WARNING! This website is no longer actively maintained. It is an archive of 2 years work by Doug Belshaw who now blogs at [1] dougbelshaw.com... [2]

Without wishing to sound big-headed, I’m complimented fairly often on the ‘little things’ I do in my lessons to try and make students feel safer, think more and enjoy their time in the learning environment I create. What follows is examples of some of these. It would be great if others could add to this anything they do as well!

• I start off lessons with a routine - wherever possible I use a well-known theme tune (e.g. Mission Impossible or Eye of the Tiger) whilst students write down the date, title and aim of the lesson. This means students have no excuse to not know what they’re supposed to be doing at the beginning of the lesson.
• I smile when I’m giving instructions - this usually defuses any mardiness or unwillingness to co-operate on the student’s part. However, this has to be partnered by…
• I use ‘the language of choice’ with students - this means making it very clear that students choose to do what they do. For example, ‘If you choose not to remain on task then you’re choosing to stay in at break.’
• At the end of lessons I often ask them what they’ve learned as they walk out the door - this leads to an orderly dismissal, students’ realisation that they have learned something in the lesson, and gives me some feedback as to what the majority have found most interesting or enjoyable.
• I finish most lessons with a game - sometimes I stretch the concept of a ‘game’ somewhat, but so long as you call at this, students can be duped into thinking that’s what it is. Some, like ‘Whiteboard Challenge’ (split class in half and each team has to write on on side of the board what they’ve learnt within a time frame) take very little setting up, some are ICT-based (e.g. [3] Save the Simpsons or [4] Penalty Shootout) whilst some can be more elaborate and involve pre-made resources (e.g. board games, etc.)
• I phone parents all the time - OK, not strictly classroom-based, but it certainly has an effect in the classroom! Once students know that you’re willing to get in touch with their parents regarding their behaviour and/or attitude, they soon improve!
• I give lots of opportunities for questions - After making a teaching point or giving a whole-class instruction I will pretty much always ask if there’s any questions (and of course pause long enough for students to think of any!) Also, when going round to help one-to-one I find it works best if you question students when they’re stuck. Even if you’re (metaphorically speaking) holding their hand and leading them towards the right answer, them coming up with the answer boosts their self-esteem.
• I try to be as ‘human’ as possible - it’s easy to come across as almost an emotionless machine as a teacher. I try to give them just enough information about my life outside school to pique their interest, but not so much as to invade my privacy. So I might mention something about my wife, relate a teaching point to something I did at the weekend, or talk about the football. Anything to get that ‘human’ aspect across…
• I write similar things in similar areas of the board - this helps students to organise themselves and to understand what they need to do. In fact, I remember on teaching practice a couple of years ago when one lesson I didn’t do this - one student handed in a homework I hadn’t actually set! Consistency in all things is important.
• I let students sit where they want unless there’s a reason not to - learning is a social activity, or at least I think so. Consequently, although there are reasons and situations where this shouldn’t be the case, students should be allowed to sit near their friends. Of course, if they mess about then I’m quick to move them, often giving them 5 minute ‘time-outs’ before allowing them to sit back in their original place.
• I give out personalised stamps - I’ve got a stamper from [5] The Sticker Factory which says ‘Mr Belshaw says well done’ with a smiley star in the middle. Students (even Year 11 and, in a more ironic vein, VI Form) would kill for these. They work well, can be given out quickly, and a given number of them can equal an achievement/commendation/whatever. Students can then be in charge of their own rewards by counting these up and making you aware when they’ve reached the given number.
• I encourage learning outside the classroom - I don’t force students to go on my website or even, for that matter, promote it that much. Word-of-mouth is a better option and I’ll write it on the board for students to copy down. In addition, there’s the age-old teacher response to a question to which you don’t know the answer of ‘you find that out and tell us about it next lesson’. I’ll also allow homework submissions by email to my [6] GMail account (which means they’re all logged and kept) which can lead to students emailing you links to sites for interesting information, etc.
• I time almost everything - students work best, I’ve found, when they’ve got a time limit. It’s best to use ‘real’ times (e.g. four-and-a-half minutes) rather than the ‘mean-nothing’ times such as ‘you’ve got five minutes’.
• I have different voices for different things - my ’storytelling voice’ is modulated and more interesting than my more monotone (but perhaps more audible) instruction-giving voice, etc.

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