Keeping children on task

Time on task does not necessarily equate with the quality of work produced. Like adults, children benefit from moments of respite and the challenge for teachers is to achieve a balance between insisting that children focus on the work in hand and relaxing their grip on a situation to allow moments of relaxation. Some trainees find that they are inclined to be draconian in their insistence on the children’s total application to the task for fear that the situation may get out of hand if they ease up. In keeping children on task, however, it is necessary to be aware that motivation, appropriateness of the tasks and sensible pacing of the lesson contribute to a successful outcome as much as teacher dominance. The quality of work is almost always better when children are enjoying what they are doing. A sure sign of a successful session is when the children complain when told to stop. The challenge is to maintain a firm hold without crushing the life out of the lesson, so occasional light moments (such as sharing the humour in a situation) are valuable.