for teens as a handout included in the Reaching All Age Levels Resource which includes other articles for all the age groups and PowerPoint slides to use as a group teacher training session.
Good morning, please I need the basic methods of teaching and engaging younger teenagers. How to get them involved and capture their minds, mood and full attention
Hello, Bukola. You referred to “engaging” teens. That is your guiding factor in choosing methods for them. What will engage them mentally and even physically? Any kind of discussion method that gets them verbally interacting will be engaging. Drama methodology will engage them physically. (Click on the link for help with those kinds of methods.)
To initially capture their attention, carefully plan the introduction to the lesson. Click on this link for articles that may help you with that: Getting and Keeping Students’ Attention To keep their attention, you need to go beyond methodology to helping them see the relevancy of what they’re learning to their lives. What will motivate them? Click on this link for articles that may help you with that: Motivating Students to Learn