How to balance classroom control with letting students talk
Teachers often struggle to find a middle ground between keeping a room quiet for independent work and letting students collaborate without looking out of control to administrators. Fear of appearing to lack classroom management makes it difficult to allow natural chatter, especially with energetic classes.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1calling students' names to quiet them down during independent work
- 2mixing lectures with independent work and allowing level one talking during creative projects
- 3Asking for general strategies from peers online
- 4Making multiple seating charts
- 5Calling parents
- 6Writing students up
- 7Constantly redirecting students
- 8giving reminders
- 9practicing quieter speaking
- 10trying to create a bond and make students comfortable
- 11Handing out physical stop signs to signal disruptive behavior
- 12Pausing and continuing without repeating instructions if students are not paying attention
- 13Using non-verbal cues instead of raising the voice
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I teach fifth grade and I have a very chatty class between the two grades that I teach. I found myself stopping frequently to correct behavior or stop some talking”source ↗
“There is one first grade class that just shout everything they say.”source ↗
“No amount of reminders or practice will help the problem for more than a day.”source ↗
“Have a class 16 boys and 8 girls. Very chatty and the boys like to push and touch each other when I’m not looking.”source ↗
“I teach eighth grade, and one of my classes during the middle of the day loves to talk. They are honestly a good group of kids, but won’t get the talking under control.”source ↗
“I have made multiple seating charts, called parents, and even written students up. None of that seems to be working.”source ↗
“I am tired of having to constantly redirect. Any suggestions for how to help rein them in?”source ↗
“I struggle to tell what a good balance is. I want them to be silent during independent work but what if that’s like all class period? Is that a normal ask?”source ↗
“I just worry what it looks like on the outside. They seem to enjoy the content, but I know they want to talk more. I don’t want my admin or other teachers to be like oh she doesn’t have control.”source ↗
“in the entire lecture (40 minutes + 10 minutes extra) they kept saying they wanted Ms. XYZ back and i couldn't teach a thing!”source ↗
“I have no prior teaching experience and I am quite literally the youngest person in the school (22 y/o) who also apparently looks like a kid (literally).”source ↗
“Someone was pissed at me, someone was standing on the chair, the birthday girl hated me because she wanted ms. xyz back - she wasnt even responding or looking at me, someone wanted ANOTHER teacher back let's say ms. abc. It was insane no energy strategies no attention grabbers worked.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 8What do you call students who copy or police classroom instructions?
- 12How to stop classroom interruptions from photo and video documentation
- 3How to stop hallway distractions when door windows can't be covered
- 6How to handle a chaotic last period elective class
- 4How do you talk to a defensive parent who denies their child's behavior?
- 9How to handle an out of control kindergarten class