Disciplining students is one of my least favorite aspects of teaching, so it is important to have simple things that I can use to improve the behavior of my class.

After ten years of teaching, what is my number one tip for improving student behavior?  It all comes down to one simple question. Frequently ask students this: “What are you doing?”

I don’t mean when they are doing something that they are not supposed to be doing.  I mean all the time. Any time. Random times. Why?

First think about what happens when you typically ask a student that question.  Here are some of the most common responses I have heard from my students:

”What?  Me?”

“I’m not doing anything!”

“He’s doing it too!”

The answer is almost always hostile, defiant, confused, or defensive.  Unfortunately by the time a lot of kids have gotten to fifth or sixth grade, some have been so conditioned to being in trouble, that defensiveness is pretty much their default setting when interacting with adults.

So why would asking this more often help?  I started asking students this all the time, especially when I knew that they were doing what they were supposed to be doing.  

Here is an example: I see that a couple of students are doing a great job doing their daily warm up. I walk over and ask, “What are you doing?”  At the beginning of the school year, I would get confused looks and sometimes even “I’m not doing anything!”  Then I would say, “But you are doing something. You are all doing a great job working on your warm up. Thank you! Great job!”  

Eventually the students will be used to the idea that when you ask the question, you really mean it. You really want to find out about what they are doing. This gives you the opportunity to praise your students for positive behavior.

But another benefit is you will find out things that you didn’t even think to ask. Let’s use the same example of the students working on their warm up. You ask, “What are you doing?”  This time they answer something like, “Well, I’m trying to do my warm up, but I can’t remember how to find a common denominator.”  Now you know that this kid needs some help, and since you know what they need, you can fix it.

The most important result of getting your students comfortable with this question comes into play when they are not doing what they are supposed to be doing.  Eventually, even the kid who at the beginning of the year would yell or get upset when questioned, will come to the point where they answer honestly.  

Back to the students doing their warm ups...

You see that one of your students is not doing their warm up, so you ask the question, “What are you doing?”  His reply, “I’m playing with this eraser that my friend gave me last class.”  So what do you say now?  Ask the student “What are you supposed to be doing?”  He answers, “My warm ups?”

At this point the problem is likely solved. He knows what he is supposed to be doing and that the expectation is that he will get to work. Not only that, the emphasis is on his awareness of his behavior, not on your awareness of his behavior.

When students are aware of their own behavior, and your expectations, they are more likely to fix it on their own.  The issue was solved without escalating the situation, especially with a student who is used to getting in trouble.  You got what you wanted and the student was able to save face, very important for the preteen, teenage student.

So, what are you doing this school year?

This piece first appeared on the blog Leaf and STEM learning.

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