Classroom Management Techniques

The TAPPLE Method – Keep Every Student Engaged. T-A-P-P-L-E 💡 “The best classrooms aren’t quiet—they’re buzzing with thinking, sharing, and accountability.” Definition of the TAPPLE Method A structured engagement cycle that blends classroom management with formative assessment to keep students active, alert, and accountable. 🔑 The Steps of TAPPLE T – Teach First → Present the concept clearly and briefly. A – Ask a Question → Pose a question about what was just taught. P – Pair-Share → Students discuss with a partner. P – Pick a Non-Volunteer → Call on a student who didn’t raise their hand. L – Listen → Pay attention to the response. E – Effective Feedback → Reinforce correct answers or guide gently to the right one. 📘 Classroom Example: Photosynthesis 1. Teach → “Plants need sunlight, water, carbon dioxide.” 2. Ask → “What do plants need?” 3. Pair-Share → Students discuss with partners. 4. Pick → Teacher calls on a random student. 5. Listen → Student responds. 6. Effective Feedback → Teacher praises & reinforces. ✅ Why Use TAPPLE? • Promotes equity → every student gets a chance • Encourages collaboration → builds confidence • Provides real-time formative assessment • Reduces behavior issues by keeping students engaged • Creates a positive, accountable classroom culture 💡 Quick Tip Use TAPPLE every 5–7 minutes in your lesson to keep energy high and learning active. How do you keep all your students engaged and accountable during lessons? 👇 Share your strategies in the comments! #TeachingStrategies #ClassroomManagement #FormativeAssessment #TeacherTips #WholeBrainTeaching #EngagedLearning #Cognia #BritishCouncil

The TAPPLE Method is a classroom management and formative assessment strategy developed by Dr. Chris Biffle (Whole Brain Teaching). It’s designed to keep students actively engaged and accountable during lessons. Here’s what TAPPLE stands for: T – Teach first → Present the information or concept clearly to students. A – Ask a question → Check understanding by asking the class a question related to what you just taught. P – Pair-share → Give students time to quickly discuss their answer with a partner (this boosts participation). P – Pick a non-volunteer → Instead of calling on students who raise their hands, call on any student to answer, ensuring everyone stays alert. L – Listen → Pay close attention to the student’s response to gauge understanding. E – Effective feedback → If the answer is correct, reinforce it positively. If not, guide the student (and class) back to the correct answer without discouraging them. ✅ The goal of TAPPLE is to maintain engagement, equity, and accountability—so all students are involved in the learning process, not just the most eager ones

Classroom management lays the foundation for a thriving learning environment. By building positive relationships, setting clear expectations, and maintaining consistent routines, teachers create structure, reduce disruptions, and foster student engagement. Proactive strategies help anticipate challenges and model emotional regulation, promoting mutual respect and accountability. With strong classroom management, educators reclaim time for meaningful instruction, and classrooms become spaces for growth, reflection, and joy. 🟥 Positive Relationships • In Action: Students are greeted by name, eye contact is intentional, and teachers model empathy and active listening. There’s space for student voice, whether through classroom jobs, reflection journals, or restorative conversations. • Impact: Trust flourishes. Students feel emotionally safe, which reduces anxiety and increases participation. A child who once hesitated to speak now volunteers to lead a group prayer or share a personal insight during a lesson. 🟧 Clear Expectations • In Action: Rules are co-created and posted visually, often with bilingual phrasing or symbolic anchors (e.g., “Speak Life,” “Honor Time”). Teachers revisit expectations regularly, using role-play or anchor charts to reinforce them. • Impact: Students internalize boundaries and begin to self-regulate. Transitions become smoother, and misbehavior is addressed with clarity rather than confusion. A student who once struggled with impulsivity now pauses and redirects themselves before acting. 🟩 Consistent Routines • In Action: Daily rituals like morning meetings, prayer circles, or exit tickets are predictable and purposeful. Visual schedules and timers support executive functioning, especially for neurodiverse learners. • Impact: Students thrive in the rhythm. They know what’s coming next, which frees up cognitive space for deeper learning. A student with attention challenges begins to anticipate tasks and complete them with growing independence. 🟦 Proactive Strategies • In Action: Teachers use proximity, nonverbal cues, and pre-corrections to guide behavior before issues arise. Lessons are differentiated, and seating arrangements are intentional to support collaboration and minimize conflict. • Impact: The classroom feels calm and responsive, not reactive. Students learn conflict resolution and emotional regulation by example. A student who used to shut down during group work now engages with peers confidently, knowing the environment is structured to support them. #TeachWithStructure #LeadWithRhythm

