Are you looking ways to stop kids from wandering around the classroom needlessly? If so, keep reading.
1. Urge the student to take part in high energy learning activities after school that let them release excess energy (e.g., racquetball, soccer, etc.).
2. Talk regularly with the student to keep their attention on the learning experience (e.g., ask the student questions, ask the student’s opinion, stand near the student, seat the student near the teacher’s desk, etc.).
3. Urge the student to avoid ingesting any substance (e.g., drugs, alcohol, cold remedies, etc.) that might further alter their capacity and ability to keep self-control.
4. Get the student to chart the duration of time they can remain their seat without moving about unnecessarily.
5. Create classroom rules: • Complete every assignment. • Complete assignments quietly. • Remain in your seat. • Finish tasks. • Meet task expectations. Examine rules often. Praise students for following the rules.
6. Create times when it is permissible for the student to be out of their seat (e.g., leave their seat only to get a book, a drink of water, etc.).
7. Give the student the most attractive and exciting learning activities possible.
8. Stay calm when the student moves about unnecessarily. Calm behavior should have a calming effect on the student.
9. Make sure the student does not become involved in learning activities that may be overstimulating and cause the student to move about unnecessarily.
10. Make sure that reinforcement is not provided for unacceptable behavior (e.g., paying attention to the student only when they engage in excessive/unnecessary body movements).
11. Make sure the student does not have a lot of unstructured time.
12. Give the student frequent chances to participate, take turns, etc., to keep them involved in the learning experience.
13. Separate the student from the peer who stimulates their unacceptable behavior.
14. Boost supervision (e.g., by teacher, peer, paraprofessional, etc.) of the student when they are involved in learning activities that tend to cause them to move about unnecessarily.
15. Praise the student for demonstrating physical self-control: (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.).
16. Give the student a predetermined signal when they begin to leave their seat without permission.
17. Become proactive. Confer with the school counselor to design a schedule conducive to the student’s success (e.g., physical education scheduled the last period of the day, intersperse electives that allow greater freedom of movement with classes requiring expanded periods of concentration, etc.).
18. Alter or eliminate situations at school that cause the student to experience stress or frustration and may contribute to the student moving about unnecessarily.
19. Provide the student a special signal when they are moving about necessarily (e.g., a secret word, a hand signal, etc.).
20. Refrain from placing the student in situations that require sitting for an expanded duration of time such as lectures, seminars, etc. Give the information for the student through a recording or lecture notes.
21. Consider using a classroom management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.
22. Consider using an adaptive behavior management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.
23. Consider using Alexa to help the student learn to behave appropriately. 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.
