Effective
classroom management is very key to optimum classroom performance as a teacher.
I am sure you know this as a teacher. However, no classroom is well-managed where
there is lack of concentration among learners.
Whatever be
the effort of the teacher, the quality of materials and teaching; as well as
the methodology applied to reach out to the pupils; if the learners are not
concentrated, the class becomes uncontrollably rowdy, resulting to the erosion
of whatever that is being taught.
Every
average teacher has this as one of his/her greatest challenge in managing
his/her classroom- lack of concentration among pupils. And we all know too well
that if this area is not settled, classroom management becomes a dream in
futility.
Hence, every
great teacher seeks a way to get learners achieve maximum concentration level
while lesson is going on.
Remember,
school children, especially those in the lower key stages, are prone to
restiveness- concentration is totally not part of their natural instincts- so,
you’ve got to train them and instill the skill and attitude of concentration in
them.
How do you do it?
In this
post, I share with you what is technically called ‘The 7 Laws of Classroom
Concentration’- they are 7 guided instructions that must form part of your key
classroom rules, and be made to be obeyed to the letter by your pupils. Frankly
speaking, if you get it right here, you would have tackled more than half of
your classroom challenges as a teacher.
#Law 1: Get your materials ready
before lesson time
You must
emphasize on this until it becomes a habit with your pupils. In a typical
classroom situation where such rules are not applied, pupils spend close to 10
minutes, if not more looking for and arranging their lesson materials, which
would also eat deep into the lesson period proper.
Moreover,
you must have noticed as a teacher that at such a time when your pupils are
busy looking for their lesson materials, the classroom becomes uncontrollably
wild- you hear screaming and shouts of ‘give
me my pen, where is my book?, I gave you my math set yesterday blab la blab!’And
you’ll likely join the chorus: Stop making noise, keep quiet, settle down,
Can’t you hear me? Please time is going blab la blab!
How
long will you keep doing this? If the kids could be trained on how to make
their materials ready before any lesson time, this problem will be eliminated
or at worst be reduced to the barest minimum.
#Law 2: Have a good rest and
recreation
You as a
teacher will help to create this. You don’t eat deep into their recreation
period and expect them to concentrate during lessons. If there is a time
earmarked for pupils to rest, enforce it and never allow any child do any other
thing else, no matter how important that may appear.
When pupils
are not allowed to have their recreation during recreation time, it would then
be futile expecting them to learn during lesson time. Great teachers don’t toy
with the lesson time table. You have to make sure you don’t eat into the
children’s recreation period for any reason. On the other hand, never tolerate
this- any of your pupils doing any other thing when it’s time for recreation.
Let
recreation time be recreation time; then the children will concentrate during lesson
periods.
#Law 3: Be time-conscious
When pupils
are trained to be time-conscious in meeting targets, they have less time to
lose concentration, as they are bound to concentrate in order to meet up with
given targets.
If you as a
teacher, has taught your pupils on the power and essence of time consciousness
through personal example and regular emphasis, the pupils will get to a point
where they will treat time with every caution as not to waste it.
And the
truth is that when people are mindful of time, they give no room for
distraction- there is maximum concentration. You must have come across some
school children who keep talking and distracting others unnecessarily during
class work or during exams, even when they are behind schedule. They do that because
there is this feeling that they can finish at any time and submit their works
at any time, hence there is no regard for the prompt use of time.
But imagine
when a child is very sure that he has say, only 30 minutes to finish up his
work, and the teacher is very strict with that deadline, how on earth will he
lose concentration from the real deal? Never!
#Law 4: Be attentive in the classroom
This cannot
be over-emphasized. You have to enforce it. While we might have been advised to
be lenient while dealing with school children, especially those in the lower
key stages, there are certain areas of the classroom life that requires
sternness- attentiveness in the classroom is one such area- you don’t take it
lying low with any child that won’t be attentive while lesson is going on.
When each
child pays attention to the ongoing classroom activity, there is usually less
room to have distraction that could lead to loss of concentration.
Meanwhile,
as a teacher, you know too well that you have a big part to play in keeping
your learners attentive during classroom engagement. Let your lesson be
engaging enough as to engage all learners under your tutorship.
#Law 5: Maintain a good sitting posture
and position
You don’t
allow your pupils to sit in a haphazard way in the class. This might
inconvenience them, thereby making it difficult for them to concentrate. Also
consider the sitting position of each child based on their personality.
You can’t shout
down on the kids when they complain of discomfort due to poor sitting
arrangement. Hence as a teacher, you both emphasize and work towards ensuring
that your pupils are seated in a way that each child finds convenience and also
have a clear view of the board.
You also
need to study the personality traits of your pupils as to know those who are
easily distracted by light and movements and keep them away from such objects
of distraction.
#Law 6: Keep away the trash
You also
need to help out in this area. Every material or item that could form an object
of distraction should be kept away from the pupils during lesson times. This
includes materials on previous or upcoming lesson, water bottle and all what’s
not.
Emphasize
this to your pupils and ensure they adhere to it religiously. You don’t allow
your pupils keep their lunch box or water bottle close to their desks while
lesson is going on- if you do, you’ve given license to dull ones among them
find a tool of distraction. It’s also wrong to allow kids keep notes of
previous lessons or upcoming ones on their desks while a particular lesson is
ongoing.
The rule is
simple: Let every trash be kept away!
#Law 7: Share your inconvenience with
your teacher
Emphasize on
this- your pupils should find it easy to share with you things that affect
their ability to concentrate in the classroom; and efforts must be made to
proffer the appropriate solution.
Most times
when you see pupils being distracted and losing concentration during lessons,
it might be as a result of inner worries and inconveniences, some of which they
crave for privacy to share with a more matured and caring mentor. When they are
not sure they can share such fears and worry with you, the next they do is
either share with their friends while lesson is going on or they keep it to
themselves- but they must have lost every interest in the ongoing lesson.
As a
teacher, you need to create such a room for your students to find in you a
worthy mentor and reliable confidant, with whom they can easily share their
fears and inconveniences and be sure of a solution.
Be that
mother and mentor to them and let them know it.
Conclusion
Concentration
of your pupils during lesson time helps you in more ways than one, to giving
your best as well as getting the best result from your pupils. Let these 7
guided laws be part of your classroom today. By the time your pupils
embrace it, you must have won the battle of classroom management in a very
effective and efficient way.
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