How do you stop the side conversations?
I have a little group that keeps a side conversation going and its normally not about the material. I am trying to treat all as adults. What can I do?
I have had the same problem. All that worked for me was calling them out on their chatter and getting pretty loud. I have found if you do not make an example out of one or two of the "problem students" from the get go, others will follow. In my classroom sometimes I feel like I am in a circus and nobody has assumed the role of ring leader yet on the first day. I make sure that in those first few class periods, I assume the role and make it quite clear. Maybe not the most professional way to handle the problem (feel like I am teaching grade school), but it works. You can't be afraid to throw a few of them out of the classroom if it gets that bad. Good Luck, don't know how much this will help!
i try to immediately establish an environment of respect, that we are all adults in the room, and that all of them are paying to be here. this means that it is really their classroom, and it's up to them to maintain the type of room they want. occasionally i am asked if we "have to" go over some material or another. i tell them that, in fact, no, we don't have to go over anything. i already know the material and so if they do too, i can give them the test and we can all go home. i have yet to have real takers on that idea. :)
Try talking to them after or before class. Remind them that they are wasting not only their time but their classmates time. Also, remind them that they will be asked to leave the class if they refuse to show respect to others. You may want to remind them that an employer will not accept this type of behavior and part of their learning is preparing them for the "real" world.
Hi Yvonne,
I concur! I really like how you make this situation applicable to the real world. In your response, you are being very fair to the student before doing something very hard, such as removing the student from class.
Patricia
I ask them if they have a question first time, second time I walk back with my marker and tell them to go and teach the material. I express to them, that they must already know the content of today's lecture and don't need to pay attention. The chatter and side conversations stop with all my students.
I try to determine if the conversation is relevant to the class material or not. If it is about the class, I ask them to bring the discussion to the whole group since others may have similar thoughts/concerns. If it is clearly unrelated, I will usually address it first with a request to re-focus given with a smile. Then I may stay near the group for awhile. If the problem continues, I will usually meet with the key students one-on-one. Often there is one person who is the instigator and others are too timid to tell them to be quiet.
I teach evening courses most of the time, so I move around the room. I actually move around quite a bit. Not only do I keep the attention of the students, but I keep myself active and alert longer too!
I stop talking and focus my attention on the side talkers. This diverts the entire class to them. Then I asked them to share with the class what they were discussing, since it seems more important than the lesson material.
Usually they apologize and stop talking. If it continues, they are asked to leave class until the break and return afterwards.
If they continue to disrupt, they are given a report to submit within 2 days about the lesson material they chose to ignore.
If that doesn't stop it, they are counseled, written up and placed on behavior probation, which could result in them being dropped from the class if it happens one more time.
Hi Sherrie,
I think you are being more than fair! Your students should appreciate the ample opportunities you give them to remain in class although they are being very disrepsectful. I am not this lenient. After the first warning, I remove the student from the class.
Patricia
Sometimes, when I have a couple of students who keep chattering, I bombard them with questions regarding the material that I am discussing. Either they like the challenge and become engaged in the class or they don't like the challenge and they keep quite so that I let up on them. Most of the time this works well for me.
I immediately stop what I am doing and tell the entire class to take out a sheet of paper. I tell them them they are about to take a 20 point pop quiz. Then I proceed to ask them to explain what the last thing I stated was. I really use this when I get the side chatter while another student is asking me a question. I will then tell the class to take out the paper write down what Jessica (the student asking me the question) just asked me and what was my response. Obviously those who weren't paying attention or were unable to hear due to the side conversations will not be able to answer. I let them attempt to answer, hand it in and then proceed to review professionalism and the fact that everything in class is important AND fair game for a quiz/test. Including when I am talking or when a classmate asks me a question. IT WORKS GOOD! I usually only have to do that once so I never really count it as a quiz grade, just use it to prove a point.
I agree. I begin on the first day by explaining that the classroom is my professional workplace and I expect my students, as adults, to behave (and even dress in accordance with school policies) with this in mind. This has helped with many disruptive behaviors, including use of inappropriate language which I will not tolerate. I have found as well that it's often 1 or 2 students and that other instructors have problems with the same students, so we work as team to be consistent. I must admit that I incorporate an "attendance & participation" aspect in every course I teach, so they can lose points for continued problems after an initial warning. This may seem a bit "high school," but I feel it's such an important tool and concept.
I call those students out and it directs the classes attention to them and i wait to continue until their done and tell them they are taking from the students that are here to actually learn. What that does is makes them be quiet cause they dont want the rest of the class getting mad caus they cant get the education they have paid for and are there to learn.
Hi Barbara,
This tactic is very effective. I dislike holding the whole class up though for disruptive students.
Patricia
Wow, I thought maybe my class or I was abnormal, since they are adults but sometimes really don't act like it. There are some really good suggestions here that I will have to try.
every day, reassign seating. Shakes things up.
I have a group of students who speak English as a second language. I know sometimes their side convrsations are related to the course work and they're helping each other out, but since I don't speak Spanish I don't know when they're just chatting.
Hi Dawn,
This can be challenging. You need to let them know plainly that chatting is not allowed.
Patricia
I really believe that relating their behavior to the "real world" is the most effective. Employers will not tolerate that kind of behavior, and we, as instructors of adults, should not either. They may feel they have the "right" to waste their own time and money, but when it affects others, it is no longer a personal decision.
