CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES
Faciliating Interaction
(Scrivener 2014)

ENCOURAGING STUDENTS TO SPEAK
aim: students must speak

RESEARCHING INTERACTION
How often do I speak?
How often do my students speak? Which students did/didn't speak?

REDUCING UNNECESSARY TEACHER TALK

SHOULD STUDENTS PUT UP THEIR HANDS?
different ways of giving an answer

TRAINING STUDENTS TO LISTEN TO EACH OTHER
students should listen & respond directly to each other, not via teacher

WITHHOLDING VALIDATION OF STUDENT ANSWERS

Creating the conditions for speaking

Building confidence in individual students
as soon as you know which ones don't speak

Consider and openly discuss cultural factors

make students feel safe,
the mood must be relaxed and stressless
so that students are not afraid to speak

make them speak for a reason:
questions, problems, puzzles

picture cues

before discussions
let them gather some ideas in the web

give them the vocabulary they need beforehand (brainstorming, web, book, etc.)

make sure all students get the chance to speak

scaffolding phrases

let them make mistakes

give them enough time
to think of an answer

listen to the students
and make sure they listen to each other

give them time to take notes
for "bigger questions"
OR let them first talk to their partner
before they give you their answers

acknowledge every answer!
wether it's wrong or right;
make sure your student doesn't feel bad for their answers

ask all to answer at once

ask them to mumble/whisper their answer

open questions - stronger students


closed questions - weaker students
(therefore ask them more often)
this helps to build their confidence

purposely choose louder
as well as quieter students

while the class works on something else
ask weaker students to come and tell you how they feel about speaking - listen!


OR


chat after class

do your students come from another culture which teaches them different behavior than yours?

ask them what their "rules" are and tell them how they differ

tell them exactly what you want and expect
and what is allowed and what not

Mapping interaction

  • seating plan of your students
  • T = teacher (where you stand most of the time)
  • W = whole class (anywhere)
  • colleague should observe 2-3 parts of the lesson
  • note interactions in one of these ways:

In-class research

  • whole-class question & answer sessioon
  • list of students' names on the left
  • tally mark when substantial answer
  • collect your data & improve interaction

Directional:

  • draw an arrow when s/o is speaking to s/o
  • if same people - tally mark
  • if T - arrow to the W

Qualitative:

  • when s/o speaks - number next to their names
  • separate page: notes (e.g. yes/no, slowly, useful)

Quantitative:

  • count speaking interactions with a tally mark next to names

Getting students to ask the questions

  • let students ask questions instead of teacher
  • about: last text, last topic, general topic
  • students make a list of (any) questions
  • emphasis on questions, not answers

Planning interaction

  • include interactions in lesson plan
  • use abbreviations:
    W: T>Sts (whole class: teacher to students)
    W: Sts>T
    W: M (whole class mingle)
    Ps (pairs)
    4s (groups of four
    St>T (one student to teacher)
    Sts>Sts

Don't always top and tail

  • I must not always say smth after a student's answer
  • don't summarise, echo, respond
  • instead: "thank you", smile, nod
  • give students opportunity to react/respond
  • invite them with a gesture

Researching how much I talk

  • ten min audio/video recording of yourself
  • analyse & improve

Finger lock

  • after asking a question put 1/2 fingers on your mouth to stop yourself from talking

Using hands-up more effectively

  • pick carefully: choose different learners each time
  • involve weaker students in strong students' answers: make stronger students ask the same question to a weaker student (if the weaker student doesn't know the answer, the stronger student may tell them what they think)

Banning hand-raising

  • completely OR certrain lessons
  • takes time and consistency

Alternatives to hands-up:

  • nominations:
    ask them directly by using names
    consider thinking time (10 sec.)
  • hands/no-hands traffic light:
    1 card with a green hand, 1 card with a red hand; this shows students when they are allowed to raise their hands
  • personal board - written answers:
    all students write down their answer (e.g. on individual white board, online)
  • desk indicators:
    students may design it
    must indicate a feedback method which shows if they have understood or not (e.g. smileys)
  • pair or group buzz:
    30-60 sec.
    ask question - students turn to their partner and answer

Not rubberstramping

  • don't tell them if the answer is wrong/right
  • keep discussion open
  • rubberstamping kills interaction

Blank face

  • don't show that the answer is right

Avoiding echo

  • by consistently repeating students' answers, they learn to not listen to each other
  • instead: "thank you", ask another student if they (dis)agree
  • if students didn't hear the answer, ask the one to repeat it louder

Get student to speak to the whole class

  • "tell the whole class, not just me"

Intentionally 'not hearing' a loud student

  • don't accept shout out answer
  • keep looking at the person you want to answer
  • give them time to think
  • ignore anything else

Drawing student's attention to their behaviour

  • turn to interrupter, tell them that they are interrupting, turn back - full attention to the speaker
  • class discussion about behaviour

Walking away

  • when student speaks quietly move further away
  • hold eye contact
  • "say it again"

Acknowledge

  • "thank you"
  • nod
  • "interesting"

Get other students to comment

  • "do you agree?"
  • ask more than 2 students
  • you can summarise what has been said so far

Confirm and validate

  • after hearing enough answers, tell the correct one
  • give credit
  • if many wrong answers - repeat listening/reading