If you have taught enough, then you know that all students must transition from one lesson to the next and this requires an effective classroom management technique. Without good technique, these transitions will often lead to classroom management problems that the teacher must address. This article will talk about the ways you can move from one lesson to the next with the least amount of classroom interruptions.
The first thing I recommend that you implement is the use of the mini-lesson. Mini lessons are a perfect way to keep students’ attention without allowing them to get bored. As we all know, bored students can often cause classroom management problems, which is what we are trying to avoid in the first place.
The best way to facilitate a positive transition between lessons is to ensure that the transition is always well structured with a classroom management technique. When it is unstructured, the chances of problems arising during the transition period are greatly increased. In simple terms, sometimes the best defense is actually a good offense. Here are 5 steps you can take to structure your transitions and cause the least amount of disruption in your class.
1. Have a sign
It must have a signal that effectively stops all student activity. One of the easiest ways to do this is to use an egg timer. On the first day of school, teach students that when the timer goes off they should immediately stop what they are doing and listen for additional instructions. Of course, many other signals can be used and this is just one example.
2. Give specific instructions
Your students can’t read minds better than you. When you are specific about what you want, it is best for everyone. For example, if you are moving from a math activity to a silent reading activity, there is a big difference between telling students to save their math and opening the books on page 25 and, “You have 1 minute to save your math and turn your book to page 25 without speaking. When you hear the beep, stop immediately and listen for additional instructions. ” You can easily see which one is better because it is more specific. I would also recommend writing the page number on the board for clarification.
3. Follow up to ensure understanding
You need to know that your students understand what to do. The easiest way to do this is to randomly select students and ask them to repeat your instructions. You can ask them what they should be doing or how much time they have left.
4. Model when needed
If the transition is especially complex, you may need to model the transition yourself. A good example is if students need to form groups. You can model the way you expect the groups to get up and form. Remember that students need specific instructions on what to do. This technique can also be used for simple instructions like putting a pencil back in the box and placing the box in the proper place. Remember that you are the teacher and it is your job to teach students the right thing to do.
5. Say, “Let’s go!”
When all the steps above are complete, set your timer, if that’s what you’re using, and say “Go ahead!” Next, students will begin the structured transition.
This is one way to achieve effective classroom management, but there is more to know. Below I have provided a review of a resource that may be the single most important tool a teacher can use to maintain control of the classroom. I suggest you read it.
You know that you must transition between lessons and these transitions must be smooth for the classroom to function effectively. You can’t let these transitions lead to classroom management problems, so you must use a classroom management technique. If you follow the 5 steps outlined above, you will see that you will be able to transition between lessons effectively with minimal classroom disruption.