Jigsaw Reading: A Powerful Collaborative Strategy for ESL Classrooms Looking for a student-centered strategy that boosts communication and comprehension in your ESL lessons? Try Jigsaw Reading—a cooperative learning technique where every student becomes both a learner and a teacher. What is Jigsaw Reading? Students are divided into groups and assigned different parts of a text. They first become "experts" in their assigned section, then return to their groups to teach what they've learned. This approach promotes active reading, listening, and speaking skills—all essential in language acquisition. How to Implement It: 1. Divide students into home groups (4–6 students). 2. Assign each member a unique section of the text. 3. Students join expert groups to study and discuss their section. 4. Return to home groups—each student teaches their part. 5. Wrap up with a class discussion, quiz, or reflection activity. -Why It Works for ESL Learners: Builds communication and collaboration Encourages peer teaching and accountability Supports reading fluency and comprehension Boosts learner confidence with manageable text chunks -Pro Tips for ESL Teachers: Scaffold with vocabulary lists and sentence starters Use visuals to aid understanding Monitor and guide group discussions Choose level-appropriate, culturally inclusive texts Integrate speaking or writing tasks as follow-up -Bonus Tip: You can extend this strategy into a project-based task—students create a summary poster, infographic, or even a mini-podcast to present their topic! Let your students lead the learning—because when learners teach, they remember more. #ESLTeaching #CollaborativeLearning #JigsawReading #ActiveLearning #ELT #ESLStrategies #TeacherTips #TESOL #TEFL #LanguageLearning #StudentCenteredLearning #EnglishTeaching #ReadingSkills

PRACTICAL CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT CHECKLIST At the beginning of my teaching career, I often struggled with classroom management. Observing more experienced colleagues and learning through many times of trials and errors helped me realize that classroom management isn’t just about maintaining order. It’s about creating an environment where students feel focused, supported, and motivated to learn. Here’s a practical checklist of reminders that has made a real difference for me: 1. Give clear, simple instructions and model what you expect. 2. Use your voice with clarity and confidence. 3. Monitor without hovering, and step in when needed. 4. Praise effort meaningfully and vary your feedback. 5. Group students strategically to maximize participation. 6. Keep your boardwork clear and organized. 7. Show genuine enthusiasm for your subject. 8. Prepare materials and equipment in advance. 9. Handle discipline calmly and fairly. When these small but powerful practices come together, the classroom becomes a space where learning flows naturally. What about your own checklist for managing the classroom? Let's share in the comments! #ClassroomManagement #TeachingPractice #TeacherDevelopment #EllieLeELT #TeachersOfLinkedIn

