Picture this:
You ask a question to the class, looking for a single student to answer. You call one of your more shy students. You are standing about 5 feet from them as they answer in their usual quiet voice. You can hear the student's response, but the students in the back are unable to hear the answer. Before you know it, you've lost their attention. This happens again and again in the classroom.
This can be avoided with reverse proximity.
The next time you ask a student to answer a question, start to walk away from them. It sounds crazy, but this causes students to naturally want to raise their voices! When you walk away, the student is no longer sharing the answer with just you, they are sharing the answer with the whole class-- which is what we want! If your students don't get the hint, tell them that you can't hear them. Try standing next to a student on the other side of the room, and say:
"(name of the student who answered), please repeat your response, (name of the student you're standing with) and I could not hear you very well from here."
Consider adding reverse proximity to your teaching toolbox!😄