So, this year I find myself with a group of students that like to talk…excessively…non-stop! Talk, talk and more talk. Did I mention they like to talk?? No, this is not the first time I have had a class that is talkative. But this group of kids might just rank in the Top 10 most talkative! If you are also finding yourself in a classroom full of talkers, read on…
In today’s post I want to share some advice and several strategies that I have used over the years to successfully diminish the amount of excessive talking in my classroom.
Before we get started, it is important that you be very clear with all your students what your expectations are. I always begin the year by letting my students know that when an adult is talking, they are required to have a ‘zero voice level’ (their voice is off). It is also important to let them know what the consequences are if they fail to meet that expectation. And most important of all, you must follow through with that consequence. You can not say one thing and then do another. As with anything in teaching, consistency is key.
To help establish my expectations, one of the first things I teach students is my attention signal. There are many signals you can choose to use. I choose to do a rhythmic clap, the students mimic the clap sequence back to me. Once they finish, they are to stop, look and listen. While this signal does quiet the class down, a class that talks excessively will probably not remain quiet for long and clapping several times an hour can get tiring. Simply put, an attention signal is a great first step, but you have got to have other tools in your bag of tricks.
I have found that often times the students that talk the most are sometimes unaware that they are even talking. For these students many times all that is needed is a signal that the two of you have worked out ahead of time. A go to of mine is simply a finger to my lips. The student indicates that they saw my reminder with a quick nod of the head. If the signal itself doesn’t curb the talking, it may be necessary to keep a tally of the number of times the signal had to be given. While I don’t like to reward students for doing what they should have been doing, if this is an excessive talker, you may need to set a goal of reducing the number of signals or being under a certain number of signals and then follow through with a small reward if the goal is reached.
Many of these talkers are also attention seekers. They want to engage you in a conversation. Now I am all about visiting with my students, but there is a time and place for these visits. When I am in the middle of teaching a math lesson, is NOT the time or place. With these students, I deliberately refrain from engaging in verbal conversation when they are talking out of turn. Instead, I place a laminated strip of gold paper on their desk. The gold indicates they are being warned and need to stop talking. If the behavior continues, I place a laminated strip of red paper on their desk. Students receiving a red strip are required to sign the behavior log. A signature on the behavior log, results in either meeting with the teacher for a few minutes after school or spending 5 minutes of their recess walking the basketball court lines. I choose the consequence that I believe will have the greatest impact on the student. I really like this strategy because it communicates the problem and consequence in a discreet way. I do not have to stop what I am teaching to address the issue. I can place the yellow or red strip on a student’s desk without missing a beat.
The final strategy I’d like to share is what I like to call “Final Fifteen” or “Final Five”. With this strategy, I select a ‘danger behavior’ and set a goal for the class. If the goal is met, students get to engage in a predetermined ‘fun’ activity for the final 15 or 5 minutes of class. For example, to curb talking I might announce that the ‘danger behavior’ for the day is students talking when an adult is talking. The goal might be that this happens not more than 3 times in a class period. If a student does not have a ‘zero’ voice level when I am talking, I put a tally mark on the board. If, at the final fifteen minutes of class, there are 3 or less tally marks on the board, the students are able to engage in the activity I have chosen. I teach math, so the activity usually is a math game of some sort. I use this strategy sparingly as I think the effectiveness will diminish if the opportunity to earn those ‘fun’ minutes happened every day.
I have other strategies in my arsenal that I can implement if needed. The strategies listed above are those that I have found to be the easiest to implement and the most effective.
The trick is to find several that match your teaching style and work well with your class.
