I had this problem happen at the beginning of my first year of teaching. I found that the easiest way to fix this problem was to constantly monitor the class. Walking around the room, constantly reminding students how important it was to pay attention. I also realized that maybe if I got them up out of their seats more during class it would wake students up and encourage them to pay attention. They will not know if I am going to call on them to complete a problem on the board. I also found that using stations during class gets students more interested and involved and it is hard for them to put their head down.

If Mrs. Will feels that she has produced an active class that would prevent this student from being bored, she should be concerned about what's going on when this student is not at school. I have had this problem before. I would suggest a parent meeting. In the parent meeting I had, we found that the student had been playing on his cell phone and computer until late. After our meeting, the mother took away the cell phone and the computer. It was life changing for this student in class, all of a sudden I was able to look into his eyes during class, instead of the top of his head.

Dr. Unal, I believe effective teaching comes from actively engaging students within the classroom environment. Sleeping is not necessarily a behavior issue, but a teaching issue. Students today live in a world of instant gratification... If they are not having fun or seeing reward, they will be bored. If you truly believe you are doing all you can, I would talk to the student... At this point in the semester, Mrs. Will should already have a relationship with this student. (After all, relationships ARE the forefront of effective teaching) We never know where our students come from before school or where they go after school... There could be a legitimate concern that you should (have to, as defined by the Ga Code of Ethics) investigate into.

Mrs. Will could do more group based instruction or station teaching. The group instruction should have assigned task for each member so they will all be involved in the learning process. During station teaching, students are continuously moving which keeps them active in the learning as well.

Keeping the students active and engaged as much as you can throughout the day is key! I have discovered that "brain breaks" are a way to help my kids wake up and get refreshed. Let's face it, school days can be long days sometimes and we all have those days where we could just fall asleep. However, I discovered a website called GoNoodle (www.gonoodle.com). My kids love it! There are many different brain break activities and the class earns points each time they participate. This has kept a lot of my "sleepy" students awake!

If students are falling asleep then I agree they are not grasping the content that is being taught. Mrs. Will should add music and stimulation into her classroom. Kagen strategies really help keep the student active and participating. I would suggest "numbered heads together" where the students discuss at their tables the answers and have to defend their answers to each other and come up with one answer that will represent the entire group. This keeps each student awake and on their toes.

One option Mrs. Will could try is to do more interactive teaching with the students. She could teach for only a few minutes then have students turn and talk or complete a problem independently on individual whiteboards. Mrs. Will could then teach a little more and have all students participate in some way again. This option would also be great for formative assessment.

One obvious way to keep them awake is to keep them moving. Even as an adult, if I sit for very long listening to a lecture or lesson I begin to drift away in thought or get very sleepy. My students struggle with this because of their home lives and the lack of sleep that they get. I have to ensure I am up moving regularly with them even if it means doing some jumping jacks to get them moving!

Students fall asleep from time to time in class. The teacher having to be an "entertainer" is not the solution. Lessons do need to be engaging but sometimes students need to move around. I have seen very few students fall asleep standing up. If a student falls asleep Mrs. Will needs to instruct the student to stand in the back of the room and take notes while standing. This is an approach she may try.

I have seen this first hand and having an active teaching routine is very important. Be moving and walking while encouraging good work. I also found that if it becomes difficult for the child to stay awake, a quick drink of cold water will perk them up!

I have been lucky to have a classroom that has counters along with tables and desks. With the permission of my principal, I require those students who want to sleep in class to complete their assignments at the counter without a stool. The counter is high enough to allow students to complete work there without sitting down. Most of my students detest this option, and it keeps them awake.

keeping the students engaged in what is happening is a big key to keep students active and awake. if they keep falling asleep pull the individual student aside and see what is happening with there personal life. might be more then just the school activity

Depending on the time of day this student is falling asleep there are different things you could do. If it's at the start of the day, I would suggest a parent conference or phone call to discuss what is the student's nightly routine to ensure they're getting enough sleep. If it's in the middle or end of the day maybe their brain is tired and they need a brain brake. To help with this have the student do a physical activity at the beginning of each class. For example you can have them pass out paper, take attendance, check to make sure everyone wrote down the homework, run an errand, or just walk to get water and back. By giving them that little "brain break" maybe it will help him stay awake and engaged in the class.