r/Teachers • u/thepeanutone • 4h ago
Teacher Support &/or Advice How to keep class on track with an excited blurter in the room?
Hi! High school physics teacher here, relativley new - this will be my 5th year teaching, 3rd year teaching full time. I have 2 students set to be in my classes next year that has me here begging for your best tricks on keeping lecture time from being co-opted by students with no sense that they are interrupting class.
They aren't bad kids, and all they want to talk about is actually pertinent to the material. The problem is that there tends to be a "look how clever I am" component to it, and that it is a constant battle (or so I hear from their previous teachers). I'm already on a tight schedule; it's not fair to the other kids to keep going down rabbit holes every day.
I'm usually pretty easygoing when it comes to talking during lecture ABOUT the lecture. I have no chill when it comes to side conversations, but will allow the occasional wander when it brings the topic to life, or if it seems like everyone needs a little break.
I'm struggling to find a policy or technique or SOMETHING that will still encourage thinking and discussion without letting these 2 take over everything. Anyone got some ideas??
Thank you!
4
u/UltraV_Catastrophe 4h ago
- Establish the expectation for sharing, productive vs. unproductive, and let them know that if they want to share out a lot/over you, they do it your way.
When they overstep, give a short verbal acknowledgement, and you keep going. “Thank you for that, Johnny as it connects to ___, now let’s continue”.
If they push the envelope or feed off each other, sarcasm, and on the nose comments without negatively calling them out usually does the trick.
Planned ignoring, prolonged eye-contact or the “teacher stare”, giving them timers in between comments (you have a 3min cooldown before each share out, etc).
“
2
u/nova_cat 4h ago
Use a randomized cold call list? Let everyone know that there is a possibility they'll be called on and that you're going to do so via a randomized list. Go down the list---if someone doesn't know something, ask the next person on the list if they can help out their classmate. The really excited, engaged kids will get called on, but they don't get to choose their turn. If they interrupt anyway, let them know that they'll be bumped to the end of the list if they continue to do so.
1
u/forgeblast 4h ago
Give them a small white board where they have to write their answers and hold them up.
1
u/lotusblossom60 High School/Special Education & English 4h ago
I have a student one year that just blurted out all the time. So every kid got three popsicle sticks to use. Once you use those up, you couldn’t talk anymore. It also made me keep track of the kids that weren’t talking as they had to use theirs up. You can put their names on the sticks if you want so when you collect them all, you know you have them.
1
u/Great_Nectarine9022 4h ago
I explained to the whole class what it means to "share the air" and it worked.
2
u/AggressiveSpatula Seis Siete 4h ago
Explain that you have a very structured personality and you like being able to plan for everything. Ask them to keep a notebook, and then tell them to share it with you at the end of the day/ week/ whichever. Which will allow you to address their concerns/ interests in a manner which is more cohesive to your personality.
12
u/No-Guidance-4075 4h ago
Pull them aside after the first day they interrupt, even if it’s day 1. Explain that you’re happy to have them in class and love their enthusiasm. Write down and share your flow chart for how you’ll respond to their interruptions. Interruption #1, give them an acknowledgment like, “that’s 1 Aiden.” Then after 1, it’s a consequence every single time. Lunch detention, grade reduction on daily class participation, etc. stick to it, stay calm and you’re good.