10 THINGS YOU SHOULDN'T SAY IN THE CLASSROOM

1. “Shut up!” or even “Be quiet!” The first is rude; the second illogical. Students should be making a noise if they are engaged in pair or group work.
2. “Get out!” Some teachers use the “sin bin” approach to misbehaviour. If a student is so penalized, he (and it is usually a he) is given the attention of the class as he leaves (something he probably wanted), which distracts from the task the rest of the class is working on. What happens if the student refuses to leave?
3. “That’s wrong!” If you ask a question and the student’s reply is wrong, give them the chance to self correct or ask another student to provide the correct answer. Then go back to the original student to give the correct answer. If peer correction doesn’t work, provide the answer yourself, then invite the student to repeat. What’s important is that the student succeeds.
4. “Why didn’t you do your homework, John?” This embarrasses John. He either has to lie or tell a truth which will diminish him. If a student hasn’t done their homework, talk to them about it in the break.
5. “Do you understand?” Students will usually say yes even if they don’t. Better to get them to do something to show you they understand.
6. “If you do that again, I’ll….” Do what? Don’t make threats you won’t keep.
7. “You at the back!” Learn and use students’ names.
8. “Talk about it.” Specify who should talk to whom. In a discussion, task based activities often work better than topic based ones. Give a time limit and have an outcome.
9. “Don’t be silly!” Respect please.
10. “What do you call this?” Teacher holds up a one line composition from a student. The student is embarrassed.