- You notice movement out of the corner of your eye.
- You hear but don’t see a disruption.
- You sense misbehavior happening behind your back.
But you don’t know who did it.
If you’re like most teachers, you spin around and glare. You ask who did it. You threaten that it better not happen again.
The problem with this approach is that it all but guarantees that it most certainly will.
Because sneaky students like the thrill of it. They like the attention of their classmates. And the more you miss their misbehavior, the more fun it is.
So naturally, they always do it again.
This is your advantage. But first, it’s important to mention the importance of vigilant supervision. Good teachers position themselves. They keep their class in front of them like K-pop concert security.
They’re watchful, observant, and hyper-aware of their surroundings. They become so all-knowing that students swear they have eyes in the back of their head.
Alert supervision will demoralize even the stealthiest house mouse. Why even bother misbehaving if the teacher is always right there watching and noticing it all.
This is the goal, of course.
But what if one slips past the goalie? What if you look down for a second and a whirl of motion or sound flash just outside of your firm witness?
Well, if you were to shrewdly pretend not to notice, it would happen again and within seconds. Because sneaky students can’t resist; their impulsivity always gets the better of them.
So all you have to do is feign ignorance.
Don’t flinch. Don’t turn and face the rule-breaker(s). Act as if nothing happened. In the meantime, smoothly position yourself so the disruption is off to one side. Pretend you’re lost in thought.
And wait for it, because here it comes.
Use your peripheral vision. Direct your hearing. Focus your awareness on the place of the disruption.
You’ll first perceive its return. You’ll notice the initial whisker of movement, sound, or commotion. And you’ll turn your head to see the entire scene play out.
A phone being passed. An eraser being thrown. A joke shared and laughed at. Busted. Like candy from a baby.
As long as you keep your cool and wait, they always do it again.
PS – Check out this week’s YouTube videos:
1. Why Your Students Only Behave When You’re Watching
2. The Reason Good Teachers Lose Control of Their Class
3. How to Get Students Working Without Reminders
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Best advice!
Thanks!
But following the witnessing of the behaviour, what does the teacher say to the students to ensure this won’t happen again. Yes, point at the class rules posted on the board. Yes, affirm that the behaviour contradicts the expectations. Then, send and email or phone parents. However, the parents say they’ll speak to their child, but the misbehaviour continues because the students collectively rile each other on…
Thanks, Michael. I lose so much time and energy from tension I possess in the classroom. I know I do.
You talk about how this type of behavior happens behind one’s back. I believe this type of behavior has happened right in front of me. I see students misbehaving but I do not see them misbehaving. My focus is elsewhere. It feels like my focus is nowhere.
Some of my lessons feel chaotic and this takes the focus away from observing and being with my students. My lesson transitions are not clear. My lesson goals are not clear. My belief in my lesson is not there. I recognize that I need to work quickly sometimes, but I am realizing I cannot skip out on being confident in the flow of my lessons.