<B>By Shardha SANDAPEN</B>

Effective teachers have fewer management problems than ineffective ones. This is because their preparation, relationships, teaching skills and management behaviours prevent or minimise control problems. They are able to make their expectations clear to students, keep them on task with worthwhile learning problems or, should they arise, act quickly to prevent them spreading or becoming more serious. Hence, teachers? initial efforts should be directed mainly at promoting a learning environment that prevents or minimises problems. However, tribulations will occur during teaching and we must be able to respond to them through careful observation, through a thoughtful analysis of possible causes, and through the selection and use of an appropriate technique. The following is a short list of simple techniques which are designed to nip the problem in the bud through quick, low-key and decisive action:

● Look/ Pause/ Comment: these methods can be used with many minor problems, such as brief inattention, a quick conversation between students, a non-response, a spontaneous call-out or a distraction. Non-verbal techniques, such as stopping mid-way in a sentence, a pause or a look in the direction of the offender, can often resolve the difficulty without stopping the lesson. A comment can involve asking a question, requesting attention, sharing a joke or restating your expectations.

● Presence: presence involves moving over to where the inappropriate behaviour is taking place. Generally, this will result in resolution of the situation. If necessary, establish what caused the unproductive behaviour then check the cause. If there is an object distracting the students, remove it. If one student is copying the work of another, your presence will stop the behaviour. Is the off-task behaviour because the work is too hard to understand, too easy, or uninteresting? Try a quick private discussion to establish the cause and, if necessary, alter the pattern of teaching. This step is most important because learning difficulty is the cause of many problems.

● Reprimand: a reprimand may be effective in resolving an individual or class disruption. However, it should be used with caution for in cases of attention-seeking behaviour such as showing off, calling out or asking irrelevant questions, it might become counter-productive. This is because your attention to the behaviour has provided the student with the attention he/she was seeking. Your response then becomes a reward and the behaviour is likely to be repeated. Rather, ignore this type of behaviour and give approval for the sort of behaviour that you want.

● Time Out: In its simplest form, time out involves removing the student from the immediate area for a short period of time. Before doing this you should give the student a quiet warning. If the student still does not pay attention then you move him/her to another desk or an open space in the room, but not outside. You must be able to keep an eye on the learner and he/she should continue to be involved in the learning task. After a few minutes, when the student has reflected on his/her behaviour and settled down, he/she should be allowed to return to his/her place. When you then note the learner on-task acknowledge it.

● Student -Teacher Discussion: discussion is a technique best suited to more serious problems. When a serious problem occurs, stay calm and do not get into a confrontation. Set the class to work and remove the defiant student from the situation. Indicate that action will be taken later and after the discussion. This gives time to defuse the situation, retains your credibility with other students and gives the defiant student the opportunity to think things over. What action you then take will very much depend on the seriousness of the problem.