HOW TO MANAGE ANNOYING CLASSROOM DISTRACTIONS

As a new teacher, you may find that some of your lesson plans which were perfectly fine may not go as smoothly as you thought. Classroom management is probably why there are disruptions, and it may be easy for a new teacher to panic, but there are some easy changes you can make to your class to ensure that next time, things go more or less exactly how you planned them.

You may need to re-arrange the classroom a little bit. A disruptive child next to other disruptive children is a combination that will no doubt lead to rowdy behaviour. Design a seating chart to neutralise any classroom’s social dynamics which may make things easier to teach.

Remember that even though you may have been up all night planning your lesson so that you think it is flawless, nothing is set in stone, so don’t be upset if you have to stop your lesson because of disruptive behaviour suddenly. Don’t be afraid to take a few minutes out because it does not show a sign of weakness. Observe what is going on in the classroom and try and identify what is causing the bad behaviour. Where is it originating? If you find this out, then you will be able to tackle the problem from its source.

Don’t be afraid to discipline the children and remind them that you are in charge. Use your body language to your advantage, for example, eye contact. Eye contact is an advantageous and effective non-verbal method of regaining control of a rowdy class. When you focus on that one student who is the source of the commotion, then they will realise that they are the one who is stopping the class from progressing. It will also convey your message to the rest of the children.

Although it may annoy you when they lose concentration during the middle of something important you are telling them, studies show that children’s concentration slips after 10 minutes or so. To combat this, you need to keep classes as varied and different as possible to keep them on their toes. Do this by introducing new and exciting methods of learning that allow them to get hands-on experiences such as word searches and printables or by setting them individual projects. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

Try not to lose your temper when dealing with a noisy class. Don’t shout or get frustrated as this will only make the situation worse — model how you want your students to act. There are many teaching resources online that can give you tips on how to deal with bad behaviour, but the most important thing is to stay calm and move and speak slowly and deliberately. This will help to re-establish yourself as the leader of the classroom and begin your lesson plan all over again as if it is the beginning of the day all over again.

Deep down, underneath that disruptive behaviour, children do want to learn from you and succeed. By using a variety of classroom management techniques, you will be able to improve the quality of your lessons.

Lastly, always remember, you are not perfect. Let go of the past and start each new day with a clean slate. Separate the students’ behaviour from the student. Always put your energies on the class and not on the individual. And celebrate your successes for all! After all, you’re also there for your students.