| Every teacher knows that consistency is important in | | | | consistency for both teacher and pupil. |
| terms of classroom management but one of the most | | | | Routines are one of the most effective, time-saving |
| frequent questions we get asked on training courses is | | | | device any teacher can use because they provide the |
| "How do we become more consistent?". | | | | link between the teacher's picture of good behaviour |
| Consistency is all or nothing. There are no degrees of | | | | and the pupils' interpretation of that picture. They let the |
| consistency. There is no such thing as "pretty | | | | pupil know exactly what they have to do to succeed. |
| consistent", "fairly consistent" or "consistent most of | | | | Let me show you what I mean with this simple |
| the time." | | | | example. Let's assume the end of a lesson is |
| You are either consistent or you are inconsistent. | | | | approaching..... |
| There is nothing in between. | | | | The teacher knows exactly what she wants the pupils |
| How to Create Hell in Your Classroom | | | | to do -- she wants them to get cleared away as |
| If you are 'fairly consistent' you might stick to your rules | | | | quickly as possible. So she gives the instruction to do |
| 4 out of 5 times and some would say this is ok. | | | | so. |
| Certainly better than only 2 out of 5. | | | | Question: Which of these instructions is going to give |
| But if you 'give in' even once, pupils will soon come to | | | | her the greatest chance of success?a) "The bell is |
| expect this. They'll know full well that as long as they | | | | about to go put everything away and get ready to be |
| keep pushing, they will eventually get what they want. | | | | dismissed." b) "The bell is going to go in 5 minutes, it's |
| "He gave in once," they'll say to themselves, "so he'll | | | | time to clear away. You know what to do." The |
| give in again." | | | | teacher then points to a clearly displayed routine at the |
| Being inconsistent opens the door to confrontation. It | | | | front of the room... |
| gives pupils a reason for arguing and breaking rules -- | | | | End of Lesson Routine |
| they quite rightly expect to get away with it! Being | | | | - Put textbooks on the shelf and exercise books on |
| inconsistent very effectively trains them to keep on | | | | my desk. |
| pushing, arguing and complaining every time they want | | | | - Put all equipment where you got it from |
| something, because there is a chance they will | | | | - Clear your work area and sit silently facing the front. |
| eventually win. | | | | - After you get permission to leave, push in your chair |
| The ironic thing about this is that the longer you hold | | | | and leave in silence. |
| out before giving in, or to put it another way, the more | | | | - If it is the last period of the day, stack the chairs by |
| 'fairly consistent' you are before you cave in or adapt | | | | the back wall. The answer is obvious (I hope J). The |
| your rules to suit a particular individual, the worse the | | | | first command is going to lead to chaos. Pupils hearing |
| problem will become. | | | | this type of vague instruction often don't give the |
| If you hold out 8 times out of ten you show the child | | | | teacher what she wants because they don't know |
| that, whilst you don't give in easily, you do nevertheless | | | | what she wants -- she hasn't given them a clear |
| give in -- and that will only serve to make them up their | | | | enough map. (Yes, I know some pupils are just being |
| own game and push even harder next time. | | | | awkward but we are trying to eliminate as many |
| By making kids work hard in order to win, we train | | | | excuses as possible for them misbehaving -- we don't |
| them to be ruthless and persistent. | | | | want them to be able to come back at us with 'I didn't |
| Your pupils need to be taught that your word is final | | | | know what to do' do we?) Some of the pupils will be |
| and that there are no exceptions... ever. 'Fairly | | | | mature enough to act appropriately and do their best |
| consistent' won't work. | | | | to clear away and wait quietly to be dismissed. Others |
| Consistency begins with thinking long and hard about | | | | will take advantage and waste time, fool around or |
| which classroom rules you are willing to enforce every | | | | stand chatting. |
| time and then ensuring that you do so. It means having | | | | The end result will see the teacher becoming |
| a definite rule about toilet breaks during lessons; it | | | | increasingly frustrated as time ticks by and pupils don't |
| means having a definite rule about swearing; it means | | | | do what she wants. She will find herself repeating |
| having definite rules for all the main behavior problems | | | | instructions, shouting, yelling and having to deal with |
| you are likely to come up against -- and sticking to | | | | progressively more problems from pupils who are not |
| them. | | | | engaged. |
| An inconsistent teacher has very little chance of | | | | When our more energetic or challenging pupils aren't |
| success simply because the pupils don't know what's | | | | given specific instructions or tasks to do, they wander, |
