It is of the utmost importance that you are mentally prepared to execute this series of moves as many times as you need, whenever the smallest disruption occurs, even if you only manage to say two full sentences in an entire class period. You will, if you execute this “walking to the rules” move each and every time you feel students’ attention waning, build a strong foundation for the class’s success this year. The Importance of the First Days of Class The first few days and weeks of the new term are a special time, a golden time, and your best shot at cultivating a classroom environment that is conducive to deep, focused listening and comprehension. We don’t get any “do-overs” after the first week of school has gone by. We either establish clear leadership and expectations in those first lessons or, as too many of us have sadly experienced, we will struggle the rest of the term to keep students focused on the discussion and language input. Thus, as you are engaging in Small Talk and Card Talk, or other activities, just know that the activity itself is not actually the main focus of your instruction. Rather, your main objective is to reinforce the Classroom Rules at every turn, perhaps up to fifty times per class period during those first days. This sends a powerful message. While certain students in the first days of school are quietly watching their teachers for signs of weakness that they will exploit in the months ahead - and there are kids who do that - we send them the powerful message that in our classes they won’t be doing that. Classroom management is important in every classroom, but especially in a proficiency-based class because so much of the time is spent in community conversations, and students need to exert a good deal of selfcontrol to keep the discussion on track, particularly when it is conducted in a new language. Below, you will read a more detailed explanation of a multi-tiered classroom management system to support students in being productive members of the class community. Pointing to the rules over and over until they “stick” in the class’s minds is the first line of defense, or “Plan A.”
There are always students who will test even the most consistent teacher. So, simply standing by the rules will not be enough for all students. If you succeed at disciplining yourself to consistently, with unerring predictability, use “Plan A” each and every blessed time there is a disruption in the Force, you lay the foundation for the whole class to understand the expectations in a concrete and visceral, real way. Page 47
