Duration: 12:31
About the teachers
Emma Cheers has been teaching for 6 years. She has experience in both rural and metropolitan contexts, teaching primary school students in Years 2 to 5.
Henri King is completing his Master of Teaching through a teacher training program. Henri was previously a youth worker.
Danny Buller began teaching 2 and a half years ago, transitioning from a career as a personal assistant. She has taught students in the early years (Kindy, Year 1 and Year 3) in a metropolitan context.
Transcript
[On-screen text] Viewer advice: First Nations people should be aware that it is possible that some individuals depicted in this video may have since passed away.
Emma Cheers, classroom teacher, Renmark Primary School: Clear communication is giving concise, short instructions that students can easily follow.
Henri King, classroom teacher, Xavier Catholic College: So important that my instructions are clearly communicated. They're simply put, easy to remember, easy to do, because if they're convoluted or they're complicated, students aren't going to understand them or aren't going to remember them and they're not going to be followed.
Danny Buller, classroom teacher, Briar Road Public School: Clear communication supports students to meet behaviour expectations because they understand exactly what it is that they need to do.
Emma Cheers: When clearly communicating with students, I'm considering my position in the room, making sure that I'm facing all students. I make sure that the instructions I give are clear, short and sequential, so that students have a process to follow.
Okay, as we go in, sanitise hands, hat away, lunch at your desk.
Using as fewer words as possible and breaking instructions down into smaller chunks allows students to be able to successfully complete the task and reduces their cognitive load when thinking about the requirements of a task.
So, in a minute, when I say ‘go’, a few things. Number one, find your group of 3 to 4 people. Number 2, find a space. Number 3, when you are ready with your group, I would like your hand up so that I can give you that piece of paper and I know that you're ready.
Clearly communicating in a sequential order allows students to follow the instructions in a logical way and be successful at each step.
We are going to begin packing up but there are a few steps that we need to remember. The first: name and date. Not yet, when I say go. Number 2: bring your paper and pop it on my desk. Number 3: Crunch&Sip at your desk.
It is important to make sure that what you are communicating is actionable so that students can be successful. To make sure that my students have understood the instructions, I check for understanding. I do this through getting them to repeat steps back to me and then giving them some think time to think about what they need to do when I send them off to action those steps.
So, let's recap. What's the first thing? Hamish.
Student: To get into your groups of 3 or 4.
Emma Cheers: Perfect, thank you, Hamish. What's the second step, once you've got your group, what should you be doing? Sophia.
Student: Find a space.
Emma Cheers: Find a space. You probably need a desktop, a hard surface.
If a student hasn't understood an instruction that I've given, I will clarify and provide an example if possible. If not, I might ask a peer to help support them by demonstrating first.
What was step number 2? Lincoln.
Student: Um …
Emma Cheers: Who can help Lincoln out? Rebecca.
Student: Bring your paper to you.
Emma Cheers: Not me.
Student: Oh, wait. The desk.
Emma Cheers: Perfect. Bring your paper and pop it on the desk. What was step number 3, please? Sophia.
Clearly communicated instructions have had a big impact on my teaching. I'm able to send students off with clear expectations about what's required, which has maximised our learning time and minimised disruptions in the classroom.
Henri King: I make sure that all students are focused and ready to receive instructions, just so that they don't miss anything. If they're not focused or they're a bit distracted and I try and give some directions, then they miss those directions and they keep being distracted and the whole class continues to kind of be a bit chaotic. But if they're focused and I'm ready to give simple instructions, it helps them engage in exactly what I need them to be doing. I make sure that my tone is calm and my voice is slow. I don't want to be speaking too quickly and I don't want to be using convoluted language. If I use that calm, slow voice, it really helps students draw attention to what I'm saying, makes it easier for them to understand.
And yilinga is a type of ...?
Student: Reptile.
Henri King: [Speaks Tiwi language] That's the one! Good work. Can you write those sentences down? Use the words in the box to fill in the missing words. Two minutes, let's go.
I use as few words as possible, just so I don't confuse them or stretch out their cognitive overload. If they're already having difficulty engaging in a learning task and they need redirection, it's much easier for them if I use a few simple words to redirect them rather than a convoluted, long sentence, because that's just going to make it harder for them to process.
Two … one … pens down, eyes on me. Thank you, Samson. Thank you, Outlaw. Thank you, Paul. Thank you, Orlando. Thank you, Iggy. Thanks, Scooby. Robert, well done. Steven, when you're ready.
I break my instructions down usually into a few simple steps so that they have a clear process for how they can follow them. If I try and give all those instructions at once, it just increases their cognitive overload, makes it hard for them to understand what they need to be doing and makes it harder for them to meet those instructions. It's really important that those instructions are broken down in a sequential order, because it allows me to refer students back to that sequence. If they've met the first step in that sequence, but they've forgotten what the second step is, I can refer back to that. And it helps them with the processing of what they need to be doing.
And that means Henri needs help. I need some help. So what can you do to help me at the start of class like you're doing right now?
Student: Listening.