| expected of them -- the classroom has an unstable | | | | play dumb and find something else to occupy them. |
| atmosphere. | | | | This makes the simple task of 'clearing away' at the |
| They don't know where the boundaries are from one | | | | end of a lesson suddenly turn into the time-consuming |
| day to the next and you can't expect pupils to behave | | | | and stressful task of dealing with multiple behaviour |
| if they aren't sure where the boundaries are. | | | | issues. |
| Let's take a rule about homework as an example: | | | | The second command works because this teacher |
| A fair rule might be that any pupil not handing their | | | | has spent time teaching a routine for 'end of the |
| homework in on the allotted day will spend the next | | | | lesson'. There is no need for confusion or wasted time. |
| break time in class completing the work they should | | | | No need to repeat instructions, no need to check that |
| have done at home. | | | | everyone has understood and give extra prompts to |
| The rule must be followed by ALL pupils and rigorously | | | | those who haven't -- everyone knows exactly what |
| enforced EVERY time -- no matter what the excuse. | | | | to do. |
| If you let one pupil off with this then you will make it | | | | How do you set up routines? The short answer is that |
| almost impossible to enforce homework deadlines in | | | | you teach them one at a time until they become |
| future -- not just on that pupil, but on several other | | | | habitual and the key to their success lies in that last |
| class-member who look for any excuse to escape | | | | word. You have to spend time teaching routines -- |
| homework deadlines | | | | possibly a couple of weeks on each one depending on |
| This same approach needs to be applied to all you | | | | the class. And you have to continually re-visit them, |
| rules and behaviour expectations so that when you | | | | practice them and reinforce them. A little two minute |
| look up to see one of your rules being broken, -- | | | | reminder on three or four of your routines is all that's |
| objects being thrown across the room, a child turning | | | | needed at the start of a lesson but it still must be done |
| up late for lesson, a pupil swearing or refusing to do as | | | | to keep your routines fresh in their minds. |
| you ask -- you can assert your control and leadership | | | | Yes, there is effort involved, but when you compare |
| in your classroom by following through on your rules | | | | that with the alternative -- spendingevery lesson |
| with consistency. In this way behaviour problems | | | | getting stressed out continually having to tell pupils |
| become learning opportunities rather than sources of | | | | what to do -- its time well spent. So, think of all the |
| confrontation. Pupils start to see you as 'firm but fair' | | | | transitions and activities and hotspots which cause you |
| rather than 'up and down' and respect grows. | | | | problemsthroughout your teaching day, in fact, don't |
| One of the best ways of building consistency -- not | | | | bother, we know what they are: |
| just on a personal basis but throughout the whole | | | | - Entering classroom |
| department or institution is through the development of | | | | - Distributing materials |
| classroom ROUTINES. | | | | - Clearing materials |
| Routines hone down our broad rules into specific | | | | - Asking for help |
| step-by-step plans and make them applicable to an | | | | - Transition between activities or tasks |
| almost unlimited range of activities and situations. They | | | | - What to do when you've finished your task |
| make classrooms run smoothly, allow activities and | | | | - What to do when you're late |
| tasks to be accomplished efficiently and eliminate the | | | | - Using certain equipment |
| problems normally associated with transition times and | | | | - Group work |
| other hotspots. | | | | - Answering questions |
| And pupils LIKE routines too -- simply because they | | | | - Handing in work |
| make it easy for them to succeed in school by | | | | - Leaving classroom How much easier would your |
| showing them exactly how to do things right. The | | | | teaching day be if you had routines in place for all |
| classroom will run smoothly and your job will be much | | | | those difficult times? How much smoother would the |
| easier when pupils know exactly what to do and how | | | | lesson be if pupils knew exactly what to do in each of |
| to do it. | | | | those circumstances? |
| "Give them a destination, a map and a clear set of | | | | The key is to make LOTS of routines -- as many as |
| directions and there is more chance of them getting | | | | you need. Teach them, practice them, make them |
| where you want them to go." | | | | habitual and post them up on the walls as reminders |
| Routines teach the behaviour we want to see in our | | | | so that next time a pupil isn't doing as he should you |
| pupils, they give them tracks to walk in and a map to | | | | can calmly say..."What should you be doing?" and point |
| follow. And because this map is repeated over and | | | | at the routine. |
| over again and doesn't change, it creates total | | | | Your classroom management is now automated. |