In this article, you will see the list of Stimulus’s various techniques that teachers can use to promote success in the classroom.
A stimulus could be explained as anything that elicits a response. The stimulus can range from light and sound waves such as advertisements on TV to remarks by a friend. In the classroom situation, stimulus variation techniques refer to various forms of communication and activities that the teacher employs to elicit responses from pupils or students. These include;
Use of Gestures
Gestures are movements of the body, which serve as substitutes for speech. For example, pointing to a pupil, motioning to continue or to stop, and nodding the head to show approval. Gestures can be used to improve communication and manage a class, but they need to be clear and unambiguous. If they are to reduce the teachers talking.
Facial Expressions or Cues
These include a smile, a frown, and a serious or quizzical look. For example, a simple smile urges the student to have more interest in the lesson. It tells him/her how you feel towards him/her. Similarly, a frown, a stern or quizzical look at the pupil who is not paying attention or who is misbehaving in class, send a message about your dislike for what he or she is doing.
Voice Pitch
A teacher must speak loud enough to be heard by students in the classroom without yelling, shouting, or using too much energy. The teacher should therefore vary the tone of his or her voice and the rate of his or her speech to obtain the desired effect. A low pitch, weak voice, and slow rate of speech will make teachers’ lessons dull and boring. On the other hand, a high-pitched voice could be disturbing to students in the class as well as teachers and students in the adjacent classrooms.
Changing in Position
It is not helpful to carry out group activities and other activity-based lessons in a classroom where the desk is arranged in fixed rows. The teacher should therefore be able to change the positions according to the demand of the lesson. In a situation where the classroom furniture is free standing, they could be reshuffled to suit the nature of the activity to be performed. The classroom furniture could be arranged in a variety of ways to suit the particular activities or lessons to be performed. For example work, in a storytelling lesson, the furniture could be arranged in a horseshoe seating arrangement. In an examination, they could be arranged in simple rows; and in group work, groups can sit around desks.
Use teaching/ learning materials
Teaching and learning materials are used to support the teacher’s presentation and make lessons more meaningful to the learner. Teaching and learning materials include all the materials and equipment to be used by the teacher and students during the lesson.
For example real objects, models, pictures, charts, and diagrams are all teaching and learning materials.
