So you’ve got this great lesson.
You’re excited, worked up, really feeling it. Everything is groovy, near perfect. You’re telling this cool story and your students are rapt—leaning forward, eyeballs glued to your every move.
It’s a special moment. And so much fun. This is why you teach.
But before your story can reach its climax, just as you’re revving up the crescendo, a student barks out, “Hey, I saw a movie like that once!”
Wamp wamp waaa . . .
Ah yes, interruptions are a momentum killer of the highest order. And although you’ll grit your teeth through your frustration, gather yourself, and soldier on like a pro, it’s just not the same.
The moment is lost forever.
The truth is, interruptions of any kind, special moments or not, can profoundly affect your ability to motivate and inspire your students.
If you are to do your job well, there is no way around it: you must rid your classroom of student interruptions.
Here’s how in three simple steps:
1. Make eye contact.
When a student interrupts, it’s easy to fall into the trap of answering or responding to the interruption. But doing so will grant permission to anyone and everyone to barge in and ask, comment, or opine whenever the mood strikes.
So when a student cuts you off in mid-sentence, it’s best not to say a word. Instead, stand in place and make calm but steady eye contact. There is no need to glare, sigh, or make obvious your frustration.
2. Pause.
While continuing eye contact, pause for five to ten seconds to allow the weight of the interruption, and the supreme downer it causes, to sink in. Letting students come to their own realization about their misbehavior will make the lesson much more impactful.
A brief pause also underscores the impoliteness of interrupting anyone in your classroom—student or adult alike. The best part is that your message will reach every student in the room, without having to spell it out for them.
3. Enforce
All unwanted behavior, no matter how innocent, must be backed by your classroom management plan. Powerful as they are, the fist two steps will prove ineffective if you don’t hold your students accountable.
So after pausing and allowing the offending student a moment of reflection, calmly inform her (or him) of the consequence. “Kate, you broke rule number two and have a warning.” Then move on. Return to whatever you were doing as if nothing happened.
Freedom
This simple, ten-second strategy will forever eliminate interruptions from your classroom, and in a way that doesn’t feel harsh, involve a cutting rebuke, or discourage polite, appropriate means of participation.
Think of the freedom.
Without the ever-present possibility that one of your students will throw a wet blanket over your best lessons, or even your most ordinary classroom routines, you’ll be free to really inspire your students.
You’ll be free to laugh, free to pause for dramatic effect, and free to tell great stories. You’ll be free to progress unencumbered through the curriculum and free to give plain old, run-of-the-mill directions.
You’ll be free to be passionate or animated or businesslike or silently observant.
In other words, you’ll be free to teach.
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Hi Michael,
I am very happy that I have found your website, and have been trying to implement your strategies this year. I have tried to look through the archives for this answer, but have been unable to find it.
When giving a student a warning, what do you do when a large number of students ‘oooh’ and comment about the fact that “Joe got a warning”? It doesn’t make sense to put the names of 12 students on the board to give them warnings as well.
Also, suppose over the course of the period I give warnings to 6 or so individual students, and then later need to give 4 of these students a “Time out”. My classroom is not large enough to separate 4 students from the rest of the group, while keeping them separate from each other, without putting two in the hallway, where they then are missing out on the lesson! So, I basically have room for 2 students in time out – what if I need more spots?
I teach highschool math, and am having most difficulty with my grade 9 applied class.
I appreciate any input you may have.
Hi Tracy,
This may be a bigger question than we have time or space for here. And there are actually several issues at work. But the short answer is that the key to any classroom, ninth grade applied math or any other subject, is to create a class your students look forward to coming to everyday–which is what much of this website is about. When your students like you and your classroom, then you have leverage that keeps them out of time-out and focused on you and your lessons.
The students making comment and ooohing are doing so at your expense. It’s a brazenly disrespectful thing to do and is an indication that indeed if you were to follow your classroom management plan to a tee, you would likely have more than just four in time-out at a time. The solution is to give them a reason, every single day, to want to stay out of time-out. Remember, if your students don’t feel like they’re missing something, then time-out provides no real consequence. It’s power is in direct proportion to how much they like being in your class. The more challenging your students are, the more important this becomes.
Read through the Rapport & Influence category of the archive first, and then perhaps the Classroom Tips sections, and then go from there. This idea of creating leverage is also the central theme running through the entirety of Dream Class.
Michael
I love your posts. They have changed my teaching experience dramatically. I have a student who is so difficult he was transferred from his 3rd grade class to mine. I t ach art and have had him once so far. He is very low and does not understand what is being taught so is disruptive and very anxious. Any suggestions?
Hi Arlette,
Make sure you review your classroom management plan to the entire class, and then follow it. The wonderful thing about art is that it’s accessible to all students. You may have to adjust your lessons, talking less while modeling more. It’s important that he is successful, that he gets lost in the projects you challenge your class with. Have you read Classroom Management for Art, Music, and PE Teachers?
Michael
That is really helpful to me, especially at this time of year in kindergarten!
I’m glad you like the article, Lisa.
Michael
I love your articles and strive to use them diligently in my classroom.
How about kids with issues like ADHD. I have a couple kids coming up that previous teachers have had trouble keeping quiet. Can they be held accountable to the warning, timeout, and letter home system you encourage?
Thanks again for the posts. Do you speak at teachers’ conferences?
Hi Miriam,
This is a topic we’ll cover fully in a future article or book, but yes, absolutely they can and should. I’m speaking at a video conference this summer, but as of this year do not have the time to travel away from home. It’s something I may do in the future.
Michael
Dear Michael, I had the extreme opportunity to observe some incredible teachers for nine years in a job called “Early Childhood Liaison”. One young teacher had some extra special skills with his kindergarteners. During a whole group lesson I observed him respond to a student who called out something he had noticed in the lesson before the one the teacher had moved on to. This student said out loud, “Hey look 7 up there (pointing to the calendar) is like 17 only there is a one.” That teacher looked at the boy, smiled a little, winked and gave a thumbs up.” He knew that little boy was always in trouble and not very interested in most lessons. He tailored his response and took about one second away from the lesson at hand to acknowledge the observation of this student however untimely.
I like this acknowledgement of a useful concept while not letting it alter the course of the lesson. I’d love to learn more about how to do this!
THIS is the one article I needed. Will try.