10 𝙒𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙏𝙤 𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝘼 𝙇𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙚 𝘾𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙊𝙛 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨 Teaching over 40 young learners in one classroom is not the same as teaching over 40 high-school students. These are two very different groups that require different teaching styles, classroom routines, and energy levels. I remember talking to a fellow teacher about how just one teacher was managing over 40 little children in her class. He couldn’t believe it. He thought I was exaggerating. Honestly, it is real to see just one teacher managing 40 children. It is challenging, but with the right strategies, it is possible to teach well and keep everyone learning happily. Here are 10 practical ways to manage a large class of young learners: 1. Establish Simple Rules Early Children thrive when they know what’s expected of them. Keep the rules short and clear, for example: “Raise your hand to speak,” “Keep your hands to yourself,” and “Take care of our things.” Practice these rules often, especially in the first few weeks. 2. Create Routines for Everything Young children feel safe and organized when they know what happens next. Have a clear routine for entering the class, handing in homework, group activities, and cleaning up. This reduces noise and confusion. 3. Use Visual Cues Large classes can be hard to control with your voice alone. Use charts, hand signals, claps, or bells to get their attention. A visual schedule on the wall helps children remember what’s next. 4. Group Learners Smartly Divide the class into small groups or “teams.” This makes it easier to give attention to everyone. You can rotate activities so that while one group is doing independent work, you can focus on another. 5. Appoint Classroom Helpers Choose a few learners each week to help with handing out books, arranging chairs, or leading lines.It saves you time and teaches them responsibility. 6. Keep Instructions Short and Clear Long explanations lose young children’s attention. Use simple sentences and demonstrate what you want them to do. 7. Plan Engaging Activities Bored children often get restless or disruptive. In a large class, keep lessons interactive, include songs, movement, short games, or quick turn-and-talks, so everyone stays involved. 8. Move Around the Room Don’t stay in one spot. Walking around while teaching keeps learners alert and helps you notice anyone who needs help or is getting distracted. 9. Use Positive Reinforcement Praise good behavior loudly enough for others to hear: “I like how Peace is sitting quietly.”This encourages others to follow. You can also give group rewards, like stars or stickers. 10. Stay Calm and Consistent Managing a large class can be overwhelming, but children sense when you are stressed. Keep your voice calm, follow your rules consistently, and don’t let small disruptions throw you off.

💪 Isabelle! I want to become a Professor because I love research and teaching! Is this a good idea? 💪 As you can imagine, I always like to ask my students what they would like to do after their study or PhD. Sometimes, I hear the following answer: 👀 I want to be a Professor! When I ask them what they mean by "being a Professor", their answer often sounds like this: 👀 I want to be a Professor because I love research! or/and 👀 I want to be a Professor because I love teaching! The thing is, being a professor involves far more than researching and teaching. Being a professor also involves the following tasks: 🔸 Supervision of PhD students and Postdocs 🔸 Curriculum development and evaluation 🔸 Research funding strategy 🔸 Governance and strategic planning 🔸 Manuscript editing and supervision 🔸 Participation to conferences 🔸 Committee involvement (exam committee, program director, member of a scientific board, etc,) 🔸 Peer review and editorial work 🔸 Outreach and community engagement 🔸 Seek and establish international collaboration and partnerships 🔸 Technology transfer and commercialization 🔸 Administrative tasks (emails, meetings, bureaucratic processes, etc.) One day, a student asked me why professors took so long to answer their emails. The student said: "but they're paid to do teaching, aren't they? So why is it so complicated to answer a simple email?". This made me laugh and cry at the same time. I wish students would see the number of emails that land every day in our inbox and the number of tasks we're supposed to achieve. 💡 There are a lot of tasks that a professor needs to take on, leaving very little time for the actual research that many early career researchers interested in a professorship really want to do. 💡 This can lead to frustration and the feeling that we can never find the time to focus on research-related tasks. It often feels like research is something you should do in your free time (i.e., evenings or weekends). 💡 Be aware of this if you consider this path; that will help you better managing potential frustration and planning your tasks carefully! 💡 On the other hand, it also means that being a professor is never boring: there are so many different tasks that every day is completely different. 💝 Now I also hope that (PhD) students can better understand why professors always take so long to reply to a simple email or give feedback on a manuscript! ---   👋 Hi, I'm Isabelle, Captain at NextMinds, which provides tools to early-career scientists to help them navigate through #academia 💌 Interested in getting some of these tools directly in your inbox? Go to the "Featured" section of my profile!

