This tip may come as a surprise but it is essential to include in this series.
I think teachers need to proactively avoid the temptation to mock students when answering questions.
This is much much harder to do than you might think!
If a student is particularly annoying (and to be honest they can be) or if they ask a question that is tangential (as they regularly do) or if they ask a question that shows they haven’t been listening to you (which happens often) it can frankly be extremely frustrating.
As a teacher you have all the power in the classroom setting, and sadly in moments of frustration that power can be abused.
For example:
Jimmy asks: “What exactly is the Old Testament?”
In response you say (in a mocking tone): “Jimmy have you been listening at all! How many times do I have to go over this? We spent all last term covering that. Who else here can help Jimmy catch up?”
Over the years I have become more and more convinced of the importance of tone. And mockery, or at its extreme form bullying, is a tone to always be avoided!
So be patient. Be prepared to re-answer questions and explain things again and again if need be. Remember that your tone in answering the questions is as crucial as the answer itself. And never ever abuse your power as a teacher to mock a student.
What do you think? Do you agree?
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Previous Posts In This Series:
- Classroom Q & A #1: Ask boys ‘how’ and not ‘why’
- Classroom Q & A #2: Don’t say anything in the classroom that you wouldn’t say in the staff room
- Classroom Q & A #3: The difference between older and younger students
The tone stuff sounds spot on but my guess is that you are not a softy with kids who have not listened. How do you not be soft on slack toads without using an unhelpful tone?
It’s a pretty fine line! But I try be proactive to avoid the situation where I’m having a go at a kid for being slack in front of the class.
I make sure when I’m saying something important I have the students’ attention before I start – and then ask a few clarifying questions to check the class has got the information.
If there is a slacker out there who hasn’t been listening, I find it best to deal with the slackness one-on-one, not is front of the whole class. That way I can be firm – but also I’m not ridiculing him in front of his friends.
Two other principles for this are:
1. Kids feel backed into a corner when they are made an example of in front of their friends. When boys feel threatened, they usually come out fighting. So you’re not going to get a great result.
2. The classroom is your space, the playground is there space. Choosing to correct a student in the playground, instead of in the classroom can sometimes be helpful as well.
This is a really helpful reminder, and relevant outside the classroom as well. Although I’ve never seen a teacher correct a student in the playground (perhaps those that did just did so really well?)
Ps: ‘their’ space not ‘there’ space
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