You’re eager to start the year off strong, but you’re struggling to get your students to follow directions and your students aren’t listening to you. In this blog post, we’ll delve into five essential procedures you should teach to help your students become active listeners and direction followers.

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https://youtu.be/vHMS897yIA4

#1 Class Call

The first procedure you should teach if your students aren’t listening to you is a class call. When you need to regain your students’ attention, it’s essential to have a procedure in place. Some teachers use doorbells, but I prefer a versatile method – the class call. 

It’s not just about what they should say in response; it’s about what they should do afterward. For example, if you say, “Macaroni and cheese,” they should respond with “Everybody freeze” and then stop, look, and listen. Model the procedure, discuss its importance, clarify what it doesn’t look like, and practice it. This procedure is crucial for quickly refocusing your students and transitioning between activities.

#2 Whole Group

The second procedure you should teach if your students aren’t listening to you is what they should be doing during whole group instruction. Establish clear expectations for how your students should behave during whole-group instruction. 

I learned this concept from Teaching With Joy. Use the acronym ALTVV: Active Listening, Track the Speaker, Still Hands, Listening Ears, and Voices Off. Provide a visual reminder, model the expected behavior, discuss what it should look and sound like, and refer to other related procedures, such as seating arrangements.

#3 Talk to a Partner

The next procedure you should teach if your students aren’t listening to you is how they should talk to a partner. Teaching your students how to effectively interact with a partner is essential. 

Implement the “Peanut Butter and Jelly Partner” concept, specifying how they should behave when talking to their partner. Outline what active listening looks like, what partners should do when they’re speaking, and how to convey that they’re listening. Describe both the visual and auditory aspects of this procedure.

#4 Ready to Share

Another procedure you should teach if your students aren’t listening to you is to show you they are ready. Ensure your students know how to signal that they’re ready to share with you. 

Establish a “ready signal” and explain what it looks and sounds like. I personally use a thumbs-up when students are done with their work or speaking to a partner. Emphasize that this signal is for communication with you, not their peers. Clarify what’s expected when they’re working with friends.

#5 Independent Work

The final procedure to teach your students if they are having a hard time listening to you is what they should be doing while working independently. Define the expected behavior for independent work. 

Cover topics like how to work with materials, working at a “0” noise level, specific voice levels, and where they should work in the classroom. Ensure students understand what it means to be engaged independently and how to ask for assistance when needed.

Wrap Up

Overall, teaching these five essential procedures can significantly improve your student’s ability to pay attention and follow directions. Each procedure serves a unique purpose and contributes to a well-managed classroom. If you found this information helpful, make sure to check out part 4 of this series. For more classroom management strategies, consider joining our 3-day classroom management challenge.

As always remember:

Love,

Helena <3

AKA

Do you find yourself struggling to get your students to follow directions in the classroom? In part 2 of our series on effective classroom management, we’ll explore a powerful strategy to improve student behavior – using associative memory techniques and different classroom areas. Let’s dive in and discover how you can create an environment where following directions becomes second nature.

Listen to the podcast:

Watch the YouTube Video:

https://youtu.be/1NQv_QePSNM

What is the Associative Memory Technique?

Before we begin, one of the questions you might be asking yourself is “what is the associative memory technique?” The associative memory technique, according to google, is the ability to “connect new information you want to remember with existing information that you already know.” 

In other words, it’s the ability to pair your surroundings or memories with new information. It’s almost like a mental cue for your brain to remember how to act when you’re in that environment. An example of this would be your brain reminding you to be quiet because you are in the library. Or your brain reminds you that you can cheer loudly for your favorite team while you’re watching them play live at the stadium.

Another example would be to remember a student’s name, “Lacy,” because you have a cousin Lacy. Therefore, you can better remember and learn that student’s name. It’s your ability to pair your surroundings, experiences, or memory to take in new information.

Now you might be wondering “How does the associative memory technique help get students to follow directions?” We’re going to cover that in the next section.

Associative Memory in Action:

One thing you may not have realized is that you can actually use the associative memory technique to be better at getting your students to follow directions. 

For example, when I was growing up my 4th grade teacher, Mr. Lind, would play classical music and give us a piece of gum whenever we would study for a test in class. Later when we took the test, can you guess what he did?

That’s right! He mimicked our environment from when we were studying aka the associative memory strategy by giving us a piece of gum and playing the same playlist when we took the assessment. The crazy part is whenever he would use this technique, the class average performance on the assessment went up significantly. 

Different Classroom Areas:

One way to be better at getting your students to follow directions using the associative memory technique is to use different areas in your classroom. Consider this to be similar to the library versus the stadium example provided earlier.

Essentially try setting up different areas in your classroom where expectations are different. For example having a different area for your students to listen to whole group instruction versus working independently is going to significantly help your students to be more engaged during whole group instruction. 

When students are listening to a lecture or a lesson, they are sitting quietly, with their eyes on the teacher, and their hands are typically clear of all distractions. Whereas while working independently students are likely to be sitting at their seats, quietly using various materials and asking for feedback as they quietly work. Making different areas for both of these areas will increase focus and ensure your students are more likely to follow directions and expectations for whatever task they are doing. 

