Students
make judgments about teacher effectiveness based on how well the teacher
manages student noise in classroom contexts like openings, transitions, instruction,
and questions. I have interviewed many
junior high and high school students who have had my student teachers. I ask them, “Is this student teacher going
to be a good teacher?” If they say “No,”
the first thing they mention is noise
management. “It’s too noisy in
here.” “He doesn’t stop kids from
talking when they should be paying attention.” The first topic that student
teacher supervisors mention in assessing effectiveness is the student teacher’s
ability to effectively manage student talking. Experienced classroom students
and their effective teachers recognize that there are appropriate student noise
levels for each session context. Novice teachers have a harder time knowing
when “a little noise” is going to cause “more noise” later and how to get it
under control. Let’s take a look at
individual student, small group and large group talking during critical
contexts and episodes.
There
are several dimensions to student(s) talking in class.
• What
is the teacher trying to do?
• When
in the class session is the talking happening?
• How
many students are talking?
• What
is the talking about?
• How
loud is the talking?
Pre-Instruction
In
the Pre-Instruction context, you can
expect students to talk with each other in a conversational tone of voice as
they come into the classroom and get seated.
The teacher might even be talking with some of them. What the students talk about together is up
to them. You would like the topics to be
about what is needed for class and assignments, but that is a long shot. Some teachers have a regular daily activity
for students, once they are in the room and in their seat. Daily Oral Language activities come to mind
or science “teaser” questions on the board.
A math challenge will work. I
have seen teachers post a “vocabulary word of the day” with definition and
usage example. These are accumulated in a folder. The teacher and students
“over use” the word during the class session. If students get too loud in this
context, the noise level needs to be lowered.
Telling individual students to lower their tone of voice does this.
Students expect this and look for it. Do
it in a businesslike tone of voice.
Session Openings
The
bell signals the end to the Pre-Instruction context and should be the signal to
students to start listening. If the
teacher is ready to open the class, they can take advantage of the bell signal
to say something like “That was the bell. You need to be in your seats and
ready to start class.” Then you start
your opening. This opening
routine should become a habit. The
teacher’s verbal and nonverbal behaviors signal the expectation to stop
talking, pay attention and start the session. When you are opening the session
everyone should be quiet and listening.
If they are not, then you wait 5-15 seconds max, stare at the offenders,
use names, but stay in front of the class, scanning the class and expecting
quiet. I have known teachers to say “
The longer it takes you to get ready, the less time you will have at the end of
class to visit quietly with each other. John, lets get ready.”
During Instruction
The
most serious talking problem is when students continue talking to each other
while the teacher is talking or instructing. Effective teachers often
continue what they are doing but walk near the offending students. This usually works. Quietly remind them that “The rule in this
classroom is that when I am talking, you should be listening. It’s time to listen, so you will better
understand what we are doing.” This should be done quietly, in a businesslike
tone of voice and with direct eye contact. You aren’t smiling. You are all business. If this has no effect,
then you ask them to stop by your desk on the way out of class. You could try this. Go up to the student’s desk and say the
following in a very quiet understated tone.
“If you won’t listen, then I will have to move you. This is the
warning. You make the choice on your
behavior. Now you know the next
consequence. If I move you, I call your
parents. If they don’t care, then
someone in ISS will. You are good
students. Make good choices. Do you understand?” No smile. All business.
Glare.
When
you are talking, or another student is asking or answering a question, everyone
else should be quiet. This HAS to be
enforced until it becomes a habit. If a
student does not get quiet, you can insist on a Post-Instruction conference with something like “Bill, stop by my
desk before you leave class.” If your
get pressed on why, just say, “You aren’t listening when you should be.” “You are talking when I am talking. Start making better choices or I will call
your parents.”
During Transitions
Some
student noise or talk during a transition
between activities is fine as long as they are accomplishing the transition
in a reasonable amount of time. Whatever
talking occurs should be conversational in tone and related to executing the
transition. You should monitor the
students most likely to not cooperate.
Start the transition near them. They will feel more accountable to you.
Classroom Discussions
The
teacher calling on students who raise their hands manages effective student
discussions. Recognize hands. If someone is not raising their hand and is
calling out answers, then you say, “Until you raise your hand, nobody
recognizes you and I don’t call on you.
