Okay, you’ve just distributed what you think is a fantastic activity that will engage all learning styles and groups but there is just one thing – a small group of students isn’t paying attention and already it’s causing a bit of havoc in your classrooms.

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Lack of student cooperation can mean many things – sometimes it’s a classroom management issue and sometimes they are tired from running ten track laps. It’s hard for a new teacher to constantly read the cues. But there are a few general areas that can help you prevent issues before they interfere with the classroom and the learning environment.

Modeling and Explaining the Task

Are students self-directed in their work or does it take them a while to settle down and focus? Maybe you need to explain and provide more concrete and visual instructions.

Providing Engaging and Suitable Learning Material

Is the task challenging and motivating for all learner levels and abilities? If not, perhaps you need to differentiate instruction so that all learners are engaged.

Varying the Mode of Interaction

Do you vary the mode of interaction with peer and group work or are all eyes constantly on you? Introduce pair and group work gradually based on small mini tasks that students can do.

Keep tasks short and focused

Avoid prolonging activities. Leave also time for summing up the lesson. Unfinished work can be left for homework or “left-overs” for the next lesson.

Sustain lesson continuity with 1-2 transitions

Transitions can be “Great – you did that very well. Now let’s see how you understand how to work with issue X.”

Remember, successful teaching is largely a performance art at large. Experienced teachers know that they are able to build a teaching presence when they have successfully established their classroom management presence. They then use students’ responses as information to help them plan their lessons.