I sat outside a teacher’s door listening to the chaos that ensued.
Class had just begun and the teacher had a Do Now on the board. Multiple students were standing and presenting their petitions to the teacher.
“Why is my grade a D?”
“How come I have to sit next to him?”
“Why do we have to do this?”
“What can I do for extra credit.”
One by one she tries to answer their questions. “You didn’t do your work, you’re lucky it’s a D.” “Everyone has assigned seats, you need to go sit down.” “You have to do this because we are testing on it next week and you still don’t know how to do it.”
Her answers only produced more questions. More debates. Students explaining why they didn’t deserve a bad grade, why they didn’t do their work, or why they shouldn’t have to sit next to this other student.
Meanwhile, the work wasn’t being done. Students weren’t sitting. And I don’t understand how the teacher wasn’t running out of patience, but she just kept going.
What Class Should Look Like
Class should start with a routine that is taught and enforced. By doing so, you will mitigate so many issues and optimize your time in the classroom – so that you can cover more material and your students can have the best learning experience possible. Watch this video to see what that should look like.
Why the Debate?
We know that there are many reasons this teacher’s students (and yours) might be debating with her (or with you). Maybe they are generally concerned. Or perhaps they’re used to getting their way when they argue. Or, maybe they know that if they keep this up, she will keep arguing with them, and they won’t have to do any work today.
Whatever their motivation, the real reason it’s happening is because she is allowing it.
Some Tough Medicine
Hearing that the fault of the students’ behavior is ours (as teachers) can be hard to hear. And yes, there are exceptions. But the truth is that 9 times out of 10, the misbehavior of the class is a result of the teacher.
And why this is hard to hear, it should also be encouraging.
Because if it’s our fault, it is also within our ability to change it.
You don’t need the students to do something different, or grow up, or learn manners. You need to change the way you’re handling your classroom management. And when you do, you will reap the rewards.
How to Handle the Barrage of Questions
Handling a barrage of student questions can indeed be overwhelming, but it’s crucial to regain control of the classroom environment to foster effective learning. Here are some strategies to help manage and redirect student inquiries:
- Set Clear Expectations: Begin by establishing clear expectations for classroom behavior, including guidelines for asking questions. Communicate these expectations consistently and reinforce them.
- Use a Signal System: Implement a signal system to manage student questions during instructional time. For example, students can raise their hands and wait for a designated time to ask questions, such as during a designated Q&A session or after completing a task.
- Designate Question Time: Allocate specific times during the lesson for addressing questions. This allows students to express their inquiries while minimizing interruptions to the flow of instruction. Encourage students to jot down their questions and save them for designated question periods.
- Redirect Off-Topic Questions: If a student asks a question unrelated to the current lesson or activity, politely redirect them back to the task at hand. Acknowledge their question and suggest discussing it during a more appropriate time, such as during a break or after class.
- Use Positive Reinforcement: Acknowledge and praise students who follow the established guidelines for asking questions. Positive reinforcement helps reinforce desired behavior and encourages others to follow suit.
- Provide Individual Support: Offer individual support to students who require additional assistance or clarification. This can be done during designated office hours, after class, or through one-on-one conferences.
- Model Effective Questioning: Model effective questioning techniques by asking thought-provoking questions during instruction. Encourage students to emulate these techniques when formulating their own inquiries.
- Address Persistent Issues: If certain students consistently disrupt the learning environment with excessive questions, address the issue privately. Offer guidance on appropriate question-asking behavior and work collaboratively to find solutions.
- Reflect and Adapt: Regularly reflect on your classroom management strategies and their effectiveness. Be open to adjusting your approach based on the unique needs and dynamics of your students.
By implementing these strategies consistently and maintaining a proactive approach to classroom management, teachers can effectively address a barrage of student questions while promoting a positive and productive learning environment.
Stick to the Plan
We’ve all had the student who continues to ask you a question even after you have repeatedly reminded them of the expectations and instructed them to sit down, stop talking, or do their work.
It sounds like this,
Student: “You gave me an F, but I did my work.”
Teacher: “Please don’t blurt out. Return to your seat and do today’s work. We can discuss that after class.” The student repeats their question and the teacher repeats their response. The student doesn’t budge, but instead, again says, “Why do I have an F?”
At this point, the teacher’s temper is likely to flair up. But you need to resist.
You also MUST resist the urge to get into a debate with the student, or answer their question (which would just result in more questions). You mustn’t answer their question because you have given them instructions, and they haven’t followed them. And, they have given you instructions, but they’re not the authority, you are. And all of your students are watching. If you yield to their demands, that student, and the others, will know what they need to do to get what they want, and you are in for more of this type of behavior.
How to Respond
If you have redirected the student several times, and they are not budging, you need to move to your classroom management plan. What are the series of escalating consequences that you are going to implement as a result of this student’s misbehavior?
This might call for a change of scenery. Where you tell the student to step into the hall. Let them wait a few minutes, and then have a conversation with them. In that conversation, you do not answer your question, you let them know that they are not following the instructions, and consequences will escalate until they do.
I like to begin by asking a question, “Why did I ask you to come out here?” Or, “What did I ask you to do? Did you do it?”
Be warned, they will rebuttal your question with their own. Or with a counter-argument that you didn’t answer their question. Avoid the trap! Maintain your authority and do not lose your composure.
Let them know that they have a choice. They can either follow your instructions or they can receive the next consequence in your discipline matrix.
Document the Event
You must document this incident. Students who do not follow instructions and continue to debate with you are unlikely to stop this type of behavior after one event. They have learned this behavior (or its part of their personality) and will need to be worked on over time.
However your school documents behavioral issues, make sure you do so, even if there’s no formal consequences.
I also recommend calling the parents. Make it a short, pleasant conversation. Just let the parents know what happened today, and how you had to handle it. Let them know that the student was unresponsive even though they knew that consequences were a possibility, and that you don’t want to have to give them consequences in the future, but it is a very real possibility considering how the student behaved today.
Also, let the parent know the answer to his question. In this case, the student was upset about their grade. Let the parent know why the student has the grade that they do, and what they can do to bring it up (usually, when I have this conversation, I let them know that they can bring it up by doing their future work in class – I don’t like to give extra credit or makeup work to a student who refuses to do work in class).
More Classroom Management Tips
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