Quiet! We don�t want a riot. 

 

Here�s a couple of articles on how to get silence in class. What worked - for a while - for me, was raising my hand and they all had to raise theirs.  There was often disapproval of the last pupil to raise their hand! 

 

Lynne  

Hello Lynne,

I�ve been a tutor for young teachers for years, and this is the biggest problem of all !

I teach in a junior high school ( pupils aged 11 to 15 ) , and I think I can say this school is quite "difficult" ( = poor area , families with loads of problems ; many pupils living with forster families because Dad is in  prison - or else ...These kinds of schools are called REP in France ..)

When there is too much noise , what works best for me is the following : I do not say a word ; I draw two columns with smileys  on the board : one with a  happy face , the other one with an angry face. The kids get the meaning at once ;-). If one behaves, I�ll write his/her name in the "happy" face column. On the contrary, if I write a name in the "angry face" column, one easily understands he/she�ll get into trouble. That�s what I�ve learned ( I�ve been teaching for so many years ;-)) : Do not add noise to noise. 

Have a nice weekend,

Val 

 

Hi Val,

Thanks for contributing your excellent system. I soooo agree! When I was doing my teacher training, shortly before the Punic Wars , an old hand gave me some excellent advice: Noisy teachers make noisy classes. 

Lynne  

I do exactly the same thing Val does and it works really well. 

It draws students� attention to their own behaviour and on how they can improve it. 

I�ve always done what Val says and it does work, right away. I have never written smilies, but I shut up and do not say a word, and they all seem not to feel comfortable with the teacher staring at them with her arms crossed and in complete silence. They know things are getting weird immediately...

Aisha ;)