Classroom Management: sotto voce

Common disruptive behaviours like tapping pencils, talking to friends or playing with objects can be annoying and very difficult to deal with. They are small problems that can balloon into large ones if confronted with more force and attention than necessary.

A technique that avoids confrontation is called the sotto voce technique. It involves walking close enough to the student to say something like, "Bill, would you please stop tapping your pencil?''

Then don't wait around for a response. Convey that you assume the answer is yes--by quickly saying, "Thank you,'' breaking eye contact and moving away.

This technique avoids power struggles and does not allow annoying behaviour to escalate into private wars. It sends the following messages:

• I don't want to embarrass anyone.
• I accept you, but not your behaviour.
• I don't want to get into an argument.
• I trust that you will comply.

Maintaining eye contact and staying in the student's space says the opposite—that you don't trust the student will do as you ask and that you are there to force her to do so.

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