Tuesday 13 September 2016

No shouting...

I am trying to get through a year without shouting.

It's hard work because I'm good at shouting. By that, I mean, I'm very good at commanding a room with my voice. I should have had a career in the military really. Apart from the fact I'm a cowardly pacifist with no discernible fight mechanism I'd have fitted right in.

Anyways, where was I? Tuesday. Oh yes, I was talking about not shouting. It's not like I shout AT learners. No one has done that since at least 2008. Ever. Fact. It's more that I shout over them. My voice is like a klaxon at the end of the shift so to speak. So, I'm trying the 'teacher puts their hand up and the class raise their hand in response thing' as it's officially called in all good education textbooks.

For the following reasons:

1: I use a lot of discussion and group work. It's probably best that tasks come to a gradual halt as opposed to me yelling 'RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!' and clapping my hands like a maniac and expecting the students just to stop thinking and talking the moment I decide time is up.

2: For a long time my teaching style was built on manic enthusiasm but I've learnt to reign it in and apply it at the right time. I think this is just an extension of that.

3: My voice. My poor voice.

4: The learners who are deep in concentration must jump out of their skin as I bellow at the top of my lungs.

5: I like to try to model a sense of calm and focus.

Why am I even blogging about this? I think simply to record that I've committed to it and also reflect that after a week or so of doing it, even the students who know me and my style have happily conformed. It also pains me to say that it works because I seem to recall learning this technique a few years ago in a CPD session and dismissing it on the basis that whoever was delivering the session spent an hour explaining it like it was alchemy. In a way, I wanted it not to work. But... it does. So far. Can't really see why it will stop.

Also Google has a timer. That still thrills me.

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