Chapter 11 page 251
Table 11.3: Nonverbal and verbal interventions to address minor misbehavior
Intervention Description Examples
Proximity The teacher moves closer to
the misbehaving student. Most
students will not continue to
engage in misbehavior if the
teacher is standing right next to
them, which makes this a very
simple and effective strategy.
When two students are talking in the corner
during a class discussion, the teacher walks over and
stands next to the two students.
A teacher knows that several students in the
back of the room in her third period class have a
tendency to start packing up a minute or two before
the bell rings, so she goes to the back of the room and
stands there before the bell rings.
“The Look” The teacher makes a stern
face that communicates
disapproval to misbehaving
students.
When a high school student pops a piece of gum
in her mouth, the teacher catches her out of the
corner of her eye, looks directly at her, and gives her
“the look,” and the student spits out the gum into a
piece of paper.
Hand signals The teacher uses hand
signals or gestures to
communicate to misbehaving
students.
When a fourth grader calls out an answer
without raising his hand, the teacher places one hand
over his mouth and raises his other hand. This
communicates to the child that the teacher prefers
that he not call out right and that he raise his hand
instead.
When two ninth graders are talking during
seatwork, the teacher catches their eyes and makes a
“Shhh” gesture by placing her index finger over her
lips.
Confiscating
forbidden
items
When a teacher sees students
using forbidden items (checking
cell phones, passing notes), he or
she quietly takes the item, quietly
directing the students to meet to
discuss this after class.When one student passes a note to another, the
teacher walks back to the recipient’s desk, quietly
takes the note, and puts it in her desk, without
missing a beat in the lecture. Later, when students
begin group work, the teacher tells the students to see
her after class.
Facial
expressions
Teachers can use a large
repertoire of facial expressions to
communicate dissatisfaction to
misbehaving students.A raised eyebrow and a slight turn of the head
toward the garbage can signal to a student who has
slipped a piece of gum into his mouth that he is to
throw the gum away.
Call on the
student
If the teacher suspects that a
student is not behaving
appropriately, he or she calls on
the student or uses the student’s
name in a lesson. This subtly
communicates to the student that
the teacher is aware of the
misbehavior.A teacher calls on a student who has started
drawing a picture in her notebook instead of taking
notes for the exam.
As Sarah begins whispering to her neighbor, the
teacher mentions several students, including Sarah,
who will be responsible for clean-up after the art
lesson.Praising good
behavior by
other students
This is a technique that works
primarily with elementary school
students. When some students are
misbehaving, the teacher praises
other students for being well
behaved.A third-grade teacher says, “I am very happy to
see that the students on this side of the room have
already got their math books open and are ready to
begin.” The other students in the class stop talking
and get their books out.