I have made sveral posts lately discussing how teachers should use the “least intervention” possible when dealing with minor classroom management problems.

Obviously, we have been speaking about *minor* disturbances…passing notes, writing notes, talking with a friend etc.

We’ve discussed many different strategies for handing these minor problems…eye contact, moving to the proximity of the disruption, the pause, the look, the gesture, using student names appropriately, using praise effectively, the Premack principle (a.k.a. Grandma’s Law), and cueing.

However, sometimes we forget the most obvious and most simple way to handle minor disturbances…humor.

Some say sarcasm has no place in the classroom…I beg to differ.

Cupping your hands over your mouth and saying “Space shuttle to earth, can you hear me!” can get students back in their seats and refocused on task. Better yet, it does so with a little smile and a chuckle from everyone AND also helps build upon that all-important student-teacher relationship.

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The Teaching Tips Machine recommends…

Marjan Glavac’s How to Make a Difference

To learn how to make a difference in the lives of your students and inspire them to do their best for the rest of their lives with teacher tested techniques you can use immediately in your classroom…make sure to read How to Make a Difference @ www.howtomakeadifference.com

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