Stop Multitasking Among Kids with These Montessori Teacher Training Course Tips

The world we live in seems to be in a constant phase of multitasking but studies have shown that multitasking actually ends up making less efficient than we ought to be. If you are a teacher it is likely you would have noticed this kind of a distraction quite regularly in the classrooms. It is not uncommon to find students fiddling with items on their desk, doing their homework while you teach, or chatting with friends when asked to work in groups. How to get rid of this menace? Here are some Montessori teacher training course tips that will prove helpful.

Teach a Mini Lesson on Multitasking

Make it clear to the students why multitasking won’t work. Ask the kids to write down numbers in order for around 10-15 seconds and then ask them to repeat while they sing the alphabet song. The task becomes much harder the second time round! It is fine to be fidgety naturally but they need to realize that talking while trying to learn and doing work of another class during yours is no different from trying to write numbers while singing.

Try Guided Meditation

Mono-tasking often proves to be difficult to achieve even for adults yet the world cannot stop expecting the kids to succeed at it. In order to help your students develop that focus you can try guided meditations with the students in the classroom. It will help the kids learn how to focus while being in the moment of the day.
Block the Bad Habits

If online learning is a part of the learning program for the kids, you can use classroom management software to limit the websites and apps accessible to the students in class. You can also make real-time updates so that access will be granted to the kids for only certain duration of the class hours. This is all about protecting the little ones from the blowback that will be so inevitable if they end up gaining access to an inappropriate site.

Circulate the Classroom

When you circulate the classroom while teaching, the students become aware that their actions and activities will get picked up by you at any time. If you are not writing on the board you have the complete freedom to meander around the place a little. Proximity control is one of the simplest, effective, and low-tech solutions to managing the classroom.

Finding a Balance with Fidget Tools

There are kids who tend to learn better while either writing down a list – does not matter whether it is relevant or not – or doodling and this practice tends to stick with them for life. As long as whatever they are fidgeting with does not leave their hand or make noise, there should not be any problem. If you find the student answering your questions correctly while busy playing with putty, don’t mind their actions and continue to teach normally in class.

Use Stoplight Signs

Use color signs as cue for the students on which is the right time to talk and which is not. Put up a red sign on the board to indicate that you are explaining something new; a yellow sign will mean that the students can have a quiet talk with their peers at the table regarding the lesson; green is to indicate that they have the freedom of discussing or talking while doing their work.

Set Up a Device Barn

The moment students walk into the classroom make them park their personal devices in the barn until the class hours are over. You could seek help in rebuilding or repurposing a set of cubbies where these devices can be stored. A woodworking workshop or a generous parent might be the best person to ask for help.

Check Their Browsing Histories

If you are working with the kids in a computer center, develop the practice of checking their browsing history at the end of class hours. Simply knowing that you will be around to check their activity is enough to make the kids shy about surfing the Internet at a time when they are supposed to be working.

Give Directions in a Different Space

Ask the students to sit down on a mat while you are giving directions. This will make them leave their pencils, and other distracting materials behind at the desk while listening to your instructions. It helps develop the sense in them that this is a space of respect and silence that they need to honor.

These are some of the most effective classroom management tips that you can put into practice while teaching. You can also come up with your own ideas during Montessori teacher training course in Kolkata and put them to use for successful control of the classroom.

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