Simple rule. Easy to follow. Nothing-new here. You are seniors.”
Small Group
Instruction/Labs
There
is usually talking in small groups. It’s
the content and volume that is the issue. After you have put the students in
their groups, given them directions (write them out) and asked for questions,
circulate around the room stopping at each group. Do this at least twice early
in the session. Quiet down the noisy
groups with your proximity and something like “Your group is too noisy. You need to quiet down so others can
work.” Stare at the noisiest kid. He or she will get the message and the others
won’t feel picked on.
Closing the Session
I
regularly used the class session closing
to comment on student behavior during the session. “You did a good job of paying attention
today. I know this is not your only
class and the topic was difficult. Thank
you.” I let them talk quietly among
themselves in their seats. I tried to
leave a few minutes at the end of class for this. This visit time was always after my closing
and depended on the cooperation of the class during the session.
Foul Language in the
Classroom
No
swearing. No name-calling. Once it gets started and seems OK, it is hard
to stop. You hear someone swear. Don’t ignore it. Stop everything. Walk up to the student and say very quietly “I
decide what is swearing. You were
swearing. The consequences are
detentions. Stop by my desk after
class.” At your desk you say, “I don’t like that word. I don’t like it in here because not everybody
wants to hear it and its offensive to some students. I am responsible for
everyone. Consider yourself warned,
OK?” Expect to see a nod or hear a “Yes.”
I sometimes insist on an apology to
me. “Now, I want to hear an apology and
I want it to be sincere.” I had a
student teacher who asked me what to do when a student called her a “white
bitch.” I said, you should have stopped
everything and asked, “Are you talking to me?”
If the answer is “yes” then you say, “I thought so, but I wanted to make
sure.” You send another student to the
main office to get a disciplinarian who takes the student out of the
class. Then you look at the rest or the
class and say, “No way I have to listen to or you need to hear what was just
said. He does not come back into this
classroom until he apologizes to me in front of you.” Make it stick. It will never happen again. You get the
respect that you insist on. They have
enough friends. They don’t need any more
friends. They need successful adult role
models.
Classroom Tests
During
a classroom test nobody should be
talking. If a student has a question,
then they should raise their hand and wait for you to come to their desk. A classroom test context should be stone cold
quiet except for questions asked by students.
You say this in the opening, “If you have a question, raise your hand
and I will come to your desk to answer it.”
Students With
Attention and Hyperactive Challenges
Students
with ADD or any kind of impulse disorder have a hard time in conventional
50-minute classroom sessions. They
sometimes shout out information that has nothing to do with the lesson. This can be very disruptive in a classroom
filled with 25-30 students trying to listen or contribute. Make sure you understand if any meds are being
taken or have been missed. Speaking to the student in advance of
beginning a session or activity insures that they know what is expected. I have recorded lessons and given the
recording to the student. If another
teacher has had the student, talk with them about what verbal commands worked
with the student. Talking with the
parents will be appreciated. They see
the same behavior at home and may have suggestions. The student may have an IEP that includes
suggestions. These are never easy
situations. Never bring up the topic of
medications with the student. Ask the
counselor, parent, nurse, but never the student.
How You Are Addressed
by Students
Calling
you by your first name or something way too familiar is trouble. Don’t yell, but be dead serious. You say, “Come here. What’s this Doug stuff? My name is Mr. Brooks. Is there any confusion about my name? Yes or No?
Never again."
Overhearing Topics of
Serious Concern
Now
and again you will hear students talking about something too dangerous to
ignore. Don’t ignore it. Take whatever action is necessary. If it’s drugs, bullying, breaking the law,
sex, a knife or gun, a plan to do something wrong, cheating, other teachers,
problems at home, problems with boy or girl friends, abuse or whatever. Arrange to meet with the student and other
appropriate school personnel. If they
come to you for advice then listen, advise or get them to someone who can help
them.
In
closing, controlling student talking is about knowing how much and how loud the
talking should be in the particular context of your classroom session. Effective classroom managers know how to
listen for the volume levels and types of student talking. They decide what to do based on what they are
trying to accomplish when it is happening.
Dr. Douglas Brooks is a Professor in the Department of Teacher Education in the School of Education, Health and Society at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in classroom management.