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Resources to support Charlie Taylor’s Improving Teacher Training for Behaviour
Behaviour Scenarios
Scenario 5: Finishing a lesson in an orderly way
This Scenario has been developed for Initial Teacher Training (ITT) to enable trainees to
demonstrate knowledge, skills and understanding of behaviour management
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Introduction
Behaviour2Learn has developed 17 Scenarios focusing on the 8 areas highlighted in the
Teaching Agency's document Improving teacher training for behaviour. These are:
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Self-management
Reflection
School Systems
Relationships
Classroom Management
More Challenging Behaviour
Theoretical Knowledge
Improving teacher training for behaviour has been developed by Charlie Taylor, the
Government’s expert adviser on behaviour, to complement the new Teachers’
Standards that all teachers have to demonstrate from September 2012.
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Scenario 5
Finishing a lesson in an orderly way
When the lesson ends, your class are in the habit of closing their books
and trying to make a rush for the door. How can you establish a more
orderly routine to finish the lesson?
What do you do?
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Key Learning Outcomes
• Understanding that you are responsible for ensuring high standards of
behaviour.
• Exploration of the effect that the finishing of a lesson has on
consolidating and encouraging further learning.
• Practice in using your voice, stance, eye contact and non-verbal
communication to be an authoritative presence in the classroom.
• Increased knowledge of techniques for finishing a lesson in an orderly
way using a style that is appropriate to your attributes and the context in
which you are teaching.
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What do you do?
Consider these responses and choose the best one(s):
1.
At the end of the lesson, say loudly, “Don’t move. I decide when it’s time to go.
The bell is a signal for me, not for you.”
2.
Plan your lessons to allow time for a plenary and feedback and keep an eye on
the clock.
3.
Designate a pupil to be your time-keeper with an outline time plan. He/she will
give you warning when it is time to round up.
4.
Stand in front of the door so that pupils cannot leave until they have cleared up.
5.
Have homework already written on the board and give pupils plenty of time to
write it down, discuss it and ask questions.
6.
Give pupils warning of the end of the lesson with time to finish off and clear
away following an established routine.
7.
Bring the class back and keep them for five minutes at the start of break while
you reiterate the rules for finishing the lesson.
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What may be the best choice?
2. Plan your lessons to allow time for a plenary and feedback and keep an eye
on the clock.
3. Designate a pupil to be your time-keeper with an outline time plan. He/she
will give you warning when it is time to round up.
5. Have homework already written on the board and give pupils plenty of time
to write it down, discuss it and ask questions.
6. Give pupils warning of the end of the lesson with time to finish off and clear
away following an established routine.
These are constructive approaches which, if all applied, will help avoid the
problem.
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Continued
Lessons which end in a chaotic way have a negative impact on ongoing
learning. It is important to establish the principle that learning continues
from one lesson to the next. You need to allow time to consolidate what has
been learned, to prepare pupils for the next lesson, and to agree what they
will do to continue learning in the meantime.
Consequently, planning ahead and finding ways to ensure that you do not run
out of time are very important.
Equally important is consistency. Well-established routines for finishing the
lesson and ground rules that are agreed by everyone will support an orderly
finish.
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How might you prevent a recurrence?
1.
2.
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4.
5.
Set realistic and clear time limits for each part of your lesson plan and
stick to them. Leave time for clearing up before the end
Leave time for involving pupils in evaluating the lesson against the
learning intentions set at the beginning.
End on a positive note by congratulating the class on the learning
intentions that have been met and explaining how their learning will
continue at home and in the next lesson.
Establish an expectation that pupils will be dismissed in a sequence so
that their exit from the classroom is orderly.
Check for any congestion in the corridor. Stand by the door as pupils
leave and supervise departure and behaviour in the corridor.
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Underlying Principles
Learning is a continuous process. You need to allow time at the end of a
lesson to agree what pupils have learned, what they will do to continue
learning between lessons and how the next lesson will further their learning.
Carefully planned and executed lesson endings are important to ensure that
pupils can:
• look back at the objectives set
• review and consolidate learning
• have the chance to receive praise for achieving the objectives, thus
creating a positive climate for learning
• receive reassurance if there has not been time to cover everything
• discuss and clarify homework tasks
• plan ahead for the next lesson.
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Rights and Responsibilities
• Planning effectively and maximising the use of time are fundamental
duties for teachers.
• If a lesson ends in a rushed and disorderly way, this will affect ongoing
learning and will have a negative impact on the quality of homework and
the preparation for the next lesson. Pupils have a right to a well-organised
learning environment.
• Pupils should be encouraged to benefit themselves and others by sharing
responsibility with their teacher, both with timing in the lesson and
organisation of their classroom.
• Other colleagues will have a more difficult job settling pupils who arrive
from a lesson that has just finished in a disorganised way. All teachers
have a responsibility to ensure that their lessons contribute positively to
high quality learning behaviour across the school.
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Activities to try
• Think of lessons, seminars or lectures you have experienced that have not
finished satisfactorily. What effect, if any, did this have on your continued
learning? What routines would have made the ending more effective?
• Observe lessons and focus on how the routines and organisation of the
whole lesson impacts on the ending. What principles can you deduce to
inform your practice?
• Also consider how the ending impacts on the success of the whole lesson
(and on subsequent lessons). Note any ideas that you can try to ensure
that the endings of your lessons consolidate learning and encourage
further learning.
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Conclusions
• Think of lessons, seminars or lectures you have experienced that have not
finished satisfactorily. What effect, if any, did this have on your continued
learning? What routines would have made the ending more effective?
• Observe lessons and focus on how the routines and organisation of the
whole lesson impacts on the ending. What principles can you deduce to
inform your practice?
• Also consider how the ending impacts on the success of the whole lesson
(and on subsequent lessons). Note any ideas that you can try to ensure
that the endings of your lessons consolidate learning and encourage
further learning.
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