Keep Quiet! Quiet! Observe Silence! Keep your mouth shut! Stop!Hushhhhhh…..
These are common words or phrases often heard inside the classroom when the students are very loud or misbehaving. It might be effective if it is in a rising intonation and in aloud manner but it shouldn’t be that way all the time. Scaring off the students might be a good tactic but nowadays, it’s dubious.
Discipline is slowly deteriorating due to several factors, thus, simply telling them to keep their mouth won’t help. If it does, it would only last for a few minutes then you have to repeat yourself. It only shows the students’ discipline is not genuine. Discipline is an integral part of the success of the students and it really plays a huge role in molding the child. Self – discipline though is a lot better than imposed discipline among students. Words are not enough sometimes. If mouth can’t do the talking all the time why not give some parts of the body a task to do. If pictures paint a thousand words and goes as well for the body gestures or movement. Showing some of these could work in the class. Let the body parts communicate. Below are common gestures that you may not be aware of but is significant to a daily experience inside the classroom.
FOREHEAD . Nodding from left to right or vice versa simply means “no”, not acceptance and refusal. On the other hand, nodding in alternating up and down means “yes”, acknowledging something and acceptance. Frowning is another gesture that shows confusion. Tapping slightly the forehead quickly shows you are forgetting something.
EYES .The “Tiger-look” will shows dislike on something or angry. With that look , students might wonder why you are looking that way and just simply stop from talking with their classmates or stop from doing anything not related in the class.
MOUTH . Zipping the mouth and simply staring at them will eventually make the students from creating too much noise. They will simply notice it. In a few minutes and then observe, they will stop from talking.
CHIN. The “stroking” of the chin shows making a decision .
TONGUE. The “clicking” sound indicates disappointment or regrets.
HANDS. Palm’s movement are of different meaning, palm facing the students abruptly means to stop , palms moving upward means to rise and moving it downward means to sit down. Thumping any object with the hands is another way of stopping the students from doing anything not related in the class, it might sound violent but as long as no one is getting hurt, it will be fine. Clapping of the hands, shows positive response to encourage students in their class performance.
FEET. The “tapping” of the feet from one foot to another shows impatience, nervousness and excitement depending on the situation.
However, it will be more potent if it is accompanied by the right facial expression to avoid ambiguity.
By: Renila L. Cornejo | Teacher III | Mariveles National Highschool | Mariveles, Bataan
