The “Law of Least Intervention”…the next step.

Last week’s teaching tip was how to effectively use eye contact to minimize classroom disturbances. But, what if that doesn’t work?

Sometimes eye contact fails to stop a student from minor misbehaviors…maybe this is because the student is not looking at the teacher or maybe it is too subtle of an approach for the student to recognize the teacher’s intent.

Well…then move onto the next step of least intervention…Physical Closeness

The next thing a teacher should do is simply move to the proximity of the disturbance.

The teacher who is able to continue teaching while moving about the room can easily stop problems with just his physical presence.

Getting physically close to the students who are off-task allows for direct eye contact that may not have been possible earlier.

Again, using this approach does not require the teacher to stop the lesson and does not bring any embarrassment to the student.

In other words, the lesson doesn’t miss a beat!

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To gain an arsenal of effective teaching strategies that you can start applying to your very next class read eTeach: A Teacher Resource for Learning the Strategies of Master Teachers @ www.TeachingTeacher.com/

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Last week I discussed the “Law of Least Intervention”. This is how a teacher addresses minor disturbances with the “least” amount of disruption to teaching/learning.

The first step on the ladder of least intervention is quite simple. However, do NOT underestimate the power of this simple strategy.

Here it is: eye contact

First of all, it is important for teachers to remember that the vast majority of classroom management problems start out from minor incidents that quickly escalate.

Therefroe, a teacher who wants to be an effective classroom manager is constantly scanning the room. This constant scanning will stop many misbehaviors from ever occurring and will prevent other misbehaviors from escalating.

However, if this automatic scanning does not stop the disturbance then it is time for the teacher to stop scanning and make direct and prolonged eye contact with the student who is causing the problem.

The rest of the students do not even notice what is happening and the lesson does not miss a beat. However, the non-verbal message from the teacher to the problem student was loud and clear…”I see what you are doing…now stop and don’t let it happen again.”

Teachers should not underestimate how important eye contact is during a lesson. By effectively scanning the room and making prolonged eye contact when necessary the teacher can stop classroom management problems without having to stop the lesson.

If that doesn’t work, its time for the teacher to take it to the next step…

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To gain an arsenal of effective teaching strategies that you can start applying to your very next class read eTeach: A Teacher Resource for Learning the Strategies of Master Teachers @ www.TeachingTeacher.com/

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One of things I am working on this summer is another e-course to complement my original classroom management e-course (http://www.Classroom-Management-Tips.com)

However, this course will focus on how teachers should handle minor disruptions…as it is often times the minor disruptions that teachers themselves turn into major disruptions…

The course will be roughly 10 parts and I hope to come out with it before school starts in the fall though I thought I would start posting some of what I have already finished here…

So today’s post will focus on the theory of “least intervention”…

Regardless of how effective a teacher uses proactive classroom management strategies minor disruptions will still occur in the classroom.

Eliminating all classroom management issues is nearly impossible.

Some teachers use the strict approach by reacting to every minor disturbance while other teachers chose to simply ignore the misbehavior altogether.

There are problems with both of these approaches…

The problem with the strict approach is that it presents the teacher as a negative role model, and it may lead to an overall negative feeling in the classroom and towards learning and school in general. What’s worse, the teacher’s response may actual cause greater disruption to learning than the student’s original misbehavior.

On the other hand, if a teacher simply ignores the problem, the misbehavior will most likely NOT go away…In fact, the misbehavior will most likely escalate.

So what’s a teacher to do?

The answer is the teacher must find a balance between the two approaches. Many experts call this the “Law of Least Intervention”.

Basically, the teacher has a series of steps that require the least amount of teacher time and least amount interruption to learning. The teacher starts with the first step requiring the least intervention and if that doesn’t work quickly moves up the ladder to the next step which requires slightly more intervention and so on.

By using this approach the teacher can maintain a positive learning environment while at the same time maximize time on task.

Remember, the intervention should take the least amount of time…the least amount of teacher effort…create the least unpleasant feeling for both teacher and student…and have the least disruption to the learning environment.

Over the course of the next several weeks I will post some of the steps that I use on the ladder of least intervention.

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To gain an arsenal of effective teaching strategies that you can start applying to your very next class read eTeach: A Teacher Resource for Learning the Strategies of Master Teachers @ www.TeachingTeacher.com/

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While I certainly spend a lot of time on my bike, at the beach, and with my family, I also…as many other teachers must do…work during the summer.

But as I have stated before my “summer job” is a little different than the typical summer job that many teachers are forced to take…

You can read about my summer job in this previous post: http://teaching-tips-machine.com/blog/?p=39

Basically my summer job is an online business…

I create both paid and free teacher resources.

My three ebooks (and a handful of affiliate products) are the only way I make money through all of this so I greatly appreciate all of you who have purchased one or more or them…that is the ONLY way I could keep doing what I am doing.

My free teacher resources include this blog, my newsletter (The Teaching Tips Machine…that sends out weekly teaching tips), my teachers forum (http://www.Teaching-Tips-Machine.com/forum), a classroom management e-course (http://www.Classroom-Management-Tips.com), some free reports, and many, many articles.

As you can imagine, working this “side business” takes quite a bit of time…

Lately, I have been focusing on article writing and focusing more on articles to help teachers get a teaching job…

Through my research I am saddened by the number of potentially great teachers who simply can not find a teaching job…

On one popular teacher forum many teachers are simply giving up and looking into other careers because the competition to get a teaching job is just too tough.

For some reason there is a huge misconception that getting a teaching job is easy.

The fact is…getting a teaching job can be quite difficult…especially in certain parts of the country.

You really need to do EVERYTHING you can to get an edge on the competition…

I have written about seven different articles now that are designed to show teachers how to get that edge.

You can read all seven of them here:
http://www.teacherinterviewtips.com/teacher_interview_articles.htm

Hope you find them useful.

I truly believe that the articles I have written over the past few months can help teachers get an edge on the competition.

If you are still looking for a teaching job or know anyone else who is struggling to find a teaching job than make sure to visit my free article page here:
http://www.teacherinterviewtips.com/teacher_interview_articles.htm

I will continue to add articles to this page as I write them.

Have a great day!

–Adam

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