- Do not let students in right away! Tell them to line up outside the door.
- Have differentiated questions ready for them in order to walk in! (Group by level)
- Choose a “secret agent” every day.
- Think Now: State directions clearly every day. Sit down and take out your materials. Hang your backpack. You should have pen to paper before the bell rings.
- End of period: Everyone must be in their seats for the class to be dismissed. Dismiss by table or by student.* Reward positive behavior by being first to be dismissed.
#35: Reward quiet students
Praise quiet students throughout the lesson. Make a list of these students and let them go slightly earlier than other students. Don’t make a fuss, just let them go early while those who were talking are kept back for a minute or two. A sanction doesn’t have to be particularly harsh in order for it to be effective. In this case, two minutes stood behind a desk while their peers trot out to the bus will be excruciating for some students. You will only have to do it a few times for the message to get through – good behaviour is rewarded.
#39: Secret Agent
Tell the class at the start of the lesson that you are going to secretly pick one student at random to be the Secret Agent (you can put names in a hat or, to save time, just by picking a number from the class list/register). Important: none of the students must know the identity of the Secret Agent. Tell the class that as long as this student has a good lesson (you can formalise this by giving them a behaviour or work target of some sort), the ENTIRE class will receive a reward.
Natalay G. Maria 