Articles: How to Keep the Class Interactive and Interesting

Every presenter has found him or herself in situations when the energy of the group begins to lag. People lose interest, don't ask questions or volunteer answers, and even start to fall asleep. Try the following:

1. Get people moving. Have them stand up. Or ask them to change places with someone else in the room. Ask them to stretch.

2. Take a short break. Even a five-minute intermission can break the mood and enliven things.

3. Let them talk to each other. Put the participants in small groups to talk over what you've said, or to answer specific questions you supply. Or ask them to pick a partner and discuss common experiences or find answers to a problem, and be ready to report back to others.

4. Ask people to raise their hands. For some reason, people like to raise their hands! For example, ask, "Raise your hand if this has been an issue that you have had to deal with on the job." Then call on the person who has raised his or her hand.

5. Move around more. Walk through the audience, stand next to a participant and look him or her in the eye. Deliver your talk from the back of the room instead of the front.

6. Ask people to rate something on a scale of 1 to 10. Ask individuals to assess something and give it a number. For example, "If one is terrible and ten is perfect, what is the number you'd give to the quality of our service to customers right now?" This gets people curious about what others will say, and may lead into an interesting discussion.

7. Ask specific individuals a tough question, or ask them to demonstrate something in front of the group. People love to see one of their own "in the spotlight." Just make sure that you have chosen the right volunteer, one who wouldn't mind the attention.

8. Tell a joke or a story. Everyone likes to laugh, and we all can appreciate a well-told story. Experienced presenters usually have a few jokes or stories on hand, ready for emergencies.

9. Change your agenda. If things start to drag, don't be afraid to move to another topic. To be safe, ask the group if they would like to discuss another topic, or ask them which topic they would like to discuss.

10. Acknowledge the low energy and ask the group what to do. This works best with a small, cooperative group, or one you know well. For example, "Well, it seems like this isn't the most exciting part of the day to everybody. What issues would you all like to focus on instead?"