Foreign Language and Group Work Where Discussion is Necessary
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Question: I am a foreign language teacher so there has to be talking and action in my classroom. The students misinterpret this activity as meaning you can talk about whatever you like. I have worked on it and worked on it and told them they may talk only in the target language but many are just first year students. What should I do here?
Answer: The whole idea here is that there is a consequence for anything that is not contributing positively to the classroom environment that you, as a professional, want. Most activities that seem like they are a loophole are not at all if you check the rules; in this case, students not talking about the assignment are off task, and receive detention. My experience (and I tell students this) is that I can merely look at their body language and listen to the tone of the conversation without knowing exactly what they are saying to know if they are on the assignment or not, so I don’t have to be near them or listen to false protests of ’We were talking about the work’. ‘Get on Task or come after school today’.
An Example of Good Group Work
A More Challenging Group
Also, I recommend quiet academic book work for the first week or two to get students accustomed to a focused atmosphere, then slowly breaking them into the group work a bit at a time, and immediately stopping it and going back to quiet work if they are off-task, so that they know group work is a privilege and not for gossip or social networking.
Hi Shirley,
I hear you! I have a grade 3/4 class – 8 and 9 year olds. I have the same children that were in grade 3 last year. My room was a cyclone, chairs and tables upturned, rubbish on floor, nothing put back. It got to the point where i took away their trays in their desks. I started the year afresh and I have implemented the rules for 3 weeks now. I am no expert but i have had children do the same thing. My response is what would you prefer? this puts the ball in the students court. They really dont want to miss out on lunch, they are just saying that to see what reaction they get and to see if you are going to follow through? I also give my kids a choice, as in my school i can only make them miss out on lunch at the “red seat” near the principals office for major behaviour things like violence, i sit the students outside the classroom, (I have had ten there at one time for talking when i am talking, calling out, laying on the carpet etc). I tell them they can do 10 minutes now or 20 mins after school. I go and have my lunch in the staffroom, and come back in 10 minutes, they are all still sitting there. But if they dont or if the other children tell me they ran away and come back, they get 20 minutes after school.
I know you may not be able to keep them after school and in which case, they come for two days at lunch times.
Good luck.
While this issue can be very tough for most people, my opinion is that there has to be a middle or common ground that we all can find. I do appreciate that you’ve added relevant and rational commentary here though. Very much thanks to you!
A couple of things; it the talking does not detract from the lesson, you need not enforce a detention every time. Zero in on one student at a time and get them to behave absolutely through detention, rules copying, parent calls, seat change next to your desk, everything you’ve got. Don’t try to discipline the whole class all at once over and over. Once the class sees you can get the worst student to behave, your directions will have bite since they know what lies ahead if they are next.
Also, you might review the rules daily and have students practice these behaviors with you until it becomes more habit with them.
I have some questions.. I am a scottish primary teacher teaching children of 9 years old. I have implemented ‘the rules’for one week. My detention time takes place at lunch time as I would not be permitted to keep children back after school. The children are giving me comments such as is it just 15 minuites detention or all of lunch time? I have had a minimum of 6 children in each day and indeed the whole class twice. The main problem is the no talking rule -they just cant seem to follow it. Is nine years old too young to implement these rules? The same children are constantly offending. What else can I do? I have 33 pupils with varying needs and I am finding the class extremely difficult. Please help.. thankyou in anticipation
I have a sixth grade boy, who is a brilliant strategist and debater. He has no idea that he is rude when talking back or arguing. Very entitled upbringing. I never get into his wheeling and dealing, or argue with him. He is often on level one, our school’s discipline system; misses lunch and hates it, and recently sat at my desk for a week. (Finally he phrased the question of returning to his seat with “please” so I let him return.
Any advise? TK