Henri King: Excellent, thanks, Jake. Listen at the start when I explain the next tasks. Makes it much easier. How can you help yourself? Thanks, Shanae, yeah. First thing you can do is try to start the next task on your own. If you need to ask someone, who can you ask for help? Gypsy or Jerricka or? Or, who else, who's finished?
Student: Friend.
Henri King: Yeah, a friend who's finished. They can help you move on to the next task.
It's really important that my instructions are actionable because it means that they're actually achievable. If they know what to do but they don't know how to do it, they're not going to be able to do it. So, my instructions have to be clear, they have to be doable, straight away.
If you need, you can move away from distractions. You can move to this back room here if you need some quiet space, and …
Student: Line up at your desk.
Henri King: Thanks, Shanae. Line up at my desk. My desk is up here at the front. I'll be sitting right here. I've got all the sheets that you need, so if you need help, come and line up at the front. Awesome.
I make sure that students have understood my instructions by checking for understanding. That could be through a whole class check for understanding, or it could be an individual check for understanding by having the class or the individual repeat those instructions back to me. If I identify that an individual student hasn't understood what to do or how to do it, I adjust my communication by normally bobbing down – so bringing my body posture onto the same level with that student – and engaging with them quietly in a way that's non-shaming or embarrassing by calling them out in front of the rest of the class. I ask a clarifying question. What do they need help with? How can I make it easier for them? And then I try and rephrase that instruction so that it's even simpler for them to understand. Clearly communicating has had a big impact on my teaching because it's forced me, as a teacher, to simplify my own planning and thought processes to make it easier for students to understand. I've noticed that when my instructions are clearly communicated, students tend to behave better because they have a clear understanding of what it is that meeting the expectations actually looks like.
Danny Buller: I make sure that all students are focused and are listening, ready to receive instructions, so that I don't have to waste time repeating myself but also that all students are able to hear and understand what the expectations are.
Okay. Eyes to me in 3 … 2 … 1. So I know you're listening. I can see Byron's listening because he has his eyes on me. Bella's listening because she has her eyes on me. Bentley, if that's going to distract you, it'll have to go in your bag. Thank you, good choice.
When I'm communicating to students, to make sure that it's clear, I want to make sure that I'm using as few words as possible and that they're words that are easy for them to understand. It's important, especially in kindergarten, to use as few words as possible so that they're not overloaded with too many words or things that they have to think about. They know exactly what it is they need to focus on.
In a moment – not quite yet – we're going to stand up, we are going to put our —— pencil cases and our whiteboard in our chair bag. Then we're going to get our fruit and come sit on the floor. Are we going to talk while we are doing our activities?
Class: No.
Danny Buller: No. Are we going to run?
Class: No.
Danny Buller: How are we going to move in the classroom? We're going to …
Class: Walk.
Danny Buller: Walk and be nice and safe, and then we're going to, oh dear.
It's important to break instructions down into small, manageable steps so that all students can complete the steps and they know exactly what's expected of them. A sequential order is important for students to know when to complete what steps and that they don't become confused.
When you go inside, your bags are going to go on your …?
Class: Hook.
Danny Buller: Good, your lunchboxes will go on your …?
Class: Desk.
Danny Buller: Where are they going to go, on your …?
Class: Desk.
Danny Buller: Good job. Water bottles will go in the …?
Class: Tub.
Danny Buller: Hold your hands still.
It's important that the instructions are actionable so that I can see that they understand what they're doing, but also students understand what's been asked of them.
Do we talk when we walk?
Class: No.
Danny Buller: Who do we walk next to?
Class: Our partner.
Danny Buller: Who do we walk behind?
Class: The person in front of us.
Danny Buller: Remember, we're 'K Best'. So we have to show our K Best lines when we are walking out to the brown seats.
I'll make sure that students understand my instructions by having them repeat it back to me and then also by monitoring through scanning and circulating.
Evie , where is your lunchbox going to go?
Student: On your desk.
Danny Buller: On your desk. Leah, where's your water bottle going to go?
Student: In the tub.
Danny Buller: In the tub. Once you've done that, you're going to get your whiteboard and your marker and sit on the …?
Class: Floor.
Danny Buller: Good job. In you guys go, straight to the hook. Oh, thank you. Well done, Byron. I love your Lowanna Learners ...
Communicating clearly impacts my teaching, because it means that I don't have to waste learning time repeating myself. Then we can go through the instructions and they action them straight away.
Remember, chinning it, put it under your chin when I say 3: one, two, three. Evan, I love how you chinned it even though you weren't finished. Well done.
[On-screen text] Clear communication: Recap of elements for success
- Gain all students’ attention before clearly communicating.
- Use as few words as possible while maintaining clarity.
- Break instructions down into a small number of manageable, actionable and sequential steps.
- Deliberately pause and scan to ensure students understand and are following the instructions.
Acknowledgements
- Briar Road Public School, New South Wales
- Renmark Primary School, South Australia
- Woodcrest State College, Queensland
- Xavier Catholic College, Northern Territory
- Tammy Kerinaiua for Tiwi translations
Keywords: student engagement, disruption, disruptive behaviour