An Amazing, Eye-Opening Following Directions Strategy

Are your students slow to follow directions? Do they ever seem reluctant, lost, or unsure of what you want them to do?

Does it ever feel like no matter how often you repeat yourself or how loud you speak you still can’t get through to them?

Does it seem as if an evil, invisible force is encrypting your voice, and the message your students are getting is actually an indecipherable warble? Wah, wah, wah, wah…

Okay, that last one is a little much, but it isn’t uncommon to feel like you’re on a different frequency than your students.

Poor listening habits and sloppy execution are complaints shared by nearly all teachers.

But there is an effective solution, one that will get your students actively listening and following your directions the moment you give them.

It’s called the line strategy.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Find your line.

Before your students arrive to school, locate a line on the floor of your classroom. It can be an edge of carpet or a design in the tile, or you may need to lay down a strip of masking tape. Whatever the method, your line should be at least 20 feet long.

Step 2: Give a direction.

When your students seem to be at their…ahem…least responsive, give a simple, one-step direction—only once and in a soft tone and volume of voice. You might say simply, “Please put away your reading books.”

Step 3: Fill your line.

Without saying another word, notice who is and isn’t following your direction. Quickly approach those who aren’t, or who didn’t, and ask them to stand with both feet on the line. You may very well have most, or nearly all, of your class on the line.

Step 4: Give a second direction.

Follow up with a second direction for those few who are still in their seats and part of the class. Say something like, “Put away your reading books and take out your journals.” Again, ask those who don’t follow the direction to stand on the line.

Step 5: Give a few more directions.

The directions you give can be anything you like. I recommend working on those you give most frequently or those you find most frustrating, but anything will do. Give another direction or two or three and add more students to your line—if applicable.

Step 6: Offer a return.

Quickly scan your line, asking those students who appear to be following along (standing quietly on the line) if they’d like to return to the class. They’ll say yes and happily go back to their seats.

Step 7: Continue adding and offering.

Continue giving simple one or two step directions while adding more students to your line and offering more a return. As to who and when you should let students go back to their seats, just go by feel. If they appear to be attentive, let them go back and give following directions another try.

Step 8: Watch the line dwindle.

As you continue this process, which should only take a few minutes, your line will get smaller and smaller as more and more students begin to clue in to what you’re doing and tune in to the sound of your voice.

Step 9: Practice multiple steps.

When your line is empty, and now that you have their attention, throw in multiple step directions. Say, “When I say go I want you to stand up, push in your chair, place one hand on your head, one hand on your stomach, and smile.” Get as complicated or as silly as you wish.

Step 10: Move on.

Now that you’ve got them where you want them—sharp, sitting up straighter, and listening intently to you—it’s the perfect time to segue into a lesson or activity. You’ll be thrilled with the transformation you see in your class.

Let Them Learn The Lesson

It’s important that you don’t explain the line strategy to your students or why you’re doing it. Don’t add a lecture, an admonishment, or say more than you need to in order to conduct the exercise.

Let them learn the lesson on their own—through direct experience. Explaining it will diminish its effectiveness.

Note: You never, ever want to begin the lesson with just a few students on your line. The purpose of the strategy is to improve listening for your entire class, and must never be construed as a punishment or feel humiliating in any way.

To be on the safe side, once that first large group is standing on the line, announce that you’re playing a listening game—á la Simon Says.

 Why It Works

Deep down all students want to be part of what is right and true and desirable. And so when asked to stand on a line that represents the opposite of that, it burns a hole right through the bottoms of their shoes.

It speaks to them in a way they understand. It restores the connection between your voice and their ears.

The invisible force is defeated.

So Much More

The strategy works on you, too. No, not your ears. Your ears are just fine. It’s your eyes that need opening.

When you get a glimpse of what is possible, when you peer into what could be, it will cast your students in an unfamiliar light.

And the overwhelming thought will hit you like a thunderbolt…

They’re capable of so much more.

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