The day I stopped giving whole class ‘chats…’

We’ve all had this happen. A group of kids let the side down – coming back from a class at full volume, making unwise decisions at another class, talking during assembly.

Today it was  a group of kids kicking a football around in the cafeteria.

Time for the big class pep talk.

“Is this about kicking the football in the cafeteria?”

“Yes.”

“We don’t play at football lunch, this talk isn’t for us can we go read?”

The child had a point.

Giving a whole class talk is a quick and easy.

How often as teachers do we give a pep talk to the entire class when the problem is just with a few?

• The kids who were really listening might be freaking out that the talk is about them.
• The ones who needed have long since zoned out and assumed it was about someone else.

Yes it’s quick and easy.

A pep talk means we don’t have to ‘waste time’ finding out who we really need to talk with.

But we are sending a powerful messages out to our learners. Those who aren’t making the right decision know they can use the whole group to avoid consequences while those making the right decision get tarred with the actions of others.

Time to be more specific with who we need to talk with.