Having energetic students isn’t a bad thing. In fact, there are three big advantages:
- They’re primed for learning.
- They’re fun to teach.
- They’re eager to participate.
However, they’re also prone to excessive talking and disruptive behavior.
Therefore, even if you have solid classroom management skills, there are three adjustments you need to make.
1. Pause often.
Timely pausing keeps students focused on you. The momentary silence interrupts their racing mind, slowing it to a more absorbent state and improving interest, understanding, and retention.
It also keeps them grounded in the moment, stopping them from moving on mentally before they have all the information they need to successfully work independently.
Furthermore, it strengthens the discipline to delay gratification, which is a learned ability that can predict academic success.
2. Restrain your energy.
Your students will take their energy cue from you. Calm presence transfers and fills every classroom you enter. It soothes frayed nerves and anxieties.
It also signals to students that you know what you’re doing. They can relax because a competent leader is running the classroom. Thus, they don’t have to.
It also pays to limit your movements. Avoid pacing, tapping, buzzing about, and talking your students through every this and that. These are traits of a weak, uncertain leader.
3. Get them moving.
Get your students up and moving at some point during every lesson. That is, before releasing them to work independently.
Have them model along with you or playact, perform, sketch pictures, maps, or diagrams on an easel, or teach others. Make them prove they grasp it.
Experiencing learning deepens understanding far better and more permanently than simply sending them off after you’re done talking.
Good Teaching
Yes, all three are just good SCM teaching.
However, they may need to be exaggerated with certain groups of students. You may need to increase their frequency or take them further than you would otherwise.
The point is that no matter how energetic your class, there are ways to embrace its advantages while curbing the potential negatives.
Adjusting to the needs of your class, after all, is just part of being a good teacher.
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