How to Get Kids to Stop Talking While You’re Teaching
link to podcast episode
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Resources/Links
Establish Relationships and Build Rapport
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- It’s a life problem! Students feed off of what they see from adults.
- Build a relationship with students “Kids don’t care what you know until they know you care”
- Have real-world conversations – try to get students to understand their talking has an impact on everyone experience.
- Practice what you preach – At meetings or presentations don’t talk while the presenters are talking. Set an example for your students! Video needs to match your audio.
- Have your KEY phrases down that explain to students why they need to listen – Bring it back to the “WHY”
- Teachable Moments
- Listening to the teacher
- Affecting others
- Not going to know what to do when the game starts
- Teachable Moments
- Remind students you are own their team, build in self-responsibility. What you do affects everyone in your class.
- “The more time you talk the less time you get to play”
- Discussing the value of time. Taking advantage of the time you have.
- Motivation to listen comes from scarcity. If students know that’s the only time they get to play that game they are more likely to listen.
Instagram Live Question: What week do you get into stations with Kindergartners? About the 5th week after we teach rules and procedures and content. Check out Episode 3 for more ideas!
Incorporate an Instant Activity
- Student spend most of their day sitting and not having their brain being active. Instant activities are a great way to stimulate their brain.
- After 2 or 3 minutes of physical activity, the brain is ready to listen. Which can help curb students willing to talk during instruction.
Check out our Awesome Instant Activity Ideas Here
Provide Clear and Consistent Consequences
- When students are not meeting expectations, provide consequences and stick to them.
- Consequences should be clear and done quickly.
- Deliver consequences in a way that shows you’re on their team. “Oh I’m so so sorry you didn’t follow directions, you’re going to have to go sit out and refocus”. Never in a way that is harsh or hurtful.
- Expectations in PE Class
- Strike One – Warning
- Strike Two – Sit out and refocus. Then have a conversation with the student. “Do you know why you’re sitting out?” is the conversation starter.
- Distribute consequences early and often when needed. Sets the tone for the lesson. Make sure to deliver so students feel like you are on their team and not attacking them. Come to the situation with love!
- Team teaching can help with student talking. Students who go to refocus can return to activity sooner because the other teacher can have a conversation with them.
- Review the PE rules as often as needed – I like do “play the game” below after any long break from school as a way to review (Christmas, Thanksgiving, Spring Break).
Instagram question: When do you start instant activities? The only time we do not do instant activities is the first day of class. Take a look at First Day of School Procedures for tips! Ideas for instant activities can be found here!
Self Assess Yourself
- One way to help curb talking in PE class is to videotape yourself. See how long your talking sessions are. If you’re talking more than 5 minutes, it’s difficult for students to pay attention that long.
- Break the teaching sessions into parts. Separate the content and management. Put students where you want them first, then teach the game. Helps to keep them focused.
- Intro – refinement – extension – application. Task Progression!
- Keep it short and sweet! The more you talk the more likely they get bored and start to talk.
- When planning a lesson consider how to relate all the information you want them to know as quickly as you can.
- Include students in teaching and demonstrations to engage the class.
- Explain the value of time to them and let students know your expectations for time.
- Based on a survey of 5th graders each year, the most common response is “If you stop talking we will have more time to play the game. Check out End of Year Survey for ideas!
Create A Positive and Fun Culture
- If your class is not fun then students are not going to be motivated to listen because they do not feel like they are missing out on anything.
- Make their time in Physical Education the best part of their week.
- Hook students, find what makes them excited. Find videos to spark their interest. Check out Andy Vasily for great ideas.
- If the content is not a positive motivation for students, YOU can be a positive motivation for them.
- Bring the energy every time! Make yourself look silly, and make mistakes.
- The less time you spend talking and more time observing students giving feedback are important tools to keep them motivated.
- The most memorable part of the students experience is when the teacher gives feedback on positive actions. Search out these moments to make students feel special.
Incentives and Levels
- Breakdown content into levels helps to keep students on task. Gamify your activities!
- Culminating activities within or at the end of units help to engage and motivate students.
Instagram Live Question: Ideas for what you do for stations in Fitness Testing? Check out the link to How I do Fitness Testing for a detailed look!
Tips for dealing with Bad Sportsmanship?… Check out the Good Sportsmanship Code!
- Prevention over Cure: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
- Super chatty class? Discuss early in the lesson the expectations and compare their goals to another class hope to motivate the class to do as well or better than a previous class.
- Set the tone early before your dealing with the problem during class.
- The same tool can be used for good sportsmanship as well.
- Have that conversation early…can be a whole class conversation or with individual students
Recap
- Know the why – be able to communicate the importance of why they are in PE class!
- Have patience and don’t take it personal. Talking in class is not an attack on you just use the tools to help curb student talking to help.
Have Fun and Teach On!