No matter how interesting and well prepared our lesson may be, it can be ruined by a confrontation with learners. A bad atmosphere can result. Here are some strategies for reprimanding learners and still avoiding confrontations.
Avoidance strategies
- Anticipate misbehaviour. Keep scanning the room during the lesson. Be aware of times when learners may be distracted, e.g. when you are writing on the board, helping individuals or changing activity.
- Use non-verbal signals first. Delay the need to intervene by walking close to disruptive learners, catching their eye or involving them in your questioning.
If the above avoidance strategies do not result in good behaviour, then intervene with care.
Intervention
- Keep calm. Use a firm but calm tone, no matter how outrageously the learner is behaving. Remember that they may wish to provoke your anger. Use a calm voice to maintain authority. If you lose it, you will lose respect.
- Be fair. You need to be clear that you are targeting the troublemaker(s). Some pupils may be reacting to others who are disturbing or distracting them.
- Don’t get personal. Make it clear that the behaviour is unacceptable, not the person. This helps avoid building up a negative relationship with an individual.
- Don’t compare. Avoid making comparisons between learners and classes, as this is unfair. For example: My other classes don't make as much noise/made more effort/enjoyed this.
- Avoid empty threats. Don’t threaten to do things that you will not be able to carry through. For example: The next person who talks will be sent to the Director of Studies. Avoid threatening punishments which you would not wish to implement!
Taking action
- Keep it private. Before making it public, try speaking discreetly to the troublemaker. A quiet word is less embarrassing for the individual and less disruptive to the others (if they are busy doing a task).
- Avoid confrontation. If the learner seems tense, agitated or likely to explode, it is best to postpone any disciplinary action until the end of the lesson.
- Defuse confrontations. Faced with a very angry situation and shouting, maintain a calm tone and recommend dealing with things at the end of the lesson. Never get involved in a shouting match.
- Reprimand the troublemaker, not the whole class. Avoid blaming everyone for the bad behaviour of a few!
Useful links
First published 2009
Comments
Tips on discipline
THE DISCIPLINE IN THE CLASSROOM.
SIR,
I THINK the topic dealing with discipline will help the teachers especially the English teachers a lot in the class room. Keeping discipline is the greatest test for any teacher. The govt of Andhra Pradesh prohibited corporeal punishment in the class room. The teacher is no longer the old pedagogue who carried a long stick in his hand and had the frowning looks on his face. He is a smiling facilitator of language construction by the students.
I think your tips and suggestions will help us grow professionally and teach English in a more amicable atmosphere. I hope I will keep the trouble maker under control and make teaching English a joy with your tips and suggestions. You are really doing yeoman service to the English teaching fraternity across the globe around the clock
Thank you
yours sincerely,
JVL NARASIMHA RAO
I think these pieces of advice will help me in my teaching mainly as l am a novice teacher.