3 Teacher Tools to Create a Calm and Orderly Learning Environment

The countdown to the start of the school year is ticking…

I don’t know about you, but my work brain is ON (and it does not understand the concept of business hours!)

This is the time of year when I start thinking, planning, and creating. It’s when I visualize how I’d like my year to unfold and start getting organised to turn that dream into reality.

In order to help you get organised for a fab year too, in this post I’m sharing 3 tools you can use to help create a calm, orderly and positive learning environment in your classroom.

These tools are tried and tested and, when used effectively,  will be sure to make a positive difference to your learning environment.

1) Non-verbal cue

Non-verbal cues are SO important in the classroom, that I’ve already mentioned them several times in previous blogs. (Including in this post: 5 non-verbal cues to use in the literacy classroom.)

I consider them a non-negotiable.

Non-verbal cues are one of what I call the ‘critical 1%ers’ in the classroom. 1%ers are a collection of tiny moves that the most effective teachers make on a daily basis. Although each one seems may seem insignificant by itself, when they are combined together, these 1%ers make an enormous difference in creating a calm, orderly and positive learning environment.

What are non-verbal cues?

As the name suggests, a non-verbal cue is a cue (think trick or strategy) that you can use to gain your students’ attention WITHOUT using your own voice. It could be a clapping sequence, a bell, or even some sort of short chime, for example. It just can’t be a noise from your mouth. (Note: whistles are not suitable for inside classroom use).

Tip: It’s best to use a noise, rather than a silent action, for your non-verbal cue so your students will know to pay attention even when they’re not looking at you, for example, when they’re engaging in a Turn and Talk session.  

Why use non-verbal cues?

Using a non-verbal cue reduces the noise level in the classroom. It stops you from having to call out over the top of your students when you want their attention and, therefore, stops you from becoming the noisiest person in the classroom. Importantly, it also saves your teacher voice from being strained on a daily basis. (You do know you only get one of those voices, right?)

How do you use non-verbal cues?

You have to train your students to respond to your non-verbal cue. I have some tips for how to do this on my non-verbal cue post. Also, remember that it’s best to stick to the same cue rather than changing cues every day (or every hour 😬).

 2) Carpet dots

What are carpet dots?

Carpet dots, also known as sit spots, are little Velcro circles you can stick on your floor space to let students know where to sit. They are moveable and re-movable so you can change your students’ sitting positions regularly or remove the dots entirely if you want.

Why use carpet dots?

Carpet dots are another 1%er. They save you from having to forever shift students who are either becoming distracted or being distractive when sitting on the floor. Rather than having to constantly stop your instruction to readjust seating positions on the floor, you can proactively prevent most issues through careful carpet dot placement (AKA you can separate the spiciest students and make sure those who need to sit in the front row, do!).

How to use carpet dots

Write each student’s name on a dot and then place these (strategically) on the carpet in the learning space. Make sure you allow enough space for each student’s body and keep walkways clear.

Remember to let your students know the expectations around these, for example: they aren’t allowed to move or remove the dots or sit on other people’s etc.

You might choose to use carpet dots at the start of the year and then phase them out so students can begin to make their own (supported) choices about where to sit, or you could bring them in as a ‘tightening-up’ strategy once your free reigning approach starts to go haywire (I strongly recommend the first of these options though.)

Can you use carpet dots in senior classrooms?

You can still use carpet dots with senior students, although I recommend applying this approach to their table seating instead. Come up with a seating plan that eliminates potential issues before they even arise, and you and your students will be better off. You can change this plan regularly, but just make sure it always satisfies the needs of all of your students (e.g. it allows for dyslexic students to sit closer to the board).

Note from personal experience: If you tell your students the plan will be changed weekly, there will be a MUTINY if you don’t follow through each week. 😂 Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

3) Presentation clicker

What are presentation clickers?

Clickers are a small handheld device you can use to advance the slides on your laptop from anywhere in the room. These are particularly handy when doing daily letter/sound reviews with junior students and you want to flick through the slides really quickly.

How do you use clickers?

Clickers usually come with a small USB to plug into your laptop. This enables the clicker to communicate with the laptop and effectively turns your clicker into a wireless mouse. Once the USB is plugged in and you’ve put your PowerPoint into presentation mode, you can start navigating with the forward and back buttons. Some clickers also have a laser beam that can be handy for pointing to specific words on highlight parts of images (note: these lasers don’t work on all boards).

I recommend setting ground rules for your clicker with your students at the start of the year (e.g.: don’t touch the clicker unless given permission) as I’ve been in more than one classroom that’s experienced ‘mysterious’ navigation issues caused by cheeky students.

Why use them?

I always tell teachers that once they start using a clicker in their room, it will change their lives! The best thing about them is that they release you from your laptop. You’re free to roam the room, move your position, stand closer to the whiteboard, etc., when you can advance your slides with this handy wireless device.

Note: Please don’t take this endorsement of clickers as an endorsement of death-by-PowerPoint teaching. Slides ARE useful in moderation, but there’s a difference between using them to enhance your teaching and using them in place of your teaching. As I used to say back in my ICT coaching days, ‘technology amplifies practice (good and bad)’. So, you want to make sure the teaching you do without technology is worth amplifying.

I would love to hear your thoughts on other tools that you find useful in helping you create a calm, orderly and positive learning environment in your classroom. Join in the conversation on this topic on the Oz Lit Teacher Facebook group.

Related Blog Posts

• 3 Reasons You Need to Clear Your Whiteboard Today
• 5 Non-Verbal Cues to Use in the Literacy Classroom
• The What, Why and How of the Classroom Reset