Many people I meet in staff development are pressed for time because they have multiple duties to complete as well as the teaching aspect of their jobs. To me, a great educator is always looking for ways to improve his or her teaching effectiveness, even if it is a small part of the job. This does not have to take hours or days to accomplish. Many people tell me they can only do a content dump to learners because it is the only way they can teach a large amount of information in a short amount of time. The problem with this perspective is that if the learners' active attention is no longer there, they will not be able to recall the data given to them in an unchanged lecture format. They will miss important information and will tell us later, "You never taught me that." "I didn't hear that." or "I didn't learn that." We may be able to point out, in an outline, where we said it to them, but they missed it completely. Therefore, they must be alert to have a chance at retaining the content we offer.

This month I would like to offer another one of my ideas to refocus and regain learners' attention at intervals when you are teaching. What this activity requires is for the educator quickly to think up about four true or false content questions based on what has been taught up to that point in class. Once you have created these questions, you can reuse them every time you teach the class. These few minutes invested can create benefits for months to come. The activity requires no other props except the chairs in which people are already sitting.

This refocuser is called an aerobic quiz. Have the participants position their chairs against a wall or firm surface, such as a table. Include yourself in this process by positioning your chair. (If the chairs are bolted to the floor, as in an auditorium, this step is not necessary.) Ask the participants to stand with the back of their legs touching the front of the chair they are to sit in. Explain to them that you will soon ask some true/ false questions. If the answer for them is yes, or true, they are to touch their posterior to the chair and then quickly stand again. If the answer is no, or false, they are to remain standing. Begin with a sample questions, such as, "Is your heart beating?" to make sure that everyone understands your directions. If they understand, they will touch the chairs and then stand again. Once you feel confident they are following your directions, quickly ask your four true or false content questions. This will serve as a reinforcement of the material, allowing you to see if the learners are answering correctly.

Once this activity is over, the audience is smiling, awake, and rejuvenated. What a great way to review in a high-energy fashion! Give it a try the next time you see heads bobbing or blank stares in your class. It can change the pace and energy of the group in only 1 to 2 minutes and can ensure that they will remember that section and never again say, "You didn't teach us that!"

Good luck and enjoy the smiles!