Consider dividing your classroom into different areas, each with its own set of rules and procedures. For example:

• Whole Group Area: Where students listen attentively during lectures or discussions.
• Small Group Area: Where collaborative work takes place.
• Independent Work Area: Where students work on assignments individually.

How to be better at getting your students to follow directions:

In each area, establish distinct rules and cues. For instance, in the whole group area, students might sit criss-cross with hands in their laps and eyes on the speaker, raising their hands for permission to speak. In the small group area, different rules apply.

Take the time to explicitly teach your students about each classroom area and its associated rules. Use cues and memory techniques to help them remember what’s expected in each space.

Conclusion

By using the associative memory technique and creating distinct classroom areas with specific rules, you can significantly improve your students’ ability to follow directions. This strategy not only enhances behavior but also fosters a more organized and productive learning environment. If you found this helpful, be sure to check out part 3 of our classroom management series. To dive deeper into effective teaching strategies, consider joining our Classroom Management Challenge.

The excitement of starting your teaching career can quickly fade when your students aren’t listening to you. If you’re facing this challenge, know that you’re not alone. Managing a classroom is one of the most demanding aspects of teaching. Today, we’re here to help you avoid the top five mistakes that might be causing your students not to listen and, more importantly, to provide solutions that can turn your class into one of the most well-behaved in the school.

Podcast Episode:

Video:

#1 Taking Away Recess

The first mistake teachers make when their students aren’t listening to them is taking away recess. This is a common practice and although it is tempting, taking away a student’s recess can bee seen as a form of punishment. 

Surprisingly, 86% of teachers have used this method, but studies show it’s ineffective. Oftentimes when you take away a student’s recess you are not teaching them a lesson. Instead, the student will simply label themselves as a “bad kid” and will find it difficult to turn their day around in the future.

Instead, find out why this student isn’t listening to you and rely on teaching procedures on what the expectations are in class. Whenever possible, it is highly recommended that you find a “natural consequence” as opposed to taking away recess. An example of this could be if a student isn’t listening to you during whole group, make sure to review the expectations and procedures for whole group instruction. 

#2 Stopping Class to Address Behavior

The second mistake you might be making if your students aren’t listening to you is that you are stopping the class to address the behavior. Interrupting your lesson to address a student’s behavior can lead to power struggles and loss of credibility.

Oftentimes instead of teaching the student and class a lesson, you are embarrassing the student in front of their peers and they may be tempted to snap a remark back. Other students might also start to be disruptive because they subconsciously take note that you are paying attention to the “negative” behavior in class.

Instead, it is recommended to learn alternative methods to maintain control while keeping the learning environment positive. Some strategies include proximity, pointing out the students who ARE following expectations and practicing the expectations in class as a whole WITHOUT singling a student out.

#3 Clip Charts

Another mistake you might be making if your students aren’t listening to you is relying on clip charts. If you are not familiar with them, clip charts are different levels of where a student stands in regard to their behavior for that day. Typically every student starts at a certain level and they can clip up or down based on the choices they make in class. 

Clip charts can be detrimental if your students aren’t listening to you for several reasons. The first reason is students spend their day comparing each other and how they are doing. Another reason they aren’t effective is sudents see that they are labeled “bad” for a choice they made. The next reason why clip charts aren’t recommended is students are publicly humiliated if they make a mistake. 

According to Teacher Goals.com clipcharts have even been shown to “Intensify anxious behavior and decrease engagement.” One Fab Teacher has a video has a video about clip charts you can watch that by clicking here.

Instead of relying on clip charts, it is highly recommended that you use a more positive strategy like a super improver wall. You can learn more about them in this book. Or download a free one by clicking here. 

#4 Not Reviewing or Teaching Procedures

The fourth mistake you might be making if your students aren’t listening to you is you haven’t taught your procedures thoroughly or you haven’t reviewed them consistently. Procedures are the key to a smoothly running classroom. 

Oftentimes we may FEEL like we explained the expectations thoroughly enough, but often times students need procedures modeled, practiced, and discussed multiple times for it to become a habit.

This is the first place you should be going if your students aren’t listening to you. I highly recommend you check out this post where I talk more about how you can teach procedures in an effective way. 

#5 Not Building a Strong Relationship

The final mistake you may be making if your students aren’t listening to you is that you aren’t focusing enough on building a strong relationship with your students. Strong classroom management starts with building a solid relationship with your students. 

As the saying goes if your students don’t trust you they won’t learn from you. That’s why it’s recommended that you intentionally building a strong relationships with your students over the next couple of weeks. 

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Get to know your students interests outside of school
• Share some of your interests outside of school
• Get to know about your student’s home life
• Check in and praise them throughout the day.

Wrap Up:

In summary, the five common mistakes you might be making when your students aren’t listening to you are:

• Taking Away Recess
• Stopping Class to Address Behavior
• Using Clip Charts
• Not Reviewing or Teaching Procedures
• Not Building a Strong Relationship

If you found these insights valuable and want to learn more, check out our 3-day Classroom Management Challenge. Transform your classroom management in just five days.

Remember:

See you next time, teacher bestie!

Love,