Some of the top Engineering Schools have very less load on the professors. They are generally expected to teach for just three hours a week and they don’t teach close to 3 months in a year. They have many TAs to work for them and handle their lab. A genuine question. What are they expected to do outside this time? There’s plenty of things that a teacher should work on: 1. Continuously refine examples, analogies, and anecdotes. Even when teaching the same subject, lecture notes deserve a thoughtful update. 2. Design problem sets that aren’t trivially solvable by GenAI, yet use it meaningfully. This is tough and demands real effort. A rich, curated question bank is something every student values. 3. Shift toward project-based learning (PBL) wherever possible. 4. Engage regularly with students. When a teacher is approachable and effective, students genuinely seek their time. 5. Interact with industry to bring long-overdue curriculum updates. ACM guidelines and WA often go stale before adoption — treat them as references, not scriptures. 6. Actively connect with the job market to help students land strong internships. 7. Dedicate 20% of one’s time to upskilling students based on market needs — evenings or weekends work fine. 8. Work towards Research and Development that reaches translation eventually.

Barak Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction remains one of the most rigorous and transformative syntheses of what makes teaching effective. It distills decades of research in cognitive science, classroom observation, and pedagogy into timeless, practice-oriented principles. From reviewing prior knowledge and teaching in small steps, to checking for understanding and providing scaffolds, Rosenshine captures the craft and science of teaching in a way that is both empirically grounded and deeply humane. Whether you are a teacher educator, curriculum designer, school leader, or policy thinker, this document is indispensable. It bridges theory and practice, offering clarity to what great teaching looks like in action. I have found it immensely useful in my own work, especially when training teachers or designing curriculum frameworks. Every educator should not just read it, but internalize and implement it in their classrooms, teacher-training programs, and institutional designs. #Education #Teaching #Pedagogy #Curriculum #TeacherEducation #InstructionalDesign #LearningSciences

1. Refocus the Energy Then (2016): Redirect a student’s attention by engaging them in a task. Now: Invite the student into purpose. Example: Instead of: “Stop tapping the desk!” Try: “Can you help pass out the journals?” Or: “Let’s see who can get their materials out and ready the fastest—you lead.” Why it works: Children don’t always need a correction. Sometimes, they need a mission. 2. Give Students a Break Then: Offer short mental or physical breaks to reset focus. Now: Normalize breaks as brain regulation. Example: “You’ve been working hard—take two minutes at the calm table.” Or for younger kids: “Let’s visit the breathing corner.” Pro tip: Let breaks be chosen—not assigned as punishment. Empowerment changes everything. 3. Use Non-Verbal Cues Then: Use eye contact, gestures, or signals. Now: Make cues a shared language. Example: Tap the desk twice = Eyes on me. Hand on heart = Remember our classroom promise. Current child need: Visual learners, neurodivergent students, and anxious learners benefit from predictable, non-verbal systems. 4. Address the Disruption Quickly and Quietly Then: Handle problems without embarrassing the student. Now: Preserve dignity as a sacred practice. Example: Walk over. Whisper: “Can we talk for a second after the activity?” Avoid: Correcting in front of peers or making it a “teachable moment” at the student’s expense. Today’s child: They are emotionally aware. They remember how you made them feel. 5. Offer Kinesthetic Movement Options Then: Allow students to move or stretch to release energy. Now: Build movement into daily structure. Example: “Would you like to stand and work today?” “We’re going to learn this vocabulary while clapping it out!” Brain breaks every 20–30 minutes. Why it works: Movement builds memory. Motion strengthens focus. Stillness isn't always engagement. 6. Give Anonymous Reminders Then: Remind the class without calling out specific students. Now: Use inclusive language that invites reflection. Example: “I notice some folks need a reminder about voice levels.” “Let’s all check ourselves—are we focused or distracted?” New suggestion: Use self-assessment cues: thumbs-up, sideways, or down behind the back to check in. Keeps ownership with the student. ✨ Final Thoughts This generation is different. They’re more sensitive, more aware, more expressive. Disruption isn’t always defiance. Sometimes it’s a cry for connection, a need for movement, a test of trust. As leaders, we don’t just teach reading. We set the conditions where children can think, feel, and thrive. This summer, reflect deeply. What are you willing to change so children don’t have to be changed to survive your classroom? #LavertLines™ #TeachTheBrain #DisciplineWithDignity