Children lose 38 days of their education a year as a result of low-level disruption in the classroom, according to a 2014 report by Ofsted. This adds up to 266 days over primary education - around one academic year. While there may not be a quick fix to stamping out the problem completely, there are steps you can take to lessen its impact.
Using non-verbal communication can be an effective way to put a stop to the undesirable behaviour without bringing unnecessary attention to the situation. You can continue teaching while giving a simple shake of the head, hand signal or using your infamous “teacher stare”. Circulate the room, using your presence to minimise the chance of disruption occurring. And if it does arise, then a simple hand on the culprit’s shoulder will often put an end to it.
If you have the luxury of having another adult in your class, use it to your advantage. Discuss and plan to tactically ignore the low-level behaviour, leaving your colleague to deal with the disruption. They can use questioning to refocus the child or help them to engage in the lesson. You can both check in with the student throughout the lesson to ensure that focus remains.
Get to know your students well, so that you are aware of their “hot spots”.
If you know that a child will struggle to focus during a specific activity, provide them with an alternative activity that will hold their attention. You can also support children to focus with tools such as stress balls or mindfulness colouring. Just because a child is not making eye contact with you, it doesn’t mean they aren’t listening. Some need more to occupy them, help them to listen and, in turn, engage with your lesson.
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