Scenario 5: Finishing a lesson in an orderly way Resources to support Charlie Taylor’s Improving Teacher Training for Behaviour Behaviour Scenarios Scenario 5: Finishing a lesson in an orderly way This Scenario has been developed for Initial Teacher Training (ITT) to enable trainees to demonstrate knowledge, skills and understanding of behaviour management

Introduction Behaviour2Learn has developed 17 Scenarios focusing on the 8 areas highlighted in the Teaching Agency's document Improving teacher training for behaviour. These are: Personal Style Self-management Reflection School Systems Relationships Classroom Management More Challenging Behaviour Theoretical Knowledge Improving teacher training for behaviour has been developed by Charlie Taylor, the Government’s expert adviser on behaviour, to complement the new Teachers’ Standards that all teachers have to demonstrate from September 2012.

Scenario 5 Finishing a lesson in an orderly way When the lesson ends, your class are in the habit of closing their books and trying to make a rush for the door. How can you establish a more orderly routine to finish the lesson? What do you do?

Key Learning Outcomes Understanding that you are responsible for ensuring high standards of behaviour. Exploration of the effect that the finishing of a lesson has on consolidating and encouraging further learning. Practice in using your voice, stance, eye contact and non-verbal communication to be an authoritative presence in the classroom. Increased knowledge of techniques for finishing a lesson in an orderly way using a style that is appropriate to your attributes and the context in which you are teaching.

What do you do? Consider these responses and choose the best one(s): At the end of the lesson, say loudly, “Don’t move. I decide when it’s time to go. The bell is a signal for me, not for you.” Plan your lessons to allow time for a plenary and feedback and keep an eye on the clock. Designate a pupil to be your time-keeper with an outline time plan. He/she will give you warning when it is time to round up. Stand in front of the door so that pupils cannot leave until they have cleared up. Have homework already written on the board and give pupils plenty of time to write it down, discuss it and ask questions. Give pupils warning of the end of the lesson with time to finish off and clear away following an established routine. Bring the class back and keep them for five minutes at the start of break while you reiterate the rules for finishing the lesson.

What may be the best choice? 2. Plan your lessons to allow time for a plenary and feedback and keep an eye on the clock. 3. Designate a pupil to be your time-keeper with an outline time plan. He/she will give you warning when it is time to round up. 5. Have homework already written on the board and give pupils plenty of time to write it down, discuss it and ask questions. 6. Give pupils warning of the end of the lesson with time to finish off and clear away following an established routine. These are constructive approaches which, if all applied, will help avoid the problem.

Continued Lessons which end in a chaotic way have a negative impact on ongoing learning. It is important to establish the principle that learning continues from one lesson to the next. You need to allow time to consolidate what has been learned, to prepare pupils for the next lesson, and to agree what they will do to continue learning in the meantime. Consequently, planning ahead and finding ways to ensure that you do not run out of time are very important. Equally important is consistency. Well-established routines for finishing the lesson and ground rules that are agreed by everyone will support an orderly finish.

How might you prevent a recurrence? Set realistic and clear time limits for each part of your lesson plan and stick to them. Leave time for clearing up before the end Leave time for involving pupils in evaluating the lesson against the learning intentions set at the beginning. End on a positive note by congratulating the class on the learning intentions that have been met and explaining how their learning will continue at home and in the next lesson. Establish an expectation that pupils will be dismissed in a sequence so that their exit from the classroom is orderly. Check for any congestion in the corridor. Stand by the door as pupils leave and supervise departure and behaviour in the corridor.

Underlying Principles Learning is a continuous process. You need to allow time at the end of a lesson to agree what pupils have learned, what they will do to continue learning between lessons and how the next lesson will further their learning. Carefully planned and executed lesson endings are important to ensure that pupils can: look back at the objectives set review and consolidate learning have the chance to receive praise for achieving the objectives, thus creating a positive climate for learning receive reassurance if there has not been time to cover everything discuss and clarify homework tasks plan ahead for the next lesson.

Rights and Responsibilities Planning effectively and maximising the use of time are fundamental duties for teachers. If a lesson ends in a rushed and disorderly way, this will affect ongoing learning and will have a negative impact on the quality of homework and the preparation for the next lesson. Pupils have a right to a well-organised learning environment. Pupils should be encouraged to benefit themselves and others by sharing responsibility with their teacher, both with timing in the lesson and organisation of their classroom. Other colleagues will have a more difficult job settling pupils who arrive from a lesson that has just finished in a disorganised way. All teachers have a responsibility to ensure that their lessons contribute positively to high quality learning behaviour across the school.

Activities to try Think of lessons, seminars or lectures you have experienced that have not finished satisfactorily. What effect, if any, did this have on your continued learning? What routines would have made the ending more effective? Observe lessons and focus on how the routines and organisation of the whole lesson impacts on the ending. What principles can you deduce to inform your practice? Also consider how the ending impacts on the success of the whole lesson (and on subsequent lessons). Note any ideas that you can try to ensure that the endings of your lessons consolidate learning and encourage further learning.

Conclusions Think of lessons, seminars or lectures you have experienced that have not finished satisfactorily. What effect, if any, did this have on your continued learning? What routines would have made the ending more effective? Observe lessons and focus on how the routines and organisation of the whole lesson impacts on the ending. What principles can you deduce to inform your practice? Also consider how the ending impacts on the success of the whole lesson (and on subsequent lessons). Note any ideas that you can try to ensure that the endings of your lessons consolidate learning and encourage further learning.

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