There is a phenomenon I see again and again in the classrooms I visit.
As attention starts to wane . . .
Eyelids droop.
Fingers tap.
Bodies sigh.
. . . the teacher will speed up their instruction.
They’ll talk and move faster as if trying to finish before completely losing the class.
But this is a big mistake—because it only makes things worse.
Here’s why:
It’s boring.
The urge to rush and get done quickly will inevitably cause you to gloss over details, which are the most important element in making your lessons interesting.
Without them, your classroom turns into a snooze fest. To the degree you talk and move rapidly, your students will become bored and uninterested.
It’s harder to follow.
When you speed up your lessons, you make it difficult for students to follow along. They have to strain just to listen and process the information.
Which, for all but the most dedicated students, becomes frustrating and not worth the effort.
And as soon as they check out, the overwhelming desire to talk and move and be anywhere but sitting in your classroom takes hold.
It causes excitability.
Talking faster is a sure recipe for excitability, which is one of the biggest causes of misbehavior. It incites restlessness and nervousness and the compulsion to search for something—anything—that can capture their attention.
So they glance around the room. They squirm and fidget and turn to their classmates.
The non-stop talking from their teacher also provides cover to begin talking, playing, and disrupting the class.
It signals that it’s time to move on.
Speeding up acts as a triggering mechanism. It signals to students that you’re wrapping it up, which causes them to move on mentally, and sometimes physically, to the next activity.
Once they think they know what you want them to do, they’re gone. They tune the rest out.
Predictably, when you send them off to work independently, it doesn’t go well. Hands go up all over the room and they ask about the very things you just covered.
What To Do Instead
When you notice attention waning—or, better yet, to avoid ever losing your students’ attention—slow down and focus on details.
For example, if you’re showing your students how to put their science samples into a ziplock bag, include everything they need to know to succeed . . . plus a little extra.
Go over the size and shape of the bag as well as how the sealing mechanism works. Demonstrate the most efficient way to slide the samples in—how to shape their hand, manipulate their fingers or grip the tool, and position the bag.
Model how to hold it, label it, and place it precisely on the sample table. You may even add a tidbit about how a man named Steven Ausnit developed the plastic zipper in the 1950s.
Details, you see, are interesting.
They’re compelling and fascinating and pull students so deep into the lesson that they forget where they are. They lose track of time, their classmates, and even the environment around them.
Their world becomes just you, the lesson, and their whirring, captivated mind.
PS – For more on how to teach compelling lessons see The Happy Teacher Habits.
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Thanks for the tips!
You’re welcome, Cris!
Hi Michael,
I’m a first year teacher and before stepping into the classroom, I read your articles and thought it would be super easy to implement.
Now that I’ve been teaching for 2 months, I wanted to ask if there’s any videos anywhere that you could recommend about what this kind of super detail-oriented instruction looks like? I feel like I need someone to model it for me.
@Alyssa – I am a new teacher this year, too, and I feel exactly the same way as you! I am learning to be patient with myself as I learn and grow in this first year. I have not been as successful as I had hoped at putting Michael’s tips into practice, but each day I keep trying. Looking back over the year so far, I do see myself improving.
@Alyssa and @Jon. I’m a 30+ veteran teacher. A few years ago I had a very difficult classroom situation and I found Smart Classroom. I still have not perfected all the strategies. But more importantly, I know the strategies and I’m implementing them, and getting better and better. It takes practice. Even 30 years. But we never stop trying to improve. Keep at it! You’ll notice changes as long as you’re consistent.
I have preschoolers(specifically developmentally delayed). I welcome any suggestions.
Wow! I will try this. I always thought that too much detail would get the kiddos to zone out. Thank you for this article.
Rosemary
It’s my pleasure, Rosemary.
I think most of these ideas work with a lot of students. But my wonder is, what to do with the kids these ideas don’t work for. Autistic children, ADHD kids, learning disorders, etc. Trying to implement this across the board makes teachers feel like a failure as it “should” work in every classroom. I have been teaching for almost 20 years, and looking for the one size fits all classroom management plan. There is no such thing. It would be so nice to get ideas that help the other children instead of expecting them to fall in line if you do it right.
Hi Joan,
When you get a chance, check out our archive or pick up one of our books in order to get a full picture of our approach.
@Alyssa, I highly recommend Teaching Channel where you can see short, high-quality video clips of excellent teachers teaching.
Joan,
With the exception of very low functioning students, I have found that Michael’s lessons work for most environments. I have taught in detentions, low income schools, and in behavior classrooms. I am a special ed teacher, so I work with students with a variety of learning difficulties.
I found the best trick that Michael has ever taught is to discipline with kindness. Or as a “referee” as he writes. When I take the personal out of the accountability, (I am not trying to punish them, or take my frustrations out on them,) students in many settings respond very well.
The article is so beautiful that it sounds more like a talk on motivation than on classroom management.
Way to Go!
Thanks Ljerka!
Your articles are always so helpful to me. I am an independent educator, and have loved your instruction since I first found your book at the bookstore 4 years ago. Thanks.
I’m glad to hear it, Chrissy. It’s my great pleasure.
I just read your book about classroom management and I love the idea of a streamlined system. I do have a question though. What is the consequence if the signed letter home is not returned? I have several parents who don’t ever sign the homework log, let alone a letter home.
Hi Holly,
Here is an article that should help, but I’ll be sure to cover this topic more directly in a future article.
https://smartclassroommanagement.com/2011/09/10/how-to-send-a-letter-home-to-parents/
Great tip! Adding detail totally makes sense and gives the kids more to connect to for long-term memory. I can’t wait to share this with colleagues.
Uh oh!!! I’ve been doing this & seeing EXACTLY what you described!!! What perfect timing for this!! Have you been peeking in my classroom?!
Ha! No, but I’m glad you read the article. 🙂
Hi Michael,
I have a student with severe ADHD who talks to herself, is always blurting, and gets distracted very easily. She is very smart so she always knows the answer and wants to say it. I have given her warnings and spoke to mom. She is on medication, but it doesn’t seem to help. I don’t want to always be giving her warnings because it seems like she can’t help it. What are some other things I can do to get her to stop?