Are you looking for advanced classroom management tricks to try when your students won’t follow directions? If so, keep reading.
1. Place the student near the source of information to keep attention (e.g., in the front row or near the speaker in a cooperative learning experience).
2. Make the student wait until other students begin the task.
3. Get the student to practice a new skill (e.g., jumping rope, dribbling a basketball) alone, with a peer, or with the teacher before the entire group attempts the learning experience.
4. Organize their surroundings to give the student increased chances for help or assistance (e.g., peer tutoring, instructions for work sent home, frequent interactions, etc.).
5. Provide visibility to and from the student to keep their attention when oral questions/instructions are being delivered. The teacher and the student should be able to see each other at all times. Make eye contact possible at all times.
6. Jot down oral instructions. Train the student to cross each step off as it is finished.
7. Get the student to explain to the teacher what is to be done to finish the task.
8. Get the student to demonstrate attention to the source of information by keeping eye contact, keeping hands free from other learning materials, and practicing attending posture.
9. Make the student wait until the teacher gives a signal to begin (e.g., hand signal, ringing of bell, etc.).
10. Notify individuals who will be spending time with the student (e.g., substitute teachers, coaches, learning experience sponsors, etc.) about their tendency to begin things before receiving instructions.
11. Provide a signal (e.g., clapping hands, turning lights off and on, etc.) before giving oral instructions.
12. Make appropriate adjustments in their surroundings (e.g., give out learning materials after delivering instructions) to prevent the student from becoming overly excited or anxious.
13. Make sure the student achieves success when following instructions.
14. Get the student to read instructions aloud to ensure instructions are read prior to beginning a task.
15. Provide instructions in an assortment of ways to enable the student’s comprehension (i.e., if the student fails to understand oral instructions, present them in written form).
16. Assess the appropriateness of the task to ascertain (a) if the task is too complicated and (b) if the duration of time scheduled to finish the task is sufficient.
17. Assess the degree of task difficulty to ascertain whether the student will require additional information, time, assistance, etc., before starting a task.
21. Consider using a classroom management app to help the student learn to follow directions and instructions. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.
22. Consider using an adaptive behavior management app to help the student learn to follow directions and instructions. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.
23. Consider using Alexa to help the student learn to follow directions and instructions. Click here to read an article that we wrote on the subject.
24. Click here to learn about six bonus strategies for challenging problem behaviors and mastering classroom management.
