Are you looking for strategies to encourage struggling students to wait on assistance from the teacher? If so, keep reading.
1. Connect with the student’s parents to disseminate information about the student’s progress. The parents may reinforce the student at home for waiting properly for assistance from an instructor at school.
2. Assess the appropriateness of the task to ascertain (a) if the task is too easy, (b) if the task is too complicated, and (c) if the duration of time scheduled to finish the task is sufficient.
3. Inform the student that you will assist them as soon as possible (e.g., “Stephen, I’ll be with you shortly.”) to increase the likelihood that the student will wait properly for assistance.
4. Select a peer from whom the student may seek assistance.
5. Try to assist immediately. As the student shows success, slowly increase the duration of time the student must wait for assistance when the instructor is helping another student, instructing, etc.
6. Get the student to ask for clarification if they do not understand instructions that are given orally or in writing.
7. Praise the student for waiting properly for assistance from an instructor: (a) give the student a concrete reward (e.g., classroom privileges, passing out learning materials, 10 minutes of free time, etc.) or (b) give the student an informal reward (e.g., praise, handshake, smile, etc.).
8. Converse with the student to explain (a) what he/she is doing wrong (e.g., leaving their seat, talking to other students, etc.) and (b) what they must be doing (e.g., waiting quietly for assistance, remaining seated, etc.).
9. Create classroom rules: • Remain on-task. • Complete assignments quietly. • Remain in your seat. • Finish tasks. • Meet task expectations. Examine rules often. Praise students for following the rules.
10. Praise those students in the classroom who remain seated in designated areas and remain quiet while waiting for assistance from the instructor.
11. Praise the student for waiting properly for assistance from an instructor based on the duration of time they can be successful. As the student shows success, slowly increase the duration of time required for reinforcement.
12. Select a peer to model appropriate behavior (e.g., remaining in seat or designated area, remaining quiet, etc.) when waiting for assistance from an instructor for the student.
13. Urge the student to go to the next problem, go to another part of the task, begin a new task, etc., when waiting for assistance from an instructor.
14. Give constant, positive reinforcement for appropriate behavior. Ignore as many unacceptable behaviors as possible.
15. Consider using a classroom management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.
16. Consider using an adaptive behavior management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.
17. Consider using Alexa to help the student learn to behave appropriately. Click here to read an article that we wrote on the subject.
18. Click here to learn about six bonus strategies for challenging problem behaviors and mastering classroom management.
