How to deal with talkative students in the classroom

Dealing with talkative students is a cumbersome task for any teacher. Such students never stay quiet during the class and make the whole class noisy. No doubt, a noisy class is a big deterrent to the teaching-learning process.

Here are some ideas that teachers can consider while handling noisy students in the classroom.

• Yelling and punishment are common methods of dealing with talkative students. However, both these are short-term methods and leave a negative impact on students. So, always take a positive approach while enforcing discipline in the classroom in order to keep the classroom quiet. Instead of paying your attention to all ‘noisy students,’ encourage positive behavior in the classroom. For instance, if you say “Stop talking and give your attention to the study,” it may not draw all your students’ (especially the noisy ones’) attention. But, if you say “Let’s start today’s lesson and I really seek everyone’s attention,” it will help you start the class on a positive note and make the teaching-learning process more effective.
• Changing seating arrangement in the classroom is a time-tested method to deal with noisy students. However, you have to think carefully and do it keeping all your students’ interest in mind.
• Interactive learning is also a good way of dealing with noisy students in the classroom. Try to get such students involved in the teaching-learning process. You may ask them questions related to the lesson being taught, you may ask for their opinions on a particular topic or idea. Don’t forget to praise or appreciate them when required. Your encouragement will go a long way in changing their habit of talking during class. This way, you will ultimately draw their attention to the study.

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