Let’s talk about active supervision in the classroom or being “with it” in the classroom, as some commentators call it. This is really about you being present, aware and fully alert at all times when you are managing your class. I am going to tell you why it is so important and give you some techniques on how you can do this well.

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So what is Active Supervision ?

It is when you, as a teacher are actively aware of what is going on in your classroom at all times. You need to be alert, awake, present and you need to be engaged in what is happening with your students. Do not get stuck behind your desk working on your computer or stuck at the front of the room helping one student all the time, you have to actively supervise the class. Actively move around the class, actively look at each student and make sure you are keeping eyes on students that may have the tendency to cause disruption or misbehaviour. Some people call it wickedness but you have just got to have an awareness of what is going on and be with it.

Do not turn your back on the class

I remember monitoring a teacher who was having trouble with disruption in her class and she said that they just talked non-stop. They were a Year 9 class. So I went in to observe her and as she was writing on the board two boys stood up, they walked across the room, went and had a conversation with some of their friends and then as the teacher finished the sentence on the board the boys scurried back to their seat. She turned around, told them all they were making too much noise and then she went back to the board and continued writing again. These two boys stood up, walked across the classroom and started a conversation. As she got to the end of her sentence they ran back to their seat. This went on three or four times and she had no idea what was going on behind her. 

She complained to me, “See they just talk all the time!” My comment to her was, “It is not just talking that is happening, you have no awareness or understanding of what is going on in your class. It is really important that you position yourself in ways that you can keep an eye on the class. If you have to write on the board and you cannot see your class, there are a couple of ways you can do that. You can stick a mirror on your whiteboard so you can observe the class, you can get somebody else to write on the whiteboard or perhaps you can use a powerpoint or something that doesn’t require you to write on the whiteboard. Whatever it is, you have just got to keep eyes on your class.

When students ask for your help, make sure you don’t position yourself in a part of the room where your back is turned to the rest of the class. Position yourself behind a student who is at the back of the class so you can see everybody or if you are at the front of the class position yourself in front of the student so you can still see the class. Better still,ask a student that wants help to come down to the front so that you can watch the class and you can still help that student. Just be aware, eyes open all the time. Do not turn your back because that is when the mischief happens.

Make sure you are moving around the classroom

Another way that you can actively supervise is, you can constantly move around the classroom. Walk around the classroom regularly, because that is what helps them know that you are keeping eyes on them. It is really important when you set up your classroom to make sure you have got enough space between desks and chairs so that you can actually move between students, get in front and behind them. Don’t create barriers or blockages in the way that the class is set up; set up so that you can still move around and monitor the class as you are walking past students who may be misbehaving or off- task.

Something like a little tap on their desk or a hand beside their book just to let them know you are watching, just to let them know that you are there, will help to jog their memory, bring them back to reality and make them concentrate again. 

So just be moving about, having your eyes open, be watching, using little gestures like a tap on the desk or a hand beside their book or even a finger on their shoulder, but just have this active engagement in the room. Try not get stuck at the front, behind your desk. Don’t go to sleep or turn your back on the class and what you will find is that you will have far less minor disruption because your alertness will actually let them know that they are not going to get away with anything. 

Smile and look across the classroom because when kids want to misbehave, they often look up and try and catch your eye to see if you’re paying attention. You catch their eye, you smile and let them know you are watching them. Give them a hand signal if they are doing something they should not be doing, little micro gestures or signals that do not require you to talk. Just letting them know that you are there can be very powerful in helping to reduce disruption and misbehaviour without being negative or without being in their face. 

So that is active supervising. It is absolutely crucial for maintaining a class well and it will help you to gain more time to deliver instruction, while engaging with your students and you will be much calmer and less stressed.  Well, I hope that was helpful for you. Please let me know what you do to actively supervise your class. What are some tips that you have got for us? We would love to hear from you.

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