Proximity is an important part of any educator's teaching strategy.
Most teachers have had the unfortunate task of dealing with students who "goof off" or don't pay attention on more occasion than one. While some educators find themselves frustrated and unable to approach the situation, others take action by adjusting their proximity to the students in the classroom. Proximity can have an immediate effect on how students pay attention to a lesson, and learning engage students correctly can drastically improve your teaching abilities.
Instructions
1. Arrange the desks in your classroom so that there are more columns than there are rows. By spreading the seats in such a way, you will be addressing more students face-to-face than you would otherwise. Arranging desks in this way will also ensure that students are close to you, rather than hiding in the back.
2. Ask students to fill in any empty seats that may be between them and their peers. Many students go straight to the back of the classroom when it comes time to sit down; by making them fill in the gaps, they will not have the option to sit in the back unless all seats are filled.
3. Pay close attention to students who tend to cause trouble and disruption during class. If you notice a certain student that is a repeat offender, ask him or her to sit in the front of the classroom from now on. Since many students emulate their peers, this can have a domino effect in breaking up classroom disruption.
4. Walk around the classroom from time to time, rather than always teaching from the front of the class. Walking around the room will help to keep students on task, as the chances of a student falling asleep or not paying attention will decrease if they know the teacher might catch them.
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