Keeping
Sleepy Students
Awake

One way to help sleepy students stay awake is to keep them active. Give him activities to do during those times of day when he is most prone to falling asleep. In fact, incorporating physical activity into your classroom is a good practice to follow with all your students. You might, for example, have students do stretching exercises, play Simon Says, take a bathroom break, or do such classroom errands as taking a message to the office. Tailor the activities to the student's behavior pattern. If, for example, she tends to fall asleep while watching videos, consider asking her to help operate the audio-visual equipment.

Another tip: Move the student from a desk where she might rest her head to a chair. Give her a clipboard or another hard surface to write on. Let her have her desk back when she tells you she is confident she can work without falling asleep.

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Ken Shore: The Classroom Problem Solver

09/14/2010