Teacher Voice

Although it is often easy to get frustrated when attempting to redirect students that have gotten off task, it is important to remember that raising one’s voice or losing one’s composure is unlikely to help make the corrective process a positive experience. By staying calm and using a quiet tone of voice, redirection can be accomplished in a more constructive manner.

Inappropriate/Appropriate Behavior

When misbehaving occurs, explaining to a student the difference between inappropriate and appropriate behavior will help a student rethink their actions. Offering different solutions to the issue will offer an alternative look on how the student could have behaved differently. By using this tool, student can then change how they behave in future situations.

Activity Interference

Activity interference is a tool that teachers can use when students start to become disengaged and distracted by moving along to the next activity. This in short just means if a teacher sees students starting to get off task because of “dead time,” the teacher just needs to reevaluate if the lesson is moving along and engaging. This is helpful for teachers and students to keep everyone focused and engaged.

Witness Circle

Witness Circles are very similar to the idea of the Fishbowl tool, except it is a way to try and resolve larger group issues. The small inner circle consists of people that address the conflict, while the outer circle consists of observers; however, the smaller circle has an empty chair in it so that any of the observers can join in during the discussion. If the chair is occupied, the student sitting there will automatically speak next before returning to the outer circle (Smith, 2005).