Strategies & Intervention Ideas
February 2006
Volume 1, Issue 4
Topic of the Month
Effective Teacher Commands:
Establishing Classroom Control
Teacher commands are an important tool for classroom management. Effective commands let the students know the teacher’s expectations for appropriate behavior and what needs to be done. By using effective positive teacher commands, teachers may reduce problems with student compliance and make their commands more forceful.
Effective Teacher commands are:
- Brief
- Delivered one at a time
- Uses specific language to clearly state request
- Avoid authoritative tone of voice
- Avoid negative voice or sarcasm
- Stated as directives rather than questions
- Avoid long explanations
- Allow students short but reasonable amount of time to comply with command
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Commands are NOT effective when:
- Commands are presented as questions
- Commands are presented with polite requests “Could you please keep your voice down?”
- Commands are followed up with long justifications or explanations
- Commands are stated in vague terms
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Staff "Teacher Command" Ideas That Have Worked ...
- “ When I give a directive, I follow it up with an incentive”
- “I allow some natural consequences to occur, like a zero because they did not hear me say to pick up a worksheet. The students start to see that they are the ones that need to listen in order to get good grades”
- “I deliver my directions step by step”
- “In order for me to know if certain students heard the directive, I have them repeat it back to me. It also helps them learn how and what to listen for”
- “I present directives in the following outline: What, How, Materials, When. Sometimes I have them write these directions down.”
- “I reinforce students in my class who I see following directives from myself, peers and other staff members.”
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* Please remember to email your interventions strategies to me by March 1, for the March Newsletter!
If you have any questions on interventions or strategies to use in your classroom, I would be happy to help!
Have a wonderful day! Kristin Bilik
