Teach Secondary Issue 14.7

difficulty, do your best to try and give out only one item of information at a time. If those separated items amount to very simple messages, then you can try giving out up to three items, but no more than that. Most people can (with effort) hold four different items of information within their working memory; sticking to three will ensure that you keep to the safer side of this cognitive limit. Describe and demonstrate Describe what you’re doing, while you’re doing it. This applies equally, whether you’re showing students how to pack materials away, safely collecting scientific equipment or politely contributing to a class discussion. By describing and demonstrating the process in question you’ll be getting two routes into your students’ working memory – one auditory and one visual . Consequently, the students will be clearer about what to do. Display key information visually, and then explain that information. Flow diagrams, numbered lists and bullet points can work very well for this. Here, for example, is a bullet point list instructing students how to use mini-whiteboards: •Write your answer on the MWB • Turn the MWB over so that it is face down • Put the MWB pen down • Don’t look at anyone else’s answer • Onmy cue, showme your answer Another benefit of displaying information is that it provides an ongoing reminder of what to do. ‘Just in time’ reminders, checking for understanding The best time to remind students of what to do is just before the behaviour will be required – a ‘just in time’ reminder, if you will. Again, limit yourself to issuing three distinct pieces of information so that you don’t cause cognitive overload. If the instruction will unavoidably consist of more than three items, display the relevant key information, as described above. There are many ways to check for understanding (such as mini whiteboards, thumbs up/down, traffic lights, etc.), but the most common is random sampling – that is, getting one or two students to explain, in their own words, what it is that you’ve just said. When doing this, it can be helpful to choose a student who doesn’t always pay as much attention as they might. Checking for understanding has several benefits. It... • ...assesses understanding • ...clarifies understanding • ...increases retention • ...highlights the importance of the instruction • ...tells students what to do just at the point when they need to know it • ...reduces wriggle room ‘Wriggle room’ is the gap between what you say and what your students understand. It’s the space in which students can claim– genuinely or not – that they ‘ don’t knowwhat to do ’. Checking for understanding – and, indeed, every other tip in this article – will help to reduce this room to wriggle. As a result, students will be muchmore likely to behave as you want them to behave. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Robin Launder is a behaviour management consultant and speaker; this column is adapted from his book, Brilliant Behaviour in 60 Seconds or Less (Routledge, £18.99). For more information, visit behaviourbuddy.co.uk 49 teachwire.net/secondary B E H